Providing feedback that moves learning forward

Feedback in Formative Assessment

The Importance of Feedback

• Feedback is a contentious issue in formative assessment, emphasizing that it should be forward-looking to effectively move learning forward.

• A study by Ruth Butler and colleagues involving 260 students across 12 classrooms in Israel illustrates the impact of different feedback types on student performance.

Study Design and Findings

• In the study, all classrooms received the same teaching materials; the only variable was the type of feedback provided: scores, comments, or both.

• Students receiving only scores showed no progress from pretests to post-tests, while those given comments improved by 30%. High-scoring students wanted more work with scores, whereas low-scoring students preferred alternatives.

Discussion Points

• Participants were asked to discuss outcomes for students who received both scores and comments. The results indicated varied opinions on whether this combination would yield positive or negative effects on student attitudes and performance.

• Common hypotheses included:

• A: Best of both worlds—improvement with positive attitudes.

• B: Improvement but polarized attitudes due to score negativity.

• C: No improvement but neutralized feelings about bad scores.

• D: Same as just receiving scores—no improvement observed. This was confirmed as true in the study findings.

Implications of Grading Practices

• The prevalent practice of giving grades alongside detailed comments may hinder learning; high achievers ignore comments while low achievers feel discouraged by their scores. Thus, providing only a score could save time without compromising educational value.

• Another related study found that students receiving only comments made significant progress compared to those given grades or praise, which did not enhance learning outcomes at all. This challenges the notion that children need constant reminders of their performance levels through grading systems.

Conclusion on Feedback Systems

• Schools often create an environment where grades are necessary for motivation; however, these grades can be detrimental to student engagement and learning efficacy. A shift towards qualitative feedback could better support student development without reliance on numerical scoring systems.

Understanding the Impact of Feedback on Student Performance

The Role of Scores and Comments in Learning

• When students receive both a score and a comment, they tend to focus more on the score rather than the comment itself. This indicates that scores can overshadow qualitative feedback.

Ego Involvement and Its Effects

• The study highlighted that grades and praise do not enhance student achievement; instead, they increase ego involvement, diverting energy from learning to self-esteem protection.

• Classrooms with grades and praise exhibited higher levels of ego involvement compared to those receiving comments or no feedback at all.

Comprehensive Research on Feedback

• Researchers Kluger and DeNisi conducted an extensive review of over 3,000 studies on feedback dating back to 1905, aiming for methodological rigor.

• Out of these studies, only 131 were deemed methodologically sound. Surprisingly, nearly 38% showed that feedback could worsen performance rather than improve it.

Characteristics of Effective Feedback

• Effective feedback is characterized by two main features: it provides clear guidance on what actions to take next and how to implement those actions effectively.

Strategies for Providing Constructive Feedback

• Feedback should stimulate cognitive engagement rather than emotional reactions; this distinction is crucial for fostering learning.

• One effective strategy is "comment-only marking," which focuses solely on qualitative feedback without numerical scores. This approach aims to reduce emotional responses tied to grades.

Innovative Approaches in Classroom Practices

• A teacher implemented a unique method where comments were written separately on strips of paper. Students matched these comments with their essays, promoting focus on content rather than personal evaluation.

Perceptions of Feedback Among Students

• A student's perspective revealed a belief that receiving extensive feedback indicated poor work quality; thus, good work was associated with minimal comments or high marks only.

By structuring the notes in this manner, key insights are easily accessible while maintaining clarity regarding the timestamps for reference.

Feedback in Education: Transforming Student Engagement

The Role of Feedback in Learning

• Feedback is redefined from a post-mortem analysis to a forward-looking tool, emphasizing what students should do next rather than just evaluating past performance.

• Students are encouraged to respond to specific questions after their work has been marked, reinforcing the importance of engaging with feedback actively.

• In subjects like math and science, teachers face challenges in providing feedback that aligns with scoring rubrics; students can often deduce their scores independently.

• A suggested approach is for teachers to indicate incorrect answers (e.g., "five of these are wrong") and require students to identify and correct them, promoting active learning.

• Effective feedback should involve more effort from both the teacher (donor) and the student (recipient), ensuring that students engage deeply with the material rather than passively receiving solutions.

Practical Strategies for Providing Feedback

• Language arts teachers can use margin notes or symbols (like P for punctuation errors or G for grammar mistakes) on drafts, leaving room for student corrections as part of the learning process.

• The principle that feedback should be more work for recipients emphasizes that complete solutions should not be provided upfront; instead, guidance should encourage self-correction.

• Teachers in Japan commonly administer assessments before completing units, allowing opportunities for timely feedback and adjustments in teaching strategies based on student performance.