Setting Objectives and

Providing Feedback

Setting Objectives

Three Generalizations Instructional goals

narrow what students focus on

Can have a negative effect: if students are too focused on goal, they may not synthesize information not specifically related to the goal.

Setting Objectives

Three Generalizations Instructional goals

should not be too specific

Goals written in behavioral objective format (“The student will be able to…) are too specific and show only moderate gain. Rather, goals should be broad standards. QCC vs. GPS.

Setting Objectives

Three Generalizations Students should be

encouraged to personalize the teacher’s goals

Based on teacher’s broad goals, students should be encouraged to create goals based on their personal needs. Contracts.

RESEARCH RESULTS FOR GOAL SETTING (p. 114)

Setting Objectives

Specific but Flexible Goals“I want to know…”“I want to know more about…”

ILLUSTRATION 1: SET SPECIFIC YET FLEXIBLE GOALS (p. 107)

Setting Objectives

ContractsTeachers give broad goals & timeline for unit.Students sign contracts outlining their

progress over a given time.

ILLUSTRATION 2: CONTRACT FOR GOALS (p. 107)

Providing Feedback

Four Generalizations Feedback should be

“corrective” in nature

Provide students with explanation of what is correct & what is incorrect.

Simply telling students that a test answer is right or wrong can have negative effect.

Providing Feedback

Four Generalizations Feedback should be

timely

Feedback given immediately after a testing situation is best.

Longer delays in providing feedback = less improvement in achievement.

Feedback in the form of tests shows greatest benefit when given one day after content is taught.

Providing Feedback

Four Generalizations Feedback should be

specific to a criterion Feedback is most

useful when it references a specific level of skill or knowledge. Rubrics.

Feedback that is norm-referenced provides students with little information.

Providing Feedback

Four Generalizations Students can

effectively provide some of their own feedback

Self-evaluation Peer-evaluation

RESEARCH RESULTS FOR PROVIDING FEEDBACK (p. 116)

RESEARCH RESULTS FOR CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK (p. 117)

GENERAL RUBRIC FOR INFORMATION (p. 109)

ILLUSTRATION 3: RUBRIC FOR INFORMATION (p. 110)

GENERAL RUBRIC FOR PROCESS AND SKILLS (p. 109)

ILLUSTRATION 4: RUBRIC FOR SKILLS OR PROCESSES (p. 111)

Additional Resources

RubiStar – rubric templates http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php Also available as a link from the Teacher Resources page on the

DHS website Coil, C. & Merritt, D. (2001). Solving the Assessment

Puzzle Piece by Piece. Marion, IL: Pieces of Learning. PRO 372.126 COI

Fiderer, A. (1999). 40 Rubrics & Checklists to Assess Reading and Writing. NY: Scholastic. PRO 372.6044 FID

Other books available from DHS Professional Collection and DCSS Professional Library

Bibliography

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Pollock J. E. (2001). Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Marzano, R. J., Gaddy, B. B., & Dean, C. (2000). What works in classroom instruction. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. Online version:

http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/Instruction/5992TG_What_Works.pdf