Using Feedback

Task 1

On the following slide is a list of things that a lot of well respected educational research has shown make a real impact on your final grades

In pairs consider how to rank them by putting the most influential factor at the top and least at the bottom

The most influential is said to make more than 2 grades difference.

Which improves Learning outcomes most ? Students IQ Class environment Homework Questioning Use of games and simulation Feedback Audio visual aids Peer tutoring Teaching style Student's willingness to learn

Top Ten grade influencers

1. Feedback (2+ grades)

2. Students IQ (2 grades)

3. Student's willingness to learn (1.5 grades)

4. Peer tutoring (1+ grade)

5. Class environment (1 grade)

6. Homework (3/4grade)

7. Teaching style (3/4grade)

8. Questioning (3/4grade)

9. Use of games and simulation (1/2 grade)

10.Audio visual aids (1/4 grade)

Task 2 What then is feedback?

In your group try to list the types of feedback which you feel informs you of your progress and helps you improve.

written comments from your tutor(s) attached to your own work

one-to-one discussion with your teacher(s)

written comments from other students verbal feedback from other students A grade written by your teacher on

your work A grade written by other students on

your work

What is the point of Feedback

Discuss as a group what you feel the purpose of feedback is

How does it influence progress

Ideally, feedback evaluates and highlights

progress, diagnoses and flags up

problems, praises success and makes recommendations to

remedy weak practice.

Where are you at in using Feedback – be honest!

Which aspects of teachers feedback do you take account of most? (0= never, 5 = always)

Comments by your teacher in the body of your work to develop points or regarding errors

Extent to which your work meets assessment objectives

Grade given Praise Criticism Targets for improvement

Who put grade as 4 or above and for what?

What was graded 2 or below? Why?

Knowledge of results versus Knowledge of performance Research shows that Knowledge of

results (grades) does little to enhance learning but Knowledge of performance (other eg qualitative aspects of feedback) is much more effective

You need to understand exactly why you were given a grade and what you need to do to improve it or it may actually be counter-productive - Why?

Some teachers refuse to use grades

In your groups try to think of reasons why.

Some teachers don’t grade

They believe Grades tend to reduce students’ interest in

the learning itself. Ie. See the task as a chore Grades encourage cheating.  Grades distort the curriculum Grades tend to reduce the quality of students’

thinking. Ie. Less creative Grades spoil teachers’ relationships with

students. Grades spoil students’ relationships with each

other

Our view

We may grade some work but...

Grades are meaningless unless you know why you got them

They are only a small aspect of feedback

You must take full account of all other feedback especially what you need to do to improve.

Only then will you push your grades up

Our feedback sheets

Lesson time will be used in future Really effective feedback takes

time Ours and yours This requires everyone to do

key pieces of work or else you miss out on the chance to improve by 2 grades!

Final task

Look at the essay provided. Note the feedback both on the

essay and the marksheet What is good about it What are its weaknesses What grade do you think it got

Final task

Everyone think of 1 thing they will do differently when they receive a piece of work back from their teacher.