Michelle,
Thank you for your input in this forum. Timeliness, consistency, and individualized instruction and feedback are essential.
With these three things, you will be on the right track to being a successful teacher and helping students be successful as well.
Thank you again.
The three most important feedback areas I apply in my classes are:
Timeliness – it is not immediate, but it is within our policy of 1 week. Typically for students to move on to the next topic, they want to know how they did on the previous topic in case they need to change their study habits (which happens a lot where I teach) so they typically get their grades back sooner than the 1 week policy.
Consistent – maintaining consistency is very important. Students do talk to each other and will ask how many points they had taken off on certain areas. If the instructor/professor was not consistent in the grading (even with a rubric), the students will notice and they will not be happy!
Individualized - focus on what this particular individual needs to improve upon and also recognize them for doing something well. Feedback doesn’t always have to be positive, but it should have a positive tone/twist, which is encouraging to the student.
Is it connected to learning objectives?
Is it be automatic?
Is it frequent?
The most important thing I have learned in the past year, my first for teaching online courses, is that feedback must help the student learn. I always try to include some additional facts or meaning about the student's projects while offering feedback. The other most important aspects to me are timeliness and fairness.
Kim,
I am glad to see that you are using rubrics. You can also have students self-assess before you assess using the rubric and peer assessment using the same rubric is a great way to allow for more feedback as well.
Thank you.
Great post, all these make sense to me.
I agree it needs to be timely so that they can use the feedback and build on it and move on to the next phase or task or assignment. I like what you have said - yes it should challenge them to do better also. Great post.
I am not sure. I have a hard time with feedback also sometimes. I use the rubrics as my guide and I do not deviate from them. I then add my own little snippet of information to each students grade about why I gave them the grade I did, or what I saw they did right and then wrong.
Emmanuel,
Excellent information. It is obvious that you are doing a great job with feedback to students. The key words you use are comprehensive, constructive, timely and completed to close the loop.
I would add positive and meaningful, but if you do the three you listed, I belive the feedback would be positive and meaningful. Thanks again.
Feedback in the online environment can be very delicate. The absence of verbal communication can be tricky as students may not get body language feedback which at times helps to decipher the message within the written or spoken feedback. The three most important things to consider in giving meaningful feedback in the online environment are as follows:
i) Feedback must be comprehensive and constructive
ii) Feedback must be timely
iii) Feedback must initiate response from the receiver in order to close the feedback loop.
Robert,
Thanks for your organized thoughts. It's good to abide by any school regulations. Grading within 72 hours is a good guideline.
The timeliness and consistency in your feedback is essential. I like that you also noted professional and detailed. Nice job.
Thank you for your input.
1. Timely Response
2. Professional
3. Detailed enough to minimize questions
Our school requires grades be posted within 72 hours. We have a numeric grading system witha text field for unlimited characters. Upon grading an assignment if I don't receive any questions I feel I've done well. Although, I will always welcome any students questions regarding their grades.
Peter,
Nice job! Starting with the goals of the project so students know what to expect is essential. If you can use a rubric with the course/project goals written into the rubric, students develop a better understanding on what is expected of them and how their work will be assessed.
Examples and being constructive in your feedback is very good. Stay positive, but help the students see how they can improve through your individualized feedback.
Thanks again for your input. You have definitely added to the conversation.
Hi Dr. Crews,
To me, the three most important things to remember when I am providing feedback for my students are as follows:
1) Repeat the question or problem and then go into your assessment. A lot of times students are so busy that they forget what they wrote about.
2) Make sure that you give specific examples of your constructive critique, especially grammar and spelling.
3) Personalize your feedback. Include their first name in your introduction. Try to establish a connection so that they know you really care about them. Always end the feedback with words of encouragement.
Thank you,
Peter
Esther,
Make sure you define "rapid." What students may think is rapid and what you think is rapid may be two different things. Many use the guideline of within 24 hours.
Thanks again.
Feedback should be rapid and timely
relevent to objectives of course
feedback to challange student to think
Jennifer,
You are absolutely correct in that the feedback you give should enhance the students' learning. Using rubrics with objectives within the rubric will help you be consistent in your grading and help students understand why they are doing what they are doing.
Nice job.
The feedback should focus on the following aspects:
1. highlight the gaps between the work deliverd and the objectives required
2. create a bridge favoring the student to understand what he/she missed
3. solidify his/her learning progress
The three most important aspects to remember are the following:
1. the feedback should contribute to the students learning progress
2. feedback should focus on the core objectives of the assignments
3. enhance the student's motivation to improve his/her quality of work.
Julie,
I'm thrilled you noted the use of the rubric. It's essential to use them to help students understand the expectations and to help you be consistent in your evaluation.
I love also the focus on student success. Thanks for your input.
