Feedback
What is the most important feature of feedback do you think? do students really read what we write?
Jim,
We have to be constructive in our feedback, but it's good to start off with a positive note and end on a positive note as well (the sandwich approach). Thanks for your advice.
Jim,
I love Jing. I use it to provide visual and verbal feedback and the students love it. The more, the merrier. ;-)
Dr. Karina,
I tend to go by the critique principle of "Praise in Public, criticize through email". The last thing I want to do is embarrass a student - and even in an email I am careful to not say anything that will discourage them.
~Jim DeLapine
Dr. Crews,
Since I tech in the Visual Communications area, I also create video tutorials to help students understand a project or tool better. These students tend to be visual learners, and the addition of a video to written feedback has worked wonderfully.
Jim DeLapine
Christin,
When students see feedback as a way to help them improve, they do see the purpose behind it. Keep giving meaningful feedback. Thanks.
I don't believe every student will read or fully absorb feedback. It's usually apparent when the students are making the exact same mistakes on later assignments. I have had to address students in the resident portion of our classes, to make sure I stress how important it is for them to read their feedback. This of course, would be more difficult to do in online-only class settings.
In the end, we can't force everyone to read our feedback, but it makes me feel better when I think of the students that actually do appreciate it.
Dr. Karina,
Positive and constructive to help the students improve and reach the learning outcomes. Thanks for your input.
Randy,
Yes, if the students don't take the feedback and absorb it, they won't be able to improve. I use Jing to give them verbal and visual feedback and it's made a big different. They love it.
Feedback is very important and should cover all positive & negative impact on student grades.
The most important feature of the feedback is whether the student understands and absorbs it. It's true that sometimes what we write does not get read, or sometimes the tone is lost or misinterpreted, as so often happens in email. I've been experimenting with spoken camtasia feedback in web classes, and it's working well!
Nelson,
Right. We need to start positive and explain what students have done well, but we also need to be constructive and help them improve. Assessment is not something we do to students, but with students. Thanks for your input.
An important feature of feedback is communication of what a student did well and what they need to do to improve. Regardless of whether the student succeeding in achieving all of the rubric objectives for an assignment, there are always was in which a student can improve and we as instructors must always improve in our methods to communicate to the student. One technique that I use to help students in providing feedback is to give examples that are similar to expected content that a student didn't provide. Another technique is to suggest outside resources that a student should review to better understand a topic and/or to extend his/her learning on the topic. This technique can be used for the student who was not successful on the assignment and for the one who excelled. Nelson Stewart
Christopher,
You are so right. Whoever said one size fits all was wrong - especially when it comes to feedback. There may be some generic statements that will help many students, but assessment should be individualized. Thanks for your input.
Zara,
I don't just write feedback. I record my voice and my marking of the paper/project using Jing. They listen and see my feedback. And, they tell me it's helpful.
I believe studnet read what we write and the benefit from detail feedback as opposed to generic feedback. Each assignment and student is unique and requires a different level of feedback... one size does not fit all.
