Assessment & Feedback
This is about the gap between teaching and learning: about how to see it, how to respond to it, and how to make students comfortable with the struggle it implies. Teachers and students monitor student learning so that both can make adjustments until students succeed.
What the Research Says:
Researchers have found that progress at work is the single most important factor contributing to attitude and long-term performance.
In a large-scale, 2016 study that included nearly 3,000 students, researchers found that students who received tailored feedback outperformed those who engaged in traditional in-class instruction and homework assignments without feedback. Additionally, below-average students benefited even more from tailored feedback which suggests that individualized, real-time feedback is a powerful strategy for reducing achievement gaps.
Hattie Effect Size: Feedback - 0.75 - teachers can't provide feedback unless they know how well their students are learning.
Hattie Effect Size: Providing Formative Assessment - 0.9 - teachers can't use formative evaluation to adjust their learning unless they know how well students are learning.
Hattie Effect Size: Student Expectations - 1.44 - students must know how well they are doing against expectations.
What's the Point?
When students know where their current understanding and skills lie, it increases engagement, increases hope and provides a starting point for meaningful learning.
If students develop misunderstandings or learn skills incorrectly, they are apt to grow frustrated and fall farther behind. So, as they begin to master and automate new skills, it’s vital to observe them and provide real-time feedback tailored to their learning needs.
