theory into practice
Principles: The Big Picture
kind of feedback “conveyed a sense of work in progress, heightening awareness of what was being undertaken and reflecting on it” (Tunstall and Gipps 1996: 399). Type D is the methodology that most empowers the child as a
co-constructor of their own learning (e.g. “What are the problems that you face now in improving this product?” or “How can we improve this writing?”).
Evaluative feedback
Type A
Type B
Positive
Rewarding
Approving
Negative
Punishing
Disapproving
Descriptive feedback
Type C
Type D
Achievement feedback
Specifying attainment
Constructing achievement
Improvement feedback
Specifying improvement
Constructing the way forward
Although there is no simple one-size-fits-all guide to effective feedback, there are some clear guiding principles that teachers should follow to maximise the effectiveness of the feedback they provide. Firstly, Brookhart (2007) suggests that there are three (nested) steps to good feedback: Formative assessment provides information about the learning process that teachers can use for instructional decisions;
assessment in order to motivate pupils and help them to improve their performance, teachers should bear in mind two further observations: 1. To enhance learning: •
•
Formative assessment provides information about the learning process that teachers can use for instructional decisions and pupils can use in improving their performance; Formative assessment provides information about the learning process that teachers can use for instructional decisions and pupils can use in improving their performance, which motivates pupils.
•
• Secondly, Shute (2008) suggests that in providing this sort of nested, effective formative
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feedback should focus on the specific features of the task, and provide suggestions on how to improve, rather than focus on the learner; it should focus on the “what, how and why” of a problem rather than simply indicating to pupils whether they were correct or not; elaborated feedback should be presented in manageable units and, echoing Einstein’s famous dictum, should be “as simple as possible but no simpler.” However, feedback should not be so detailed and specific that it scaffolds the learning so completely that the pupils do not need to think for themselves. Feedback is also more effective when from a trusted source (whether human or computer).