4.++Effective+Feedback


 * Provide Effective Feedback**

The concepts of formative assessment and feedback are almost synonymous. Feedback when done effectively informs students about their learning. It causes students to think and informs them of what they need to do to improve. “Feedback matches specific descriptions and suggestions with a particular student’s work. It is just-in-time, just-for-me information delivered when and where it can do the most good” (Brookhart, 2008, p.1).

Black and William (1998) describe a study which involved a group of teachers trained in giving written feedback. The trained teachers divided their classes into two groups. The teachers provided one group with effective feedback and the other group with marks only. The results indicated a large improvement on the final achievement for the group that received only the effective feedback, without marks compared to the group who received only marks, without effective feedback. Other studies have concluded that when students receive a mark and comments that they ignore the comments and focus immediately on the mark (Butler, 1998, as cited in Leahy, et al, 2005). A score of 80% or 6/10 does very little to describe to students what they are doing well and in what areas they need to improve.

Feedback strategies may vary depending upon “the characteristics of your students, the assignment and the classroom atmosphere” (Brookhart, 2008, p.5). Feedback can vary in timing, amount, method and audience. It is important to think about when, how often and how much feedback to provide. The method can vary from oral to written to demonstration types of feedback. Feedback may be given to individuals, groups or the whole class. The feedback itself may focus on different aspects of student work. Feedback may focus on the positive by highlighting what students have done well and providing positive suggestions for improvement.

In his 90/90/90 schools study Reeves (2004) found that one of the characteristics of high achievement schools was that they assessed student progress on a weekly basis and provided them with multiple opportunities to improve. “The consequence for poor performance is not a bad grade and discouragement, but more work, improved performance, and respect for teacher feedback” (Reeves, 2004).

In order to be effective all feedback needs to be clearly understood by the students to who it is directed (Brookhart, 2008). “For an assessment to be helpful to students, it must inform them in words, not numerical scores or letter grades, what they have done well, what they have done poorly, and what they need to do to improve” (Cooper, 2007, p.9).

Understanding that feedback is more effective than a mark is one thing but changing school policy to implement the philosophy may prove to be more challenging without support. Leahy et al (2005) indicated that “principals were happy to permit these changes once teachers explained their reasons. Parents were also supportive. Some even said they found comments more useful than grades because the comments provided them with guidance on how to help their children” (p.23).