Strategies for Providing Effective Feedback

During the Winter 2011 term, Professors Randy Gallant and Janice Dundas presented an excellent CCC workshop on Strategies for Providing Effective Feedback. Here are the highlights of their presentation.

Feedback

“The return of a portion of the output of a process or system to the input, especially when used to maintain performance or to control a system or process.” cited from the free dictionary.

F → Free

  • Feedback is certainly part of evaluation but for today the focus is on feedback that is given freely –
    without cost to the person that is receiving it
  • Shouldn’t cost marks, time to learn material, or self worth

E → Embed into class time opportunities for feedback

  • Every lesson should have time for feedback processes
  • Every student needs feedback at some point
  • Suggestion
    • Praise
    • Prompt
    • leave

E → Everyone should be involved in providing feedback at some point

  • Teacher
  • Student (self feedback)
  • Peers

D → Diversity is important when providing feedback

  • Feedback as affirmation
  • Feedback that clarifies
  • Feedback as observations, questions, explorations
  • Feedback as correction

“By realizing that the form of feedback differs and applying the correct form given the learning context, teachers can improve student performance. Increasingly precise feedback and feedback that invites creative and explorative thinking may awaken the intrinsic desire to learn teachers hope for their students”

B → Build trust through your feedback

“there are three qualities of feedback that help build on trust. When students believe their teachers share
a belief in their abilities and talents, they are more likely to use the feedback to improve their performance.
Feedback that builds relationships identifies the positive aspects of the student’s work. It tends to explain
rather than simply label, and it is compassionate.”

  • Positive Feedback
  • Explain rather than label
  • Compassionate

A → Are you ready for feedback

  • Incorporate opportunities for students to provide you with the kind of feedback you are {hopefully} providing to them – model the response

C → Call it what it is

  • Teach students what feedback is – use the term in the dialogue

K → Keep in mind the purpose of feedback

  • Where am I going
  • How am I going
  • Where to next

 

Related Suite 101 Links:

Feedback on Student Work
Feedback on Student Work Builds Relationships
Purposes for Feedback on Student Work
How Do Teachers Provide Feedback?