Feedback
The Importance of Quality Teacher Feedback
In an online or blended environment, teachers can provide feedback within the Learning Management System and at the very least using Google G Suite, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, or other document editors. With no physical space limitation, lengthy grading comments can be copied, pasted and revised from a databank of previously used comments. Students do not have to decipher a few cryptic symbols written with a red pen.
Since many online/blended classes move to new content quickly, it is essential to provide feedback on a regular basis through both formal and informal formative assessments, so students can address misconceptions and continue to master content.
Watch the videos to the right and below to learn more about the importance of quality teacher feedback.
It is recommended that you mute the music in this video as it is quite distracting. The information is excellent.
This video outlines the concepts in "The Power of Feedback" by John Hattie and Helen Timperley. Created using PowToon by Faith Thomas.
Peer Feedback
Peer feedback is an excellent way to connect students to each other and assist in building community. It is also a great way for students to observe how others are interpreting the content. Consider Emily Wray's RISE Model for Peer Feedback below. On her web site she shares:
"Although today's students are more connected than ever, the quality of their scholastic interaction, especially their ability to provide meaningful feedback, continues to suffer. When asserting an opinion about anything has become as simple as clicking a "Like" button, it is no wonder our students are at a loss when asked to perform a critical analysis.
Born out of the need for better communication and collaboration in the classroom, I developed the RISE Model to guide the peer feedback process. The model was designed to steer student conversations toward positive, productive critiques. Aligned with Bloom's taxonomy for higher order thinking, the four tiers of the model prompt students to reflect, then build their constructive analysis through inquiry, providing suggestions to help elevate each others work."
Creating opportunities for peer feedback can be a requirement for certain assignments and even be a way for students to create optional "online study groups" using tools such as:
- Group discussion forums built into the LMS
- VOIP tools (i.e., Skype, Google Hangout, etc.)
- Wikis
- Blogs
- Google G-Suite
Student Self-Reflection: Giving feedback to yourself
In her Edutopia article, "Self-Assessment Inspires Learning," Dr. Lori Desautels, Assistant professor in the College of Education, Butler University, states,
"Self-reflection is self-assessment, and one of the most significant learning tools we can model for our students. Ultimately, we want our children and adolescents to be the self-assessors of their work, dispositions, and goals. Research repeatedly reports that the difference between good teachers and superior teachers is that superior teachers self-reflect.
The brain is wired for this strategy, and it has been a part of our evolution. When we teach to a child's or adolescent's brain, we empower that student with the "inner resources" that directly affect his or her ability to pay attention, engage, and create meaningful learning experiences."
Emily Wray provides an excellent rubric for students to self-evaluate or "consider their performance or contribution as it relates to their growing understanding of a topic or skill."
"Characteristics of Good Student Feedback - YouTube." 30 Aug. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Huju0xwNFKU. Accessed 30 May. 2017. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License.
"Effective Feedback and Formative Assessment - YouTube." 13 Oct. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tihrg7nBos. Accessed 30 May. 2017.
"The Power of Feedback - YouTube." 10 Mar. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S770g-LULFY. Accessed 30 May. 2017.
RISE Model by Emily Wray is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.