Feedback

Principles of Effective Feedback

Effective feedback is information that learners understand and can use to improve their knowledge, skills, motivation, and metacognitive habits. Typically, effective feedback:

1. Identifies areas for improvement and offers specific suggestions and ideas about how to approach these
2. Links to learning outcomes and future assessment tasks and is designed to help students prepare for these
3. Is timely enough so that it can be used by learners
4. Should be a dialogue rather than a one-way communication i.e. where learners can ask questions about the feedback and discuss its interpretation.

Keeping Feedback Manageable

1. Prioritize key issues and be selective in the feedback you give.
2. Surface common issues with the class for discussion and clarification with everyone at the same time.
3. Share examples of learner responses and explain why they are appropriate or inappropriate.
4. Provide opportunity for students to (a) discuss your feedback with each other and (b) provide each other with guided peer feedback.
5. Base some tutorial group activities around approaching an assessment task so students can work on it together and feedback can be provided to several students at once.

A Feedback-Rich Learning Environment

Establish a respectful and positive learning climate where feedback is normalized.

For students, it creates a safe climate where errors are not unwelcome and valued as learning and improvement opportunities.

For instructors, the regular use and modelling of good feedback practices in class by faculty and instructors also help students appreciate the value of feedback and learn how to provide constructive teaching feedback in turn to their instructors via the Student Feedback on Teaching (SFT) survey. For more guidance on SFT, click below.

CTLP supports all stakeholders to develop effective feedback practices.