View this article in RussianIt is impossible to improve and make great progress in the learning process when a person does not understand whether he is moving in the right direction. Therefore, it is important to learn how to give feedback that helps students get the necessary results from learning.
The term “feedback” means a response to a certain action. For example, a mentor responds to a student’s completed exercise in the form of recommendations or comments. Feedback plays a key role in learning and affects its results. Especially when it comes to the distance learning format, which is becoming more and more popular every year.
Distance learning has a major drawback – limited interaction between the student and the mentor. There is a lack of “live” communication. The student independently studies the theoretical material and performs automated exercises. As a rule, if he does not understand something, he cannot ask a question and immediately receive an answer. In the process of such training, questions begin to accumulate for the teacher. At a certain point, due to the lack of information, the student may develop an incorrect understanding or a complete misunderstanding of the material. As a result, the person does not get clarity on the issue and does not achieve the main goal of training. Control questions for understanding and detailed, objective feedback help solve the problem. It forms a clear idea of a person’s strengths, corrects mistakes and tightens up weaknesses, sets the direction for further actions. The student gains confidence in his actions, understands why he is studying this material and increases motivation for learning.
Types of feedback. Feedback is divided into internal and external. External feedback goes from the mentor to the student, from the student to the mentor or from the student to the student. That is, it gives information from the outside. Internal feedback goes from the student to himself or from the mentor to himself. This is called self-assessment. In this case, there is a correction of one’s own activity.
Mentor-student
The mentor analyzes the student’s action, compares it with previously known information and, based on the comparison, gives him an assessment or corrects mistakes. The most common case is when a student gives a detailed answer to an open question as part of an exercise and the mentor provides him with feedback on this answer. In the next section of the article, we will examine in detail how to organize such a response and what its quality affects. Student-to-student
The idea behind this type of feedback is for students to learn from each other. You create a shared chat where students can share their work and opinions, discuss unclear or controversial issues. What are the benefits of this format? A student will master a complex topic faster if he or she tries to teach it to someone else. Thanks to this type of feedback, students learn to think independently within the framework of new material and defend their point of view.
Student-to-mentor
This is a student’s feedback on the work of the mentor. Students should be regularly encouraged to evaluate the trainer. It gives an opportunity to see the strengths and weaknesses of the mentor or the entire training system and improve it. Therefore, it is useful to encourage such feedback from students.
Feedback Provision Methods
Depending on the specifics and objectives of the training, a suitable format for organizing feedback is selected.
In a personal meeting, feedback is provided in an oral conversation. For example, a mentor asks a student a question, the student answers and immediately receives a reaction to his answer.
When training is conducted online, a written format is used. For example, the Unicraft platform has a tool – open questions. The student studies the material and answers a control question, forming his judgments based on the information received. The trainer receives the student’s answer, checks its correctness and provides feedback – in a short text message, comments on the student’s answer, supplements it and gives recommendations. And when it is easier to show the process than to talk about it, the mentor gives an answer in graphic form. This method of communication within the framework of the educational task significantly increases the efficiency of information absorption by students.
Training participants often communicate in messengers – group or individual chats. In the process of such communication, in addition to the text format, video and audio formats are also used. Such answers should be recorded in good quality, in a friendly positive voice and last no longer than 2 minutes. And for a long video format, we recommend creating a video conference, for example, in Zoom, and inviting all participants there. If the training is conducted on the Unicraft platform, such a video lesson with feedback can be included in the training program.
Thus, depending on the tasks, a suitable format is selected. But it is not enough to choose a format to provide the right feedback. It is important that its content meets certain principles.
Principles of effective feedback
How you assess the importance of feedback determines its quality and effectiveness. Bill Gates said that effective feedback is more important than the training itself. It increases motivation to understand unclear issues, provides missing knowledge and, regardless of the correctness of the answer, gives the student confidence in their abilities. Negative, non-constructive feedback has the opposite effect. What type of feedback is more effective, in your opinion:
• You did everything wrong. It needs to be redone. It’s amazing how you could miss the most important thing.
• You conveyed the main idea correctly. Let’s work on the details. Try to do it this way, then you will get this result. Based on these examples, you can see what information constructive feedback should convey and how this information is presented. Let’s discuss it in more detail.
Constructive feedback includes answers to three main questions:
1. How am I doing? Shows the current level of the student’s results and what mistakes he makes.
2. How can I achieve the result? Gives an understanding of the direction in which the person needs to move.
3. What do I need to work on? Offers specific steps to achieve the result.
However, it is not enough to simply answer these questions. In order for a person to adequately perceive this information and listen to it, it is important to convey it following the 6 basic principles of feedback.
1 — Individual
Feedback should not be template-based, like “You did a great job.” We described above the three questions that feedback should answer. If you answer these questions correctly, the feedback will be personal and unique for each situation and for each person. It is important for a person to feel that this message concerns him specifically, and not all students in general. Then he will be more willing to listen to it.
Example: In this task, you managed to cover the topic in more detail than in the previous ones. Well done, keep it up!
2 — Objective and specific
Feedback should describe the person’s actions in detail and exclude emotional assessment of these actions. Expressing a personal assessment, you introduce subjectivity into your message, which makes it unreliable. And to make the answer specific, give examples instead of generalizations.
Anti-example: You did a bad job. (generalization and assessment)
Example: You answered 3 questions incorrectly. Try again. (specific and objective)
3 — Explains the reasons
It is important to give detailed explanations of why the answer is considered correct or incorrect. This will take more time, but students will be able to get a full understanding of the topic. If the answer was incorrect, do not correct, but comment. This way you leave the opportunity for the person to understand and correct their mistake on their own.
Anti-example: You answered incorrectly. It should be like this.
Example: The answer is incorrect because… Think about how best to act in the described situation so that…
4 — Relevant and timely
Feedback should concern processes that the person can influence and control. Then they will see why they need this knowledge and apply it in practice. Timeliness means that feedback is provided quickly, while the person is still immersed in this issue and it is relevant to them. If the answer comes late, the person is likely to ignore it.
5 — Contains motivational language
Feedback should emphasize victories. If a person has done a good job, instead of saying “Your answer is accepted,” say “Well done, you did a great job.” And if a person has made mistakes, don’t say “You failed the exam,” say “Try again, you’ll definitely succeed.” This way, you control how the student perceives successes and failures and motivate them to continue learning.
6 — Short and interesting
Limit the amount of information in one message, give one feedback on one problem. The more information you try to convey, the more difficult it is to perceive and the more important points a person will miss. Be brief and to the point. Periodically change the format of messages and add game elements to increase student engagement.
Feedback delivery techniques
To make it easier to apply the rules described, use feedback delivery methods.
The structure of constructive feedback is divided into 3 levels.
When you start with pleasant phrases, a person becomes open to this information. In the middle, you tell him what he needs to work on. And finish the message on a positive note to leave a pleasant aftertaste.
Example: Andrey, you did a great job sending the assignment on time. Clarify the answer to the second and third questions. Explain in more detail … so that … I’m waiting for your answer. I’m sure you can handle it.
SOR (Standard, Obversation, Result) Technique
At the beginning of the feedback, remind them of the rule or standard that is important to follow when completing the assignment and which the student violated. Then tell them in what situation the person violated this rule. And discuss how following this rule affects the result and why it is important to apply it. Based on this information, the person will understand what they need to fix and why they need to do it.
Example: In this course, we learned … The main rule that is important to reinforce is … In the situation you described, the rule was not followed. This will lead to … Therefore, I recommend making changes to your answer.
SLC (Success, Learn, Change) Technique
At the beginning of the message, praise the person to position them in the following information. Then tell him where he made a mistake, what lesson he learned. And suggest what the student needs to change to improve the result.
Example: Name, you have correctly completed … And in the second task you made such a mistake. This will lead to… I recommend completing the task using the following technology, which consists of these steps.
In conclusion, effective feedback is a cornerstone of successful learning, particularly in the context of distance education where interaction is often limited. Understanding whether one is progressing in the right direction is crucial for students, and this is where thoughtful feedback comes into play. By employing structured feedback methods and adhering to key principles—such as being individual, objective, timely, and motivational—mentors can foster a supportive learning environment. This not only enhances students’ comprehension and confidence but also drives their motivation to engage with the material more deeply.
Moreover, fostering a culture of feedback that includes self-assessment and peer evaluation empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey. As they learn from both their mentors and each other, they develop critical thinking skills and a greater understanding of the subject matter.
Ultimately, the goal of feedback is not merely to point out errors but to guide students toward mastery and encourage a mindset of continuous improvement. By prioritizing quality feedback, educators can significantly enhance the learning experience, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed and thrive in their educational pursuits.
References
- Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). ”The power of feedback.” Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.
- Brookhart, S. M. (2017). ”How to Give Effective Feedback to Your Students.” ASCD.
- Shute, V. J. (2008). ”Focus on Formative Feedback.” Review of Educational Research, 78(1), 153-189.