Working Towards a Goal
Hattie and Timperley (2007, p. 81) assert that “feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement”. Effective feedback must include information about the student’s current abilities, an overall goal for their learning, and strategies which can help them to achieve said goal (Wiggins 2012; Burke 2010). The work by Hattie and Timperley (2007, p. 86) identifies three main questions effective feedback must address: “Where am I going?, How am I going?, and Where to next?”. These key questions correspond to the ideas of feed up, feed back, and feed forward, respectively. This structure focuses on establishing learning goals for students, identifying their progress in achieving these goals, and providing them with the tools to continue improving and ultimately succeed. Effective feedback that makes reference to a goal has the power to motivate students to improve.
"Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement."
- Hattie & Timperley, 2007
The four levels of feedback are: task level, process level, self-regulation level, and self level (Hattie & Timperley 2007, p.86). Firstly, task level feedback identifies whether a student understood or performed well in the task. For example, “You should include more information about religion”. Next, feedback at the process level concerns the main learning processes required to complete the task. For instance, “When you compare, make sure you think about similarities as well as differences”. The self-regulation level involves students monitoring their own learning, for example, “How did you come up with this idea? How could you develop it further?”. Finally, self level feedback is an individual evaluation often not related to the task. In example, “You are a great student.” Hattie and Timperley (2007, p. 90) argue that self level feedback is ineffective in enhancing learning; the other three types are valuable for providing students with direction in learning such that they may master the task, achieve their goal, and develop self-regulation skills.
Feedback should be personalised to the individual needs of students as this makes them feel valued (Simonds & Cooper 2014, p. 41). Effective feedback should be ‘forward looking’; providing suggestions for how students can improve on future assessments (Burke 2010, p. 18). Formative assessments are essential for providing students opportunities to engage with feedback such that they may improve (Wiggins 2012, p. 11). There is a need for regular teacher-student dialogue in order to guide the learning of each individual (BOSTES NSW 2012). Teachers must understand that providing feedback is an ongoing process (Nicol 2010, p. 508). Teachers should use feedback to track students’ progress and identify whether they have taken on board previous feedback. Feedback benefits learning only if students are given the opportunity to apply this information soon after it has been received (Brookhart 2008, p. 73). A teacher can evaluate the effectiveness of their feedback skills by observing whether students have exhibited improvement (Brookhart 2008, p. 30).
Feedback should be personalised to the individual needs of students as this makes them feel valued (Simonds & Cooper 2014, p. 41). Effective feedback should be ‘forward looking’; providing suggestions for how students can improve on future assessments (Burke 2010, p. 18). Formative assessments are essential for providing students opportunities to engage with feedback such that they may improve (Wiggins 2012, p. 11). There is a need for regular teacher-student dialogue in order to guide the learning of each individual (BOSTES NSW 2012). Teachers must understand that providing feedback is an ongoing process (Nicol 2010, p. 508). Teachers should use feedback to track students’ progress and identify whether they have taken on board previous feedback. Feedback benefits learning only if students are given the opportunity to apply this information soon after it has been received (Brookhart 2008, p. 73). A teacher can evaluate the effectiveness of their feedback skills by observing whether students have exhibited improvement (Brookhart 2008, p. 30).