What is feedback
and why should teachers provide it? How can we provide effective feedback that
supports learning, and what constrains classroom teachers from doing so?
By Richard Kant
By Richard Kant
Feedback is the food of
champions and it is important and essential in the assessment process.
According to McMillan (2011), feedback is ‘indicating
verbally, or in writing the
correctness of an action, answer, or other response’ (McMillan, 2011,
p.449). Whether an answer or action is right or wrong, feedback is confirming
the correctness (McMillan, 2011). It is an assessment method teachers use to
respond to students after they have demonstrated knowledge, reasoning or
performance (McMillan, 2011). The purpose of feedback, types of feedback and
how it can be implemented in the classroom, tools and strategies, why teachers
should provide it and why provide it effectively will be outlined. Constraints and
the values of providing effective feedback will also be outlined.
According to Brookhart
(2008), there are many types of feedback and purposes of the various types.
According to Cole and Chan (1987), the general purpose is to improve student
learning, allow students to check if performance is adequate and monitor their
learning. According to McMillan (2011),
the nature of feedback should guide student’s meaningful construction of added
knowledge and understanding, learning and enhance intrinsic motivation.
Feedback passes between the teacher to student and student to the teacher. The
purpose of feedback defined by McMillan’s (2011) focuses between teacher and
student. According to Cole and Chan (1987), feedback between student and
teacher is just as important and its purpose being ‘to keep the teacher informed about students reaction to instruction’
(Cole and Chan, 1987, p.243). Brookhart (2008), Cole and Chan (1987) and
McMillan (2011), all make important overlapping and valid arguments on the
nature and purpose of feedback.
According to Cole and Chan (1987),
feedback can be intrinsic or extrinsic, and it can be provided in many forms.
Intrinsic feedback is where teachers provide feedback to students in the
process of completing an activity whereas extrinsic feedback provides feedback
on the appropriateness or accuracy of a student’s performance. According to
Cole and Chan (1987), feedback can be implemented in the classroom in many ways
for example, by providing students with much individual feedback and corrective
instruction. Giving feedback and correctives in small group and providing
correctives by using creative methods and resources. Being supportive,
encouraging and providing feedback and correctives to attain learning outcomes
combined with reinforcement. McMillan (2011) takes a different approach and outlines
specifically different variety of types of feedback that can be implemented in
the classroom. These include goal-directed, scaffolded, self-referenced,
standard referenced and norm-referenced feedback. Both authors, Cole and Chan
(1987) and McMillan (2011) agree that the type of feedback implemented in the
classroom should enhance student learning, motivate, and provide and/or
reinforce information.
There
are a vast range of tools and strategies for providing effective feedback to
students such as those outlined by Brookhart (2008). According to Brookhart
(2008), these strategies are timing, amount, mode, and audience and can vary in
several dimensions. Good timing refers to returning tests and assignments
promptly. Good amount uses the Goldilocks principle by not giving too much
feedback, not too little but just the right amount. Feedback mode is where the
teacher communication (oral, written or demonstration) of feedback is conducted
in the most appropriate. Feedback audience refers to appropriately reaching students
(individual or group) with specific feedback. According to Brookhart (2008),
using these tools and strategies improves student learning, motivation and
promotes a classroom where feedback is valued and viewed as productive.
Teachers
should provide feedback as it is important for students to know their progress
as they are learning. This knowledge gives students a sense of achievement and
therefore motivates them to learn more. It is also important that students know
when they have made a mistake. Corrective measures can be taken and students
can learn from their mistakes (Cole and Chan, 1987). Providing feedback also
strengthens teacher-student relationship whereas little feedback weakens it
(McMillan, 2011). Teachers should provide feedback, as it is integral to
formative assessment. It produces learner autonomy, aligns teaching and
learning and impacts student experience.
An
important aspect of assessment supporting learning is the type of feedback
provided with assessment and the frequency. Feedback should be frequent and
timed sufficiently so that the task still matters to the student. It should
also focus on student performance and learning and not student characteristics.
Feedback should be specific and detailed, addressed in small amounts of material
and provide the student guidance for future efforts. Teachers can provide
effective feedback that supports learning, by indicating what good performance
is and show how their current performance relates to good performance
(Williamson, 2012). According to Williamson (2012), feedback should be
expressed in a language that students are able to comprehend. Feedback should
also match the purpose of the task and encourage the student to improve.
Finally, feedback that supports student learning should be supported so that it
requires the student to act upon the feedback (Wieman, 2012). Knowing how to
provide effective feedback that supports student learning is an important
aspect of learning.
Providing effective
feedback does come with challenges. For example, in some situations, it is not
possible to provide detailed written feedback to an entire class due to the
sheer workload it will create for the teacher. Another practical constraint is
time (McMillan, 2011). According to McMillan (2011), these constraints requires
teachers to use professional judgment so that it ‘has a positive effect on motivation, and it allows students to make
more accurate connections between how they studied or prepared and their
performance’ (McMillan, 2011, p. 368).
Providing effective
feedback has great value and importance (McMillan, 2011). According to Carole
Fokey (Biology Teacher) as cited in McMillan, 2011, feedback alerts students to
areas that need improvement but also shows the teacher how effective the
instruction is/was. Not effectively
providing feedback can also have risks. According to McMillan (2011), narrow
feedback can be overwhelming for the student or difficult to understand, and
too much specific comments do not allow students to work for themselves.
According to McMillan (2011), feedback is important to provide however, there
are factors to consider such as timing, mode, audience, and type of task. It
can be safely assumed that consideration of these factors can have great value
and importance in providing effective feedback.
The
purpose of feedback by McMillan (2011) and Cole and Chan (1987) were discussed.
A variety of types of feedback integral to formative assessment were outlined. It was shown that, knowing the methods of
providing feedback that supports student learning is not without constraints
and risks, but the value of it is important. It may be that, with classroom
regimes and use of various tools and strategies, effective feedback may improve
student learning and motivation.
References
Brookhart, S. M. (2008). How
to give effective feedback to your students. Alexandria, VA: ASDC.
Chan, P. G., Cole &, Lorna, K. S. (1987). Teaching principles and
practice. New York: Prentice Hall.
McMillan, J. H. (2011). Classroom assessment: Principles
and practice for effective standards-based instruction (5th ed.).
Australia: Pearson.
Wieman, C. (2012). Assessments
that support student learning. Retrieved from:
http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/files/Assessment_That_Support_Learning.pdf
Williamsom, F. (2012). Features
of effective feedback. Retrieved from:
www.uws.edu.au/student_learning_unit/slu/staff_feedback_toolkit/the_importance_of_effective_feedback
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