Providing Feedback

Feedback is one of the most valuable parts of the marking process. In Nimbu, you can provide feedback at multiple levels on individual questions, on the overall assessment or observation, and on the final unit result. This article explains how feedback works at each level, how to attach supporting files, and how to make your feedback as effective as possible.

What's Covered in This Article

This article explains feedback options available to trainers when marking student work in Nimbu:


Who can do this: Trainers with marking permissions can provide question-level and activity-level feedback.

Question-Level Feedback

Question-level feedback is added directly to individual questions within an assessment or observation. It is the most targeted form of feedback and is especially useful for guiding resubmissions.

How to Add Question-Level Feedback

  1. Open the assessment or observation from the Marking tab.
  2. Navigate to the question you want to mark. The question text and the student's answer are displayed at the top of the screen. If a Marking Guide has been set for the question, it appears beneath the student's answer as a reference for your evaluation.
  3. In the Result panel at the bottom of the screen, select either Satisfactory or Not Satisfactory.
  4. If the question does not meet the required standard and you intend to request a resubmission, toggle Student to resubmit on.
  5. Enter your written comment in the feedback text field. The field displays the placeholder: "Provide constructive feedback, suggest improvements, or simply leave an encouraging comment for the student..."
  6. Use the Question dropdown or the Next button at the bottom of the screen to move to the next question and repeat as needed.

Note: For assessments, self-marking questions (Multiple Choice, True/False, and Selection) are automatically graded by the system. Feedback fields are only available on Short Answer and Upload questions, which require manual marking.


Note: For observations, Trainer Question responses (such as checklist items) are completed by the trainer only. These questions are not sent to the student for resubmission or revision. Only Student Questions, such as Short Answer and Upload questions are visible to students.

Assessment and Observation-Level Feedback

Overall feedback applies to the entire submission. This is provided either when finalising a result or when requesting a resubmission, and it is the feedback students most commonly refer to when reviewing their outcome.

Finalising a Result

From the Summary screen, click Final Result in the top right corner. This button is only active once all questions have been marked - it will appear greyed out if any resubmit questions remain outstanding.

  1. Select either Satisfactory Completed or Not Satisfactory Completed.
  2. Enter your comments in the Feedback (Optional) field and attach a file via Upload file if needed.
  3. Click Submit.

The student is notified immediately and can view the result and your feedback.

Requesting Resubmission

When requesting a resubmission for an assessment or observation, you can include feedback to help the student understand what needs improvement before they attempt the work again.

From the Summary screen, click Request Resubmission in the top right corner to open the resubmission panel.

  1. Enter your comments in the Feedback (Optional) field and attach a file via Upload file if needed.
  2. Click Send Request.

Requesting Revisions

Request Revisions allows the student to edit and resubmit their existing work without creating a new attempt. Feedback provided here sets the context for what the student needs to correct.

  1. From the question screen or Summary, click the kebab menu (⋮) in the header.
  2. Select Request Revisions.
  3. Review the list of questions being returned to the student.
  4. Optionally add a Reason explaining what requires correction.
  5. Set a Due Time if needed, then send the request.

Important: If you have already entered feedback or a result for a question that is included in the revision request, that feedback will be removed when the request is sent. Questions that will lose feedback are highlighted in red, with a warning: "All marked questions will lose current feedback." Review this carefully before sending.

Unit Result Feedback

When the Require Trainer to Set Final Result Manually setting is enabled, trainers must review and set the final unit result after a student completes all required content. A feedback or reason field is available at this stage.

How to Add Unit Result Feedback

  1. Navigate to Class Management and locate the student's unit with AR (Awaiting Result) status, or access it via the "Mark Now" in-app notification.
  2. Click Assess, then click Mark Unit.
  3. Review the Learning Progress Summary.
  4. Select the final result: Mark as Competent or Mark as Not Completed.
  5. If your selection differs from the system suggestion, a Reason is mandatory. Enter a clear explanation for the override.
  6. If your selection matches the system suggestion, feedback is optional — but strongly recommended for audit purposes.
  7. Click Confirm & Mark to finalise.

The student is notified by email and in-app notification. Depending on RTO settings, they may be required to formally accept the result via a Unit Result modal, which displays the trainer's name, the date of the decision, and any feedback provided.

Important: Once a student accepts a unit result, it cannot be changed. If you need to correct a unit result, contact the student before they accept it.

Attaching Media to Feedback

Nimbu allows you to attach files to feedback when finalising a result or requesting a resubmission. This is available at the assessment and observation level.

Supported uses include:

  • Annotated versions of the student's submitted work.
  • Reference materials to help the student improve.
  • Templates or examples to guide a resubmission.

How to Attach a File

  1. In the Feedback section (on the Summary screen when finalising or requesting resubmission), locate the file upload area.
  2. Click to select a file, or drag and drop it into the upload area.
  3. Confirm the file has uploaded successfully before submitting.

Note: File attachments are available when setting a final result or requesting a resubmission. They are not available on individual question feedback fields.

Best Practices for Feedback

Effective feedback supports student learning, guides resubmissions, and provides a clear evidence trail for compliance. The following principles are recommended for trainers working within Nimbu.

Be Specific and Actionable

Avoid vague comments like "needs more detail." Instead, identify the specific requirement that was not met and explain what the student should do to address it.

  • Less effective: "This answer is incomplete"
  • More effective: "Your response does not address the second performance criterion. Review the unit materials on [topic] and describe the steps in the correct sequence."

Align Feedback to the Evidence

Reference the student's specific response or submitted work in your comments. This demonstrates that the result is based on evidence and makes it easier for the student to understand what to correct.

Distinguish Between Resubmission and Revision

Before sending a resubmission or revision request, consider which approach is appropriate:

  • Use Request Revisions when the student is close to meeting the requirements and only needs to edit or clarify specific parts of their existing work. No new attempt is created.
  • Use Request Resubmission when the student's work requires more substantial rework, or when you want to reset the attempt and have the student start fresh.

Providing clear feedback with the request helps the student understand the scope of what is expected.

Document Overrides for Compliance

If you set a unit result that differs from the system suggestion, a written reason is mandatory in Nimbu. Even when it is optional, it is good practice to document your reasoning. This creates a transparent audit trail that supports your RTO's compliance obligations.

Maintain a Consistent Standard

Feedback should reflect the same standard applied across all students for the same unit. Inconsistent marking and feedback can create issues during audits or if a student requests a remark. Where possible, use consistent language and reference the relevant unit criteria when commenting on student work.

Use the Remark Feature for Corrections

If you identify a marking error after finalising a result, use the Remark feature to reopen the submission and correct it. Remark is available for assessments and observations with a completed status (S or NS), as long as the assessment is not composed entirely of self-marking questions.

When initiating a Remark, a reason is mandatory. This creates a documented record of why the result was reopened, which is important for compliance purposes.

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