Feedback That Works
As part of my professional growth, I have been reading selections from Robert Marzano’s “Classroom Instruction That Works.” While it can often be difficult to bridge the gap between academic research and daily practice, Marzano’s comments (and those of others) concerning feedback crystallized for me this evening as I went through my son’s “weekly” homework folder. The stack of predominately summative assessments, which in theory should have represented his efforts over the past seven days, included work dating back several weeks. Many were ungraded, others marked with only a letter grade, and several contained comments such as “read carefully” or “try harder.” Lest I sound overly critical of his teacher, I must admit that I too have been guilty of not always providing feedback that was timely, constructive, and specific.
Timing is Everything
There is ample evidence that for feedback to be effective, it must be delivered in a timely fashion (Banger-Drowns, Kulik, Kulik & Morgan, 1991). In my son’s case, getting the results from his rather disappointing Chapter 6 math quiz on the same day that he began studying Chapter 8 means the “teachable moment” has been lost. Although he clearly needs to go back and learn/relearn some key concepts, his mind (and time) is focused on the task at hand; learning new material. His lack of understanding may never be addressed, and the “D” written in large print on his paper certainly won’t motivate him to develop his knowledge and skills.
If You Can’t Say Anything Nice
Through the years I have certainly marked my fair share of papers with low and failing letter grades. And while some assessments seemingly lend themselves to alphabetic scoring, a simple letter given without elucidation does not facilitate learning. When feedback is corrective rather than punitive in nature, significant increases in student learning occur (Lysakowski & Walberg, 1981, 1982; Walberg, 1999; Tennenbaum & Goldring, 1989). Marking incorrect responses and applying labels can be demoralizing; students must be made to understand that learning is a process and not simply a final product to be judged.
Get to the Point
While teachers may have clear expectations/benchmarks for evaluating an exercise, students are often completely unaware of the standards against they will be measured. Feedback such as “try again” or even “B+” do little to further students’ understanding. Specific comments on successes or shortcomings, though more time-consuming to convey, are invaluable, as are rubrics that provide criterion-referenced feedback (Crooks, 1988; Wilburn & Felps, 1983). My son’s Show and Tell report received a “thanks for sharing” but no indication as to whether or not he had met his teacher’s expectations. He has another Show and Tell due in a few weeks; what should he do differently next time?
Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater
I am not an authority on this matter, nor am I suggesting that we abandon letter grades and stop writing “good job” on the tops of papers. I would ask, however, that we consider the merits of providing timely, constructive, and specific feedback. If the research is correct, our students will truly benefit from the time we spend assessing their growth and development. I know my son certainly would.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Pat, this entry spoke to me as an audience in two ways: [1] I identified with your insights and responses in your role as a parent. [2] I really appreciated your parenthetical citation of research. Such citations not only provide additional resources for folks, but they drive home the point that when we talk and write about the work we do, we are part of a larger conversation. Furthering learning and teaching locally and globally is, to my mind, very much about participating in informed ways in these rich, larger conversations.
In a recent related email exchange, you wrote, “I write about stuff like this because although I’m a CIT, the ‘I’ part stands for instruction; there’s more to technology than just ‘technology.’” And you’re absolutely on the mark. The professionals with whom we work each day are interested in what they can do to inspire, to deepen, to enhance, to support students’ learning. Your comments regarding feedback keep us focused on our students–and on the fact that they need and deserve, in your words, “timely, constructive, and specific feedback.” And if Robert Marzano and his band of researchers have it right, the kind of feedback you describe–perhaps more than any other single instructional strategy–enhances student learning.