How Sokra gives feedback to your students
Sokra gives feedback, not marks. Your assistant looks at what a student wrote against the criteria you set, then tells the student what is working and what to try next. It never reduces a student's work to a number or a single label. You stay the one who decides what good work is, and the assistant applies your standard consistently for every student.
This article explains where feedback comes from, how to shape it, and how to read it for one student or for a whole class.
Before you start
You need an assistant to attach feedback to. If you have not built one yet, start with creating your first assistant, then come back here to shape its feedback. It also helps to have a sense of what "good work" looks like for the task, for example "uses evidence to support an argument".
Build your feedback criteria
Criteria are the heart of feedback in Sokra. They turn your judgement into something the assistant can apply the same way every time, so feedback stays fair and consistent across a class.
1. Open the Feedback tab
In the assistant editor, open the Feedback tab. This is where you set the criteria your assistant uses to give students feedback. If it is empty, that is your starting point: define what good work looks like.
2. Add a criterion
Click Add Criterion and describe one thing you care about, for example "Uses evidence to support their argument". Add a criterion for each quality that matters for the task. A handful of clear criteria works better than a long list.
3. Describe the levels
For each criterion you can set a Level, such as "Excellent", "Proficient", or "Developing", and a Description of what that level looks like. This is how you teach the assistant the difference between strong and developing work, in your words. The assistant uses these descriptions to give feedback, not to score or rank a student.
4. See the feedback a student receives
When a student finishes a session and submits it, the assistant generates feedback against your criteria. The student sees their Strengths, Opportunities of growth, and a Justification of Assessment that points back to what you defined. You can also add Your Feedback in your own words on top of what the assistant generated.
5. Read Class Feedback for the whole class
Once students have submitted sessions, open Class Feedback to see how the class is doing overall, where learners are strong, and where the same gap keeps coming up. From there you can generate a follow-up activity aimed at exactly that gap.
Data & safety
Feedback is based on the student's session and the criteria you wrote, and it stays inside your workspace. AI-generated summaries can be imperfect, so review feedback the way you would review your own notes before acting on it, and use Your Feedback to correct or add to anything the assistant got wrong. You remain responsible for what a student is told.
Tips
- Write criteria the way you would explain the task to a student. Plain, specific language gives the best feedback.
- Start with two or three criteria and refine them after you see real feedback.
- Use Class Feedback before planning your next lesson. The recurring gaps are usually the best place to focus.
Troubleshooting
The feedback feels generic. Add more specific criteria and clearer level descriptions in the Feedback tab. The more precisely you describe good work, the more useful the feedback.
Class Feedback says there is nothing to show. Students need to submit at least one session before class feedback can be generated. Check that your class has submitted sessions, not just open ones.
A student disagrees with their feedback. Open the session, review it against your criteria, and use Your Feedback to add your own response. The assistant supports your judgement, it does not replace it.