Delivering and Receiving Feedback

Feedback

Information about performance or behaviour that leads to action to affirm or develop that performance or behaviour

Purpose of feedback

• Enables the receiver to recognise what they do well so they can continue doing it • Enables the receiver to understand where he/she needs to develop and change

Does feedback work?

Black and William 1998 – meta analysis of >250 studies of formative assessment with feedback since 1988 from all educational sectors Feedback resulted in positive benefits on learning and achievement across all areas, knowledge and skill types and levels of education

Conditions for successful feedback

For students to benefit from feedback, the student must 1. possess a concept of the goal/standard or reference level being aimed for 2. compare the actual (or current) level of performance with that goal or standard 3. engage in appropriate action which leads to some closure of the gap Sadler 1989

Conditions for successful feedback

Often point 2 is the focus of feedback and falls short on point 3

7 principles of good feedback practice

1. facilitates the development of self-assessment (reflection) in learning 2. encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning 3. helps clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, expected standards) 4. provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance

7 principles of good feedback practice

5. delivers high quality information to students about their learning 6. encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem 7. provides information to teachers that can be used to help shape the teaching Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick 2004

Tips – Before giving feedback

always ask yourself: • What is my intention behind giving this person feedback?

• How am I feeling about giving it?

• How is the other person feeling; if they have had a stressful day, might be best left for another occasion. It is important they are in the right frame of mind to accept it BOTH PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL CALM

Tips –Feedback rules

• timely • selective • balanced • suggestions • descriptive • specific • directed

Tips –Feedback rules

• timely: given as close to the event as possible (taking account of the person’s readiness etc) • selective: addressing one or two key issues rather than too many at once • balanced: good and the bad • suggestions: not prescriptions

Tips –Feedback rules

descriptive, non-judgemental, based on behaviour not personality

"I notice that you don’t look at people when they are talking to you. You said you couldn’t understand why people don’t listen to you. Do you think this might have something to do with it? "I think you’re selfish in that you don’t listen to anyone else".

Tips –Feedback rules

specific or focussed, in order to focus developmental feedback avoid personal comments/avoid mixed messages/avoid diffusion

Tips –Examples

“you fool! Cant you remember that I needed these accounts for the meeting yesterday?’ “Shirley, I need the accounts for 2pm on Friday for the management meeting later in the afternoon.” “I would like you to take more care of your appearance in orders to make a better impression on patients” “You always look like you have just got out of bed but your work is good on the whole” ‘Some of you are not achieving your performance goals. You have to improve.’ ‘Richard, you have not achieved your performance goals this week. Can we talk about it & work out some plans to improve?’

Tips –Feedback rules

directed towards behaviour that can be changed

‘I really don’t like your face/your height/the fact that you are bald etc’ ‘It would help me if you smiled more or looked at me when you speak’

The Impact of Feedback

• • • • • • The person receiving the feedback can react with: anger denial

that’

– –

‘I’ve had enough of this’ this reaction often accompanies the initial shock of feedback ‘I can’t see any problem with

blame

– ‘It’s not my fault. What can you expect when the patient won’t listen?

rationalisation –

finding excuses to try and justify their behaviour ‘I’ve had a particularly bad week’ ‘Doesn’t everyone do this?’

acceptance renewed action

Feedback formats

• written/verbal individualised

assignment eg a particular

• written/verbal general feedback to a group

eg on most common errors/successes on an exam paper

• checklists/proforma

eg headings of assessment criteria, with comments below

Feedback formats

• assessment criteria grid, showing where student is placed against each criteria • model answers • computerised

eg multiple-choice questions

•

"

Off the cuff" comments from others

eg "You're really good at”

Record verbal feedback

Ensure it is written down • • IRCP comments Student takes notes for PDP

Receiving feedback

• • • listen carefully to what is being said people should be receptive to feedback and see it as helpful.

don’t reject it!

accept positive feedback…don’t reject it!

accept negative feedback...don’t reject it!

avoid arguing or being defensive.

Receiving feedback

• • • ask questions to clarify fully and seek examples is useful. acknowledge the giver of feedback and show his or her appreciation. The feedback may not have been easy to give.

involve mutual good will receiver should feel that the giver isn’t their enemy giver needs to want to help receiver develop

• • • • • • •

Receiving feedback

it is up to the receiver what they do with feedback read or listen understand; clarification: examples and alternatives; keep notes try to keep feedback sheets/information together give it time to sink in and get into perspective and reflect address areas for improvement try not to feel devastated by small criticisms and try not to be defensive and make excuses

References

Black, P. & William, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning.

Assessment in Education

. 5(1),7-74. Nicol, D. & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2004) Rethinking Formative Assessment in HE: a theoretical model and seven principles of good feedback practice. http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assessment/ASS051D_SE NLEF_model.doc

Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment5 and the design of instructional systems.

Instructional Science.

18, 119-144.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Dr Ramesh Mehay at Bradford VTS for much of the material contained in this presentation http://www.bradfordvts.co.uk