Providing feedback to students

Providing feedback is one of the teacher’s most important tasks. Below are the key elements of feedback:

1. Feedback is not advice, praise or evaluation, but information about the efforts made to achieve a specific objective.

2. If students understand that mistakes are considered a natural part of the learning process they are more likely to use the feedback throughout the entire learning process.

3. The feedback given by the students to the teacher may be even more valuable than that given by the teacher to the students.

4. If we include a grade as part of the feedback the students will not see beyond it. It is therefore advisable to keep these separate.

5. Effective feedback is that which is given while there is still time to make improvements.

6. Most of the feedback that students receive is from their peers – and it is sometimes not correct.

7. Students should be clear about the objective of the learning and the specific skills they need to acquire. The feedback should indicate HOW to acquire these skills.

8. The most effective way is to give just a few ideas at a time.

9. Compare the student’s work with a standard reference that shows their progress.

10. Inform them how far they have come and give them guidelines for improvement.

11. We will learn from the students’ reactions to the feedback they receive.

12. Discuss the feedback with them.

Read here the complete ebook “STEAM project ideas to inspire young people” 

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