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Feedback is essential for student learning, but grading student performance means combining accuracy and empathy while understanding that every student has their own needs. How can you personalise your approach to marking while maintaining consistency across the class? Here are some tips for providing feedback. Give students an accurate assessment of their performanceThis might seem like a given, but remarkably, many teachers fail to provide adequate, clear-eyed assessments of student performance. There are a number of reasons why this occurs, including:
However, evidence suggests that providing feedback on performance is key to helping students improve, achieve and better themselves. Giving effective feedback to studentsWhen providing feedback to your students, you can draw from these four options:
Providing affirmation (not praise)When providing feedback to your students it’s essential that positive feedback affirms what they did well, rather than praises the student. The point of difference between these two options can be defined as:
Correcting issues and directing towards solutionsWhen providing feedback to your students it’s not enough to simply say when something is wrong. Mistakes are part of the learning experienceIt’s essential for students to understand that making mistakes is part of learning. For students to learn, they must be directed to the right answer. Correct, then direct. As a teacher, how you achieve this will largely be contextual to the activity, subject and student. Focus on single skills or questionsWhen feedback is too broad it can be hard for students to distinguish the relevance of the feedback. Try to focus on a particular element of the essay and provide clear, concise recommendations. Sometimes, particularly with simple questions, the direction will be a correction. For more complex activities, you may want to show your students a particular methodology or process. Walking students through a methodology or processFor more complex tasks it is better to show a student how to reach an answer rather than just simply correct the answer.
Essentially you want to connect the student first to:
And then:
While walking students through methodology and process can be time-consuming, it’s essential for providing quality feedback that will impact the student’s capacity to learn and move forward. Educators can address small groups or even the whole class if it is valuable to multiple students, but it’s important to touch base with students on particular processes that might help them learn. Showing students how to critique their own workUnlocking a student’s potential to critique their own work requires first that the student be capable of processing taught methodologies. Coaching students to evaluate their own work means the student must be able to identify where they need to improve and gain insight from that identification. It’s an important life skill but teachers shouldn’t pressure every student to achieve this level of learning. After all, every student is different and learns at their own pace. However, you can guide them by asking questions like:
For students who are responsive to ‘correct and direct’ feedback, self-critique can be an important step. Develop strategies for your students to perform betterFeedback is important for any student. It’s also an important tool in building trust between teachers and students. Use the above guide to improve your farming and feedback and you’ll find students improve faster and are more engaged with the learning materials.
Feedback is any response regarding a student’s performance or behavior. It can be verbal, written or gestural. The purpose of feedback in the assessment and learning process is to improve a student’s performance - not put a damper on it. It is essential that the process of providing feedback is a positive, or at least a neutral, learning experience for the student. Negative feedback can discourage student effort and achievement. Instructors have the distinct responsibility to nurture a student’s learning and to provide feedback in such a manner that the student does not leave the classroom feeling defeated. Characteristics of Effective FeedbackEducative in Nature Given In a Timely Manner Sensitive to the Individual Needs of the Student Answers the 4 Questions
Provides a Model or Example Suggestions for Effective and Efficient Grading FeedbackThe most effective feedback is focused, clear, and considers motivation and learning, not justifying a grade or on copyediting. Below are suggested strategies for providing efficient & effective student feedback.
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