Effective Feedback and Evidence of Learning

Effective Feedback

Feedback is the information given to the learner about their performance in relation to the learning intention and success criteria or outcomes. It's purpose is to aim towards (and be capable of generating) improvement in students’ learning. Feedback redirects or refocuses the learner’s actions to enable them to achieve a goal, by aligning effort and activity with an outcome. Feedback should occur throughout the whole lesson and must be timely to ensure its effectiveness. This allow students to build on their learning by identifying areas they are demonstrating efficiency in and areas that they require further improvement. Feedback should challenge students to review, reflect and refine their understanding of key concepts.

Feedback should answer the three following questions:

• What is it that we are learning to do?

• How much progress have I made?

• What do I need to do next?

This feedback can be either written or verbal, or can be given through assessments such as a test. Feedback doesn't just have to come from a teacher, it can also come from someone taking a teaching role, or from peers.

Providing effective feedback can be very challenging and in order for it to be effective it needs to be specific, accurate and clear.

• Rather than just saying that is correct, you can say “It was good because you...”

• You can compare what a learner is doing correct now with what they were doing wrong before for example “I can see you were focused on improving ....... as it is much better than last time’s ...…”);

• Encourage and support further effort;

• Don't over give it to the point that it becomes less meaningful;

• Rather than just tell students they are incorrect, provide specific guidance on how to improve

• When feedback is about complex or challenging tasks/goals it is more valued by students as it emphasises the importance of effort and perseverance

Evidence of Learning

Evidence of student learning allows us to:

• improve the focus of our teaching based on what students have/have not learnt

• focus students’ attention on their strengths and weaknesses by using the evidence to provide effective feedback

• improve our programming and planning by assessing its effectiveness through the learning that has taken place

• report on an assessment to provide a level of achievement to students

Evidence of learning can be obtained through various forms of assessment both formative and summative and is used to gauge the attainment and progress of goals and curriculum standards for each individual student. Examples of evidence that could be used may include:

• teacher observations

• tests

• peer assessments

• practical performances

• exit slips

• pre/post tests

• conferencing

• rubrics