Feedback that Fuels: Turning Reflection into Action
Written by: Ashley Johnson
In the last edition of this series, we touched on feedback. For Part 3 of our series, Feedback That Fuels: Turning Reflection Into Action, we will dive deeper into the subject.
Students crave feedback. They want to know how they are doing on their assignments. While some may only care to know the final letter grade, you would be surprised how many students value and appreciate detailed feedback on their work. Not only does it give them a roadmap to success, it helps build your relationship with your students.
When thinking about feedback, think FAST: Focused, Actionable, Specific, and Timely.
FOCUSED
It can be tempting to want to give back a lot of feedback. When it comes to feedback, “Think Quality over Quantity!” Choose one or two areas which will give the highest impact so you don’t overwhelm students. If you ask students to correct or improve on ten things, it may paralyze them, and they end up doing nothing. Students will find it much more manageable when one or two pieces of feedback ask for corrections.
Using a rubric can be extremely helpful for focusing your feedback. The rubric serves as a clear guide for the rationale behind the grade. You are able to hone in on a specific section and give a clear, focused statement. Example: “The rubric asked for three reasons to back up your statement, and you only gave two.”
“When thinking about feedback, think FAST: Focused, Actionable, Specific, and Timely.”
ACTIONABLE
Your feedback should focus on the work and not the student. Make sure your feedback has an actionable step. Give students something they can do now to improve their work. For example, a non-actionable feedback statement may be, “Your argument is weak.” Not only does this statement not give the student an actionable next step, but the students could take this piece of feedback personally, causing them to shut down or possibly even strain your relationship with the student. A better response could be, “In order to strengthen your argument, provide cited sources which back up your main points.”
To help keep your feedback actionable and uplifting, consider following the, “Glow, Grow, Guide” model.
Glow – Start by pointing out something the student did really well.
Grow – Give one or two clear areas for improvement.
Guide – Give steps to improve those areas.
Example: Your problem statement is clearly stated and easy to understand; however, the solution statement is a bit confusing. To clean up the solution statement, focus on how the product will improve the problem in your problem statement. This way they clearly connect.
SPECIFIC
When grading and giving feedback to several students, it can be easy to get stuck in a trap of generic statements like “Great Job!” or “Super!” While these statements may be nice to hear, they really do nothing for your students. Your feedback needs to be specific, even when you are telling them what they did right. Specific feedback helps students know what to keep doing and what to improve on. In the last blog, I introduced the “Feedback Starters.” I have included them again. These can be very helpful when it comes to adding details and being specific with the feedback you give your students.
“Make sure your feedback has an actionable step.”
TIMLEY
This is the hard one, guys! The feedback needs to come back in a timely manner. For it to make a difference, students must receive it while it is still fresh in their minds. Otherwise, the concept fades and their motivation to improve can split away. Most assignment feedback should be given within 24-48 hours, while large project feedback should be given within a week.
There are several reasons why timely feedback is important for students’ growth. First, it helps connect the students’ thought process to the feedback. The longer you wait to give the feedback, the more likely the student will forget their thought process on the assignment. Second, quick feedback can fix misconceptions or incorrect patterns being formed. If you wait too long to give constructive feedback to students, it may be harder to correct a thought process that has become a habit. And finally, responsive feedback motivates students. By responding rapidly, students believe you, as the teacher, have a vested interest in their work and feel valued.
While grading and feedback can be a tedious part of our jobs, it is so important to the learning process. Use the “FAST” method and its components to help you when it comes to this task. Set yourself up for success with rubrics you can reference to keep your feedback “focused.” Use the “glow, grow, guide” method to create “actionable” steps. Keep the “feedback starters” handy to stay specific and deliver your feedback in a timely manner. Do all of this, and your feedback will be a valuable part of the learning process.
Resources
Please login or register to claim PGPs.
Alternatively, you may use the PGP Request Form if you prefer to not register an account.
