Feedback in Learning: Strategies for Maximizing Academic Potential

This essay discusses the importance of feedback in learning, highlighting its role in improving student performance and maximizing academic potential. It emphasizes that feedback provides information about an individual's performance, serving as a basis for future progress and improvement. The essay covers various aspects of feedback, including its significance in student learning, methods for providing effective feedback, the timing and setting of feedback sessions, and the content of accurate feedback. It also addresses factors affecting feedback, such as lack of readiness, classroom culture, and teacher skills, and suggests ways to address learner's questions after feedback. The document concludes by referencing specific expertise or knowledge with the use of effective rubrics, regularly ‘checking-in’ with students to help them explore their contemporary status. This resource is available on Desklib, a platform offering AI-based study tools and a wide range of academic materials.

Feedback in learning
Name of the Student
Name of the University

Introduction
• Feedback- Information about responses to an individual’s performance
of tasks
• Typically used as the basis for future progress and improvement
• A segment of the overall interaction and dialogue between learner and
teachers
• Forms an essential criterion of training and education program
• Helps learners maximise their academic potential at varied stages of
classroom education

Importance (1)
• Significantly contributes to student’s learning upon
noticing it
• Makes the student adopt greater initiatives for learning,
when the learners are able to reflect on the upcoming
lessons
• Feedback that contains advice, generating from the recent
assessments and responses o the students are more likely
to be given due attention, identified, and later on be acted
upon
• It can fuel positive reflection by the learners (Amin, Chong
& Khoo, 2006)

Importance (2)
• Feedback always exists in the form of appraisal, training evaluation, or
survey
• It helps in demonstrating the characteristic of effective listening
• It makes the learners feel valued and appreciated, thus motivating
them to excel in academics
• It helps in formulating better decisions (Amin, Chong & Khoo, 2006)
• Encourages continued learning that is the key to academic
improvement

How to give feedback? (1)
• Affirming the lessons and tasks they
understood and/or performed well
• Correcting their mistakes and directing
them towards academic progress
• Pointing out their success
• Coaching them on ways to critique self-
efforts (Konopasek, Norcini & Krupat, 2016)
• Responding in a positive manner, on a
timely basis
• Displaying sensitivity towards individual
needs of learners

How to give feedback? (2)
• Asking 4 questions that are imperative for effective learning and teaching:
• What can you do?
• Why cannot you do?
• How does your learning compare with that of your peers?
• How can you do better?
• Referencing specific expertise or knowledge with the use of effective rubrics
• Regularly ‘checking-in’ with students to help them explore their contemporary
status

Feedback timing
• Once a year feedback is not sufficient to
enhance learning among students
• They should be initially given on a regular
basis, at the end of each class
• Providing feedback on a weekly basis, will
help in assessing understanding of the
leaners
• Upon completion of a course lesson,
feedback must be given bimonthly

Feedback setting
• Prior to the formative assessment, feedback must be again provided
on a weekly basis
• Feedback must be provided on a one-to-one basis, in an isolated
setting where there are no peers or other educators present
(Gronlund, 2006)
• It can also be provided online through individual student portals
• Individual feedback in isolated settings within school premises make
the student feel safe

Content of accurate feedback
• Giving an accurate assessment of learner performance
• Affirming the things that they did well, rather than
praising
• Teaching that mistakes are an inevitable part of learning
(Krackov, 2013)
• Providing concise recommendations to rectify the
mistakes
• Offering learning guidance on using the feedback to
empower the learners
• Helping the students understand their performance,
underlying reasons, and its consequence

Factors affecting feedback
• Lack of readiness and lack of openness
• Classroom culture and peer influence
• Lack of student inputs and guidance constraints
• Less experienced and skilled teachers (Gronlund, 2006)
• Fear of feedback putting the learners and the teachers in a vulnerable position
• Apprehensions regarding student reactions upon highlighting areas for
improvement
• Less comfortable learning environment

Addressing learner’s questions after
feedback
• Based on learner response, the educators
can modify the lessons as per individual
preferences and demands of students
• Learner response will act as a foundation
for a positive teacher-student relationship
• Alterations can also be made in the course
material (Krackov, 2013)
• Teachers can change the classroom
teaching content to meet student demands

References
Amin, Z., Chong, Y. S., & Khoo, H. E. (2006). Practical guide to medical student
assessment. World Scientific.
Gronlund, N. E. (2006). Assessment of student achievement. Allyn & Bacon Publishing,
Longwood Division, 160 Gould Street, Needham Heights, MA 02194-2310.
Konopasek, L., Norcini, J., & Krupat, E. (2016). Focusing on the formative: building an
assessment system aimed at student growth and development. Academic
Medicine, 91(11), 1492-1497.
Krackov, S.K. (2013). Giving feedback. In: Dent JA and Harden RM (Eds.). A Practical
Guide for Medical Teachers. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Thank you!