Completion requirements
Research has shown that effective feedback is clear, timely, supportive, and actionable. Learners who receive effective feedback from both teachers and peers make meaningful growth in academic and essential skills. One quick note: while we often focus on academic skills in our feedback, it's equally important to ensure students get formative feedback on essential skills like Communication, Inquiry and Problem-Solving, and Adaptability and Reflective Practice.
Engage with 1 or more resources on each of the below techniques. Pick the resources that best match your interest, current level of understanding, and/or learning preferences.
Method One: Whole Class Feedback Through Critique
A key method to help students refine their work and build their skills is critique. Critique protocols ask students to give peers feedback on key strengths and growth areas in their work as they iterate toward a final project. Critique has the added benefit of helping students and educators articulate standards of quality for student work.
To learn more about the connection between critique, drafting, and deeper learning, watch this video from High Tech High on Drafting and Revision.
Key components of a strong critique model include:
- Norms: Watch this video below from Ron Berger describing his Rules For Critique. Rules For Critique.
- Models: Read Learning From Peers' Strengths from Two Rivers Charter School or watch this video below on Using Models and Critiques to Create Works of Quality from EL Education to learn more about how you might use models. Using Models and Critiques to Create Works of Quality
- Protocols: This recommended critique protocol used by High Tech High and based on Ron Berger's work.
Method Two: Teacher to Learner Feedback
Providing high-quality, motivating feedback to learners is a core teaching skill. However, it takes significant practice to consistently provide effective feedback.
- 5 Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback - Overview of the characteristics of good feedback.
- 20 Ways to Provide Effective Feedback for Learning - List of techniques to support effective feedback.
- Comprehensive Assessment Research Review: Motivating Students - Research review from Edutopia of how effective feedback can help motivate students.
- Highlighting Mistakes: A Grading Strategy - Video showcasing the unique way a math teacher gives feedback to her learners.
- Feedback Principles - Guidelines from the School Reform Initiative. Although they were developed for educator-to-educator feedback, they can serve as useful principles for classroom feedback.
Method Three: Learner to Learner Feedback
While it can take some additional preparation and scaffolding on the front end for teachers to set up learners for success in peer conferencing and peer assessment, doing so can support learner agency, provide more opportunities for learners to receive feedback, and teach learners the important skill of giving high-quality feedback.
- Austin's Butterfly - Video from EL Education showing the power of clear, timely, encouraging, and actionable feedback in supporting learning and growth.
- Peer Assessment: Reflections from Students and Teachers - Video about implementing effective peer assessment in the classroom. Peer Assessment: Reflections from Students and Teachers
- Student-Centered Assessment: Peer Assessment - Resource from Students at the Center and Jobs for the Future providing clear steps for implementing peer assessment in the classroom.
Method Four: Learner Self-Assessment
Involving learners in a self-assessment process allows them to take ownership of their learning. Although it shouldn't replace teacher assessment, learner self-assessment can help students internalize learning goals and success criteria, and support metacognition.
- Self-Assessment: Reflections from Students and Teachers - Video showing student self-assessment in action. Self-Assessment: Reflections from Students and Teachers
- Using a Learning Progression to Support Student Self-Assessment - Video showing a teacher using a learning progression to help students self-assess their writing. Using a Learning Progression to Support Student Self-Assessment
- Student-Centered Assessment: Self-Assessment - Resource from Students at the Center and Jobs for the Future providing clear steps for implementing learner self-assessment in the classroom.
- Self-Assessment Template - High Tech High reflection template to be used at the end of a learning experience.
Reflect
Consolidate your learning by considering these questions:
- What feedback practices are your greatest strengths?
- How do you want to grow your feedback practice?
We encourage you to socialize your learning by sharing your Reflections below!