have done well is an important step towards being able to continue to do
them well.
4 Help learners to receive critical feedback. All critical feedback should be
constructive, showing learners not just what was wrong with their work, but
what steps they can take to overcome the particular weaknesses or problems
that were involved. In particular, learners need to know why their own
efforts may have been incorrect or problematic.
5 Be aware of learners’ feelings. For example, written feedback in red pen is
immediately off-putting, even if the feedback is entirely positive. Also,
words like ‘failed’, ‘have not understood...’, ‘did not grasp...’,
‘disappointing’, and so on, have obviously damaging effects on learners’
morale, and can close them down regarding their reception of your
feedback.
6 Use a combination of written and oral feedback. Both kinds of feedback
have their advantages and their limitations, and to make feedback as
effective as possible it is useful to use both tools to make the feedback as
comprehensive and relevant as possible.
7 Exploit oral feedback for the human warmth it can deliver. Face-to-face
feedback can bring tone-of-voice, facial expression, smiles, as well as the
chance to monitor the effect that the feedback is having on learners, and to
adjust the delivery of further feedback accordingly. The danger is that learners
only remember particular parts of oral feedback, and may (for example) only
remember the bad news, and dismiss or forget important good news.
8 Exploit the permanence of written feedback. Written feedback can
convey both good and bad news. The record is permanent, which means that
learners can revisit both kinds of news about their work. At the same time, it
is particularly important to deliver any bad news in a kind and sensitive way
when using written feedback, otherwise learners’ morale and motivation can
be permanently damaged.
9 Get feedback on your feedback processes! Find out how learners prefer to
receive feedback on their work. Expect to discover that some learners find
oral feedback most useful, while others benefit more from written feedback,
and where possible accommodate learners’ own preferences.
10 Find out about your learners’ feedback agendas. Ask your learners what
feedback they would particularly like. Sometimes you will find that they
would like feedback going beyond your perception of their feedback needs.
Giving learners feedback on things they have asked for increases their sense
of ownership of the feedback agenda, and helps them to receive both
positive and critical feedback more effectively.
ASSESSMENT 75