Gayle,
For me, regular feedback is nearly as important as providing the material. I can also compliment, offer suggestions and advice, give support and encouragement, and also get a sense of my instructional strength.
Barry Westling
John,
Sure, and the absence of that feedback can be a factor in how well the students understanding of course material progresses.
Barry Westling
Wendy,
This is a very fun activity -- I've done quite a few times myself. Students are nearly universally amazed at their progress.
Barry Westling
I think the students need to be informed of their status on a regular basis because this helps in the self assessment. The student may be surprised to find out how strong they actually are in certain areas which will increase their self confidence and initiative. The opposite can also be true. A student may think he is very knowledgeable in a certain topic and find out that he needs to focus more on that particular concept.
This allows the student to react on the formative feedback to work on areas that need improvement on their part in the course.
One of the classes I took several years ago, the instructor gave us a test on the first day. This was to see what we knew. Half way thru and at the end of the course, we took the same test. We did not know, until the end of the final class period. This assisted us in understanding the progress we made.
James,
I do something called checking for understanding. As I present a lesson, I go just so far in the lesson before stopping to ask specific questions of specific students. If most students are answering correctly I'll move on. If more than one student cannot answer, I back up a bit, repeat, review, or revise the point and then again ask questions, and so on and so on. In this way, I go only so far before getting a feel that students are generally understanding and won't be lost in the next or upcoming lesson points.
Barry Westling
Immediate feedback on any human activity is the best teacher. If I'm playing tennis, for example, I don't want to wait until next week to see if my shot went in the court. By the same token, I can adjust my performance in a class if I know where my efforts have landed.
John,
I agree. It takes so little extra effo9rt to give a helpful suggestio0n, a kind word, or sentiments that imply support.
Barry Westling
Ashley,
Also, students can be motivated when they feel their instructor is conveying they want to assist in the students success.
Barry Westling
It helps both the student and the instructor know how the material is being understood. The instructor can use this information to adjust teaching style and provide additional resources to engage students and help them succeed.
Students need praise as well as need feedback for poor performance. this either keeps them motivated or may motivate them to do better.
Joyce,
Yes, and without this critical feedback, students will be left to their own suppositions as to how they're doing. Feedback is a two-way street, and sometimes an instructor can receive key information about their own efficiency of instruction.
Barry Westling
Keeping a student informed of their grade helps them to know where they stand. Being informed can be incentive for continuing the good work, or improving if need be.
Michael,
Kind of cool. Feedback is great, and students thrive on results, points and grades. Even discussions involving less than wonderful performance benefits the students. In-person discussions work the best for me, as I can help create optimism while sharing performance measures.
Barry Westling
The best test I ever took as a college student was self-grading in that as you filled in the answer bubble it turned green for a correct answer or red for an incorrect response. You had immediate feedback regarding your assessment.
Robert,
I like to meet in person because I can convey my sincere desire for their success through support, encouragement, advice, suggestions, and praise.
Barry Westling
Students need to know what areas the need to work on.
Cindy,
Feedback is very important, and in my opinion, should be prioritized in all ways possible. We can encourage, support, praise, advise, suggest, and measure progress through sharing grade information. We can also get a sense about our effectiveness as instructors too.
Barry Westling
Students need to know where they stand in the classroom. They want to know their test results as soon as possible and what the results are from lab competencies. I feel if they know the results quickly, they can feel good about what they have learned or if they have problems are able to correct the issue before it gets too late in the course.
