Feedback is one of the powerful tools in the
learning process and right feedback can bring the desired learning outcomes.
Hattie & Timperley (2007) emphasize on the instructional aspect of feedback.
Most of the teachers consider it for correcting the students’ learning but it
is much more than that. Spiller (2009) describes the factors on which effectiveness
of feedback depends:
1. Do
students read and use the feedback for improvement?
2. The
stage at which feedback is given
3. The
style and difficulty of language used for feedback
Hattie and Timperley (2007) states the four levels
of feedback as the following
1. Task
2. Process
3. Self
Regulation
4. Self
Level
I observed the feedback given by the teachers at Otago Polytechnic in the various departments. I would like to mention the feedback
model used by Richard Nyhof in his Engineering Mathematics Class.
Task level: The goal of the learning was well known
to each of the learner. The goal was to “learn the application of integration
to find the length of a curved path or object.” It was well interpreted by the
teacher. The facilitator was well aware that he needs to give the feedback at
the task level. He knew that the learning outcomes required a deep
understanding of the calculus skills. So he was selecting the students randomly
to help them to understand the steps to complete the task. Individual feedback
was more important in the class due to the great diversity. More than half of
the learners are from Saudi Arabia and they used to make mistakes in simple
calculus techniques but the teacher was providing the correct information which
led them attain the desired goal.
The feedback model proved very useful in Mathematics
class as attainment of goal requires a lot of correctional feedback and the
direction to achieve the information. The students were facing difficulty in
applying the prescribed formula sheet so the teacher has to give the feedback
at the surface level to build up their confidence in attaining the desired
goal.
Hattie, J. and Timperley.H. (2007). The Power of feedback.
Review of Educational Research. (pp. 86-90). Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/performance/resources/readings/power-feedback.pdf
Spiller, D. (2009). Assessment: Feedback to promote
student learning. Retrieved from http://www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu/pdf/booklets/6_AssessmentFeedback.pdf
