Teacher Feedback in Teacher Feedback in Formative Classroom Formative Classroom

AssessmentAssessmentSusan M. Brookhart

Presented February 27, 2008At the University of Calgary Lecture Series

International Perspectives on Student Assessment

What is the role of teacher feedback in formative classroom assessment?

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Butler & Winne, 1995, p. 248

Greene &Azevedo,2007

Teacher FeedbackExternal Regulation

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Role of teacher feedback in formative classroom assessment• To provide information• Relevant to the learning task• Which the student perceives as

information• And uses for internal regulation of

learning– Cognitively, taking the next steps for

improvement– Motivationally, understanding his/her

control over the learning

What kinds of feedback are most effective?

What kinds of feedback best…

• Provide information• Relevant to the learning task• Which the student perceives as

information• And uses for internal regulation of

learning– Cognitively, taking the next steps for

improvement– Motivationally, understanding his/her

control over the learning

Feedback Strategies

Feedback strategies can vary in…

In these ways…

Timing •When given•How often

Amount •How many points made•How much about each point

Mode •Oral•Written•Visual/demonstration

Audience •Individual

•Group/class

Timing

• Immediate feedback for knowledge of facts (right/wrong)

• Slight delay for more comprehensive reviews of student thinking and processing

• Never delay feedback beyond when it would make a difference to students

• As often as is practical, for all major assignments

Timing

• Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, & Kulik (1991)

Amount

• Prioritize – pick the most important point(s)

• Choose points that relate to major learning goals

• Consider student’s developmental level

Amount

• Kluger & DeNisi (1996)

• Sadler (1989)

Mode

• Best mode for the message – would a comment in passing the student’s desk suffice? Conference needed?

• Interactive feedback (talking with the student) is best when possible

• Written feedback on written work or on assignment cover sheets

• Use demonstration if “how to do something” is an issue or if student needs an example

Mode

• Evaluation vs. grading studies about “written feedback”

• Modeling and social learning theory for demonstrations

Audience

• Individual feedback says “The teacher values my learning”

• Group/class feedback works if most of the class missed the same concept on an assignment – becomes an opportunity for reteaching

Audience

• Classroom management and differentiated instruction literature

• Johnston (2004)

• Bloom (1984)

Feedback Content (1)

Feedback content can vary in…

In these ways…

Focus The work itself The process the student used The student’s self-regulation The student personally

Function Description Evaluation/judgment

Comparison To criteria for good work

(criterion-referenced) To other students (norm-

referenced) To student’s own past

performance (self-referenced)

Feedback Content (2)

Feedback content can vary in…

In these ways…

Valence •Positive

•Negative

Clarity •Clear to the student

•Unclear

Specificity •Nit-picky

•Just right

•Overly general

Tone •Implications

•What the student will “hear”

Focus

• When possible, describe both the work and the process – and their relationship

• Comment on student’s self-regulation if the comment will foster self-efficacy

• Avoid personal comments

Focus

• Hattie & Timperley (2007)

Function

• Describe

• Don’t judge

Function

• Ryan, Connell, & Deci (1985)

• Butler & Nisan (1986)

• Crooks (1988)

• Tunstall & Gipps (1996)

• Black & Wiliam (1998)

Comparison

• Use criterion-referenced feedback for giving information about the work itself

• Use self-referenced feedback for giving information about student processes or effort

• Use self-referenced feedback for unsuccessful learners who need to see how they are making progress, not how far they are from the goal

Comparison

• Bangert-Drowns, Kulik, Kulik, & Morgan (1991)

• Sadler (1989)

• Classroom environment or classroom structure studies

• Covington (1992)

• Ames & Archer (1988)

Valence

• Use positive comments that describe what is well done

• Accompany negative descriptions of the work with positive suggestions for improvement

Valence

• Typology of Teacher Feedback (Tunstall & Gipps, 1996, p. 394)

Type A Type B Type C Type D

Rewarding Approving Specifying attainment

Constructing achievement

Rewards Positive personal expression

Specific acknowledgement of attainment

Mutual articulation of achievement

1Positive

Feedback

Warm expression of

feeling

Use of criteria in relation to work

behavior; teacher models

Additional use of emerging

criteria; child role in presentation

1Achievement

feedback

General praise More specific praise

Praise integral to description

Positive non-verbal feedback

Punishing Disapproving Specifying improvement

Constructing the way forward

2 Punishments Negative personal

expression

Correction of errors

Mutual critical appraisal

2

NegativeFeedback

Reprimands; negative

generalisations

More practice given; training in

self-checking

Provision of strategies

Improvement feedback

Negative non-verbal feedback

Evaluative Descriptive

Clarity

• Use vocabulary and concepts the student will understand

• Tailor amount and content of feedback to student’s developmental level

Clarity

• Sadler (1989)

Specificity

• How “specific” depends on the student and the task

• Feedback should be specific enough that the student knows what to do, but not so specific that it’s done for him/her

• Identify errors or types of errors, but correcting every one (e.g., copyediting or supplying right answers) doesn’t leave the student anything to do

Specificity

• Kluger & DeNisi (1996)

• Sadler (1989)

Tone

• Choose words that communicate respect for the student and the work

• Choose words that position the student as the agent

• Choose words that cause students to think or wonder

Tone

• Johnston (2004)

• Covington (1992)

Conclusion

• What is the role of teacher feedback in formative classroom assessment?– Part of the external regulation of learning– Feedback is what the teacher does but in the

end what matters is what the student does – The role of feedback is to present students

with the means, motive, and opportunity for internal regulation of learning.

Conclusion

• What kinds of feedback are most effective?– Discussion of research on feedback (including

some major reviews) and other relevant literature in light of the realities of classroom practice

– Classify findings into choices for teachers about feedback strategies and feedback content

Conclusion

• How to Give Good Feedback, coming out in September, 2008, ASCD

• Academic literature review, this lecture

• brookhart@duq.edu