Effective Formative Feedback

"Feedback includes telling students what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. It also includes reminding students of what they were aiming to achieve (the learning intentions). Finally, high quality feedback is always given against explicit and agreed criteria for success" (NCCA, 2015)

Characteristics of Quality Feedback

• Relate the feedback to the learning intention and success criteria

• Identify where success has occurred

• Set a goal for improvement 

• Show where and how improvement could take place

• Allow time for students to make improvements

• Start small 

Dylan Wiliam: Feedback on Learning

'Good Feedback, causes Thinking' - Dylan Wiliam

"Provide feedback that moves learning on, causes thinking and provides guidance on how to improve. 

This can include: 

• Comment-only grading

• Focused grading

• Explicit reference to rubrics

• Suggestions on how to improve:

e.g: Not giving complete solutions

• Re-timing assessment:

e.g: three quarters of the way through a test". 

(Wiliams, D; 2020, available at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kvmlnwp8ty0r7il/DVD7.pptx?e=1&dl=0)

When it comes to closing the gap between where a student is and where we want them to be in their learning, there are three types of prompts that can be used with formative feedback to promote improvement.

A reminder prompt

This is most suitable for more able students as they generally require a reminder of something they need to do or include to help bring the learning forward. For example, 

• 'You gave a very realistic description on the damage caused by an earthquake. To improve your work, you need to include all the key terms. Look back and check the list to see which ones you have left out'

• 'Say more about how the actions of this leader influenced future events'

• You have clearly stated one way an archaeologist may find a site. Are there any others? 

A scaffold prompt 

This is most suitable for students who need more support than just a reminder. For example: 

• 'Describe two consequences of the Nuremberg laws for Jewish people.'

• 'Describe something that happened when the molten lava met the river.'

• Describe the expression on his face

An example prompt

This can be extremely successful with all students, but is especially successful for less able students, as they may need an example of what they need to do to improve on their answer/response/work etc. For example: 

• 'Choose one of these or write your own:

  • "He is a good friend because he never says unkind things?"

  • "He is a friend because he never tells lies"

• How do you think he felt? Angry that people did not trust him? Annoyed with himself for lying in the past?

Through reflection ‘in’ and ‘on’ learning students can become more aware of the knowledge and skills that they have developed, identify strengths and areas for development, develop and action plan for future learning, gain greater understanding of themselves and how they learn and take more responsibility for their learning. (NCCA 2015)

Why is reflection important? 

Encourages students to take responsibility for their learning

Raises students’ awareness of the knowledge and skills that they are gaining

Increases self-esteem

Develops students’ capacity to recognise quality in their work

"Feedback is just in time, just-for-me information delivered when and where it can do the most good."

Timing

• Provide immediate feedback for knowledge of facts.

• Delay feedback slightly for more comprehensive reviews of student thinking and processing.

• Never delay feedback beyond when it would make a difference to students.

• Provide feedback as often as is practical, for all major assignments.

Amount

• Prioritise - pick the most important topics.

• Choose topics that relate to the major learning goals.

• Consider the student's developmental level.

Mode - Oral/Written/Visual

• Select the best mode for the message. 

• Interactive feedback(talking with the student) is best when possible.

• Give written feedback on written work or on an assignment cover sheets.

• Use demonstration if 'how to do something' is an issue or if the student needs an example.

Audience - Individual/Group

• Individual feedback says, 'The teacher values my learning.'

• Group feedback works if most of the class missed the same concept on an assignment, which presents an opportunity for reteaching.

This information is available as an infographic. If you would like to download this infographic click here.

(Adapted from Brookhart, 2008)

Learning logs allow students to reflect on their learning and also provide student to teacher feedback. 

'One particular feature of this learning log is that students are not asked questions but rather offered prompts for writing. While some teachers ask students to  respond to all the prompts, in general such learning logs seem to be more effective when teachers ask students to choose no more than three prompts to which to respond.'

(Wiliam & Leahy, 2015)