Chapter 5 Providing Feedback That Moves Learning Forward
Feedback is important tool in the learning world as long as it is providing a “cognitive” reaction over a reaction of “emotion”. For the most part, simply writing feedback on a student's work can have a negative result on their learning. Therefor, Wiliam uses this chapter to show how feedback needs to be useful, targeted and balanced.
Giving feedback that informs in something needing to be improved upon but neglecting to instruct on the “how” to improve can lead to further student frustration instead of learning. Filling up the page with feedback can have a negative affect as it targets an emotional reaction, by targeting a few things at a time, even the basics can help more than a list of improvements. Wiliam writes, “The secret of effective feedback is that saying what’s wrong isn't’ enough; to be effective, feedback must provide a recipe for future action“.
Everyone is in need of improvement, therefore using some new techniques can show everyone the need to improve. Wiliam shared a tool of using = + or - signs to show whether a project in a study discipline had maintained the same, improved or lost value. Finding balance in feedback is important, because there are many variables to student; many who are grade successfull can stop progressing because they have their A, and vice versa. Therefore it is important that feedback always works for their learning instead of a finish line.
There is also an element of personal dedication, while negative feedback may propel some like Michael Jordan to become better, some students may feel so overwhelmed that they give up. Balance is important in giving feedback. Wiliam writes, “if their confidence in their ability to carry out their task is low, then they may well avoid the challenge (especially if they think others will succeed), and this can be seen in classrooms every day”.