Transcript Welcome to Online Workshop Four “Giving Quality Feedback”

Giving Quality Feedback
In this workshop participants will:
 look at the current research findings on feedback as it relates to
assessment
 clarify the purpose and value of quality feedback to learners
 deepen their understanding of different types of feedback.
 analyze feedback statements and discuss ways to use feedback in the
classroom to guide student learning
Seven Strategies of
Assessment FOR Learning
Where am I going?
1. Provide a clear statement of the learning target
2. Use examples and models of strong and weak
work (exemplars)
Where am I now?
3. Offer regular descriptive feedback
4. Teach students to self-assess and set goals
How can I close the gap?
5. Design focused lessons
6. Teach students focused revision
7. Engage students in self-reflection:
let them keep track of and share their learning
Excerpts from “Feed Back…Feed Forward: Using
Assessment to Boost Literacy Learning” by Anne Davies.
 The brain research tells us that our brains require feedback to learn
(Pinker, 1997; Sylwester, 1995; Jensen, 1998). Classroom
assessment research tells us that when we involve students in the
assessment process, increase the amount of descriptive feedback
students receive, and decrease the amount of evaluative feedback
they receive, students learn significantly more (Black and Wiliam,
1998).
Think of it this way……
• Feedback for our brain is a bit like fats in our body.
Some kinds of fats clog up our arteries and increase
our cholesterol to dangerous levels while other kinds
of fats lower our cholesterol.
What would you prefer?
• Evaluative feedback – performance standards with numbers
to indicate ratings, 8/10, checks on a checklist, letter grades
are like the fats that clog our arteries but instead of
shutting down the blood flow, they shut down the
learning brain.
•
Descriptive feedback – feedback that is specific about what
is working and points out next steps in the learning –
nourishes the learning brain.
Feedback on learning - Dylan Wiliam
 The focus of this video is feedback on learning. Dylan
Wiliam reviews the importance of giving learners effective
feedback as an integral component of formative assessment.
(3-4 minutes)
 Click on the link below. Right click on the arrow to
download video and open
 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/video/f/feedbackonlearning
dylanwiliam.asp
Key Terms
In Willams video he talks about two types of feedback, ego
involving and task involving.
These terms are synonymous with the terms:
1. evaluative feedback (ego related )
2. descriptive feedback (task related)
-1996 Pat Tunstall and Caroline Gipps
Evaluative vs. Descriptive
Evaluative
Feedback
Descriptive Feedback
 Typically uses a single
 Describes features of work or







measurement
May compare students to each
other
Does not give students
information about specific
elements (knowledge, skills) they
perform well
May encourage competition
Sometimes linked to rewards vs.
Punishments
Stifles learning
Generally summative type of
assessment




performance
Relates directly to learning
targets and/or standards of
quality using exemplars, rubrics
and/or samples
Points out strengths and gives
specific information on how to
improve
Provides strategies for moving
forward
Promotes learning by increasing
motivation
Formative assessment
Evaluative feedback Examples
:
“That’s a good essay.”
“You’ve done well.”
73%
“You’ve shown improvement”
“You need to try harder”
Descriptive feedback examples
“In your essay you have successfully covered the main points related to
energy conservation. What could you add to the section on the water
conservation to deepen your reader’s understanding of the issue?”
“Most of your spelling is accurate. I found only two errors. See if you
can find them.”
“You used a lot of details as was shown in our samples.You mentioned
seven different things you liked about dogs.”
“Your map legend has all of the required key elements needed to
identify the geographical landforms.”
Activity 1
Descriptive or Evaluative Feedback
Your facilitator will distribute the “Descriptive or Evaluative Feedback
Activity”
 Descriptive or Evaluative Feedback Activity – link
 Complete the activity with a small group of 2-4
Feedback can be further broken
down further into 4 types…
 Motivational Feedback
 Evaluative Feedback
 Descriptive Feedback
 Effective Descriptive Feedback
Activity 2 slide
Motivational Feedback
 Goal is to make the learner feel good.
 Feedback that is intended to encourage and support the learner.
 Does not give guidance on how to improve the learner’s
reasoning.
 “I like how you completed the assignment.”
Activity 2 slide
Evaluative Feedback
 Goal is to measure student achievement with a score or a grade.
 Feedback that is intended to summarize student achievement.
 Does not give guidance on how to improve the learner’s
reasoning.
 73%
Activity 2 slide
Descriptive Feedback
 Goal is to improve student achievement by telling the learner
what steps to take in order to move forward in the learning
process.
 Feedback that is intended to tell the learner what needs to be
improved.
 Gives specific guidance as to how to improve the learners’
reasoning.
 “You accurately found the number of students in 4th grade who
said ice cream was their favorite. You now need to divide this
number by the total number of students to get the percent who
said ice cream was their favorite.”
Activity 2 slide
Effective Descriptive Feedback
 Goal is for students to internalize the effective feedback.
 Feedback that is intended to be used by the learner to
independently move their reasoning to the next level.
 “I agree with the pattern that you have identified in the table. I am
not convinced that the rule you wrote works for all the values in
the table. How could you prove this?”
Activity 2 slide
Types of Feedback - Summary
Motivational
Evaluative
Descriptive
Effective
Descriptive feedback
asks the student what to
do to move their
reasoning to the next
level.
Feedback is primarily
motivational
Feedback is primarily
evaluative
Descriptive feedback
primarily tells the
student how to correct
their reasoning.
Purpose: to encourage
and support the learner
Purpose: to measure
student achievement
with a score or a grade
Purpose: to improve
learning by indicating
to the student what
needs to be improved
More
Summative
More
Purpose: to improve
learning, by moving
student reasoning to the
next level
Formative
Activity 2 slide
Activity 2
Types of feedback
Types of Feedback - Activity 2
 Complete the activity in small groups or partners.
 Regroup and share
 Self reflect using the chart what types of feedback you use
most often.
Key Research Findings
Hawk and Hill (2001)
The feedback teachers give needs to be of a high quality.
When feedback is given in writing, some students:
 have difficulty understanding the points the teacher is trying to make
 are unable read the teacher’s writing
 can’t process the feedback and understand what to do next.
Asking a student to tell you what they think you are trying to say to
them is the best way to check this out.
Wiliam (1999)
Findings from Ruth Butler’s research on 132 year 7 students:
• Students given only marks made no gain from the first to the second
lesson.
• Students given only comments scored on average 30% higher.
• Giving marks alongside comments cancelled the beneficial effects of
the comments.
Research conclusion:
If you are going to grade or mark a piece of work, you are wasting your
time writing careful diagnostic comments.
Clarke (2001)
Findings from Clarke's research:
Teachers give:
 their students too many criteria making it very difficult for specific
feedback to be given
 too much information in their marking which students find
overwhelming and difficult to take in.
Clarke suggests:
When giving written feedback that teachers highlight three successes
in the student’s work and one area where some improvement is
necessary.
Sutton (1998)
Sutton suggests effective feedback should:
 be specific – both positive and critical
 be descriptive, rather than evaluative
 be offered as soon as possible after the event
 offer alternatives or ask the learner to do so
 look forward to the specific next steps to improve performance
 encourage and plan for opportunities for the feedback to be used as
soon as possible
 involve the learner wherever possible, to improve the chance of
feedback being understood and acted upon.
Feedback That Fits
Task 1:
• Read article “Feedback That Fits” by Susan M. Brookhart on effective
feedback.
• In your group, summarize the key points made by the author and record
your ideas. (Or use the perspective lens approach with the groups)
• Report back to the larger group.
Task 2:
• In your group, complete the activity described in the hand-out on
providing feedback to a Gr. 4 student regarding a paragraph she has
written.
• Once you are done, read the second part of Susan Brookhart’s article
and compare suggested feedback to give with what you have discussed as
a group.
Feedback… in summary
Quality feedback to learners:
• focuses on the learning intention of the task – clear target
• occurs as the students are doing the learning
• provides information on how and why the student understands
or misunderstands
• provides strategies to help the student to improve
• assists the student to understand the goals of the learning.
REFLECT
Effective feedback in your classroom
Reflect on what you have just learned regarding the importance of effective
descriptive feedback with a colleague.
What was one key point that caused you to reflect on your classroom
practice with regards to assessment?
How will this affect the way in which you assess student work on a daily
basis?
Suggested Professional Learning Tasks
Work with a sample provided or one from your own class. Replace
the feedback given with more effective statements that will
help further the student’s learning.
 It is not reasonable to think that lengthy written descriptive comments
on every piece of students work is the only way or even possible. In
the next slides we will guide you through several ways to set criteria
and assess students’ work without putting a mark on the paper.
Ten Ways To Assess Without Putting A
Mark On Paper
Ideas taken from:
Setting and Using Criteria
By:
Kathleen Gregory, Caren Cameron, Anne Davies
1997
Strategies Proposed:
 Met, Not Yet Met
 Met, Not Yet Met, I Noticed
 Sample Match
 Performance Grid
 More of, Less Of
 N.B. (Pay Attention)
 Specific Remarks
 Using Acronyms
 The Next Step
 Key Questions
Task to complete with colleagues
 Do a quick overview of the ten strategies described in the
hand-out.
 Discuss how you might use or adapt one of these strategies
for use in one subject area with your students.
Exerpt from Setting and Using Criteria
Some of our students still see numbers and letter grades as the currency of
school. We realize that for years, they have heard, “This part is important.
It will be on the test. Learn it to get an ‘A’. ” Now our challenge is to help
students become more actively involved in the assessment process. Through
this involvement, we have seen many of our students move away from their
over-reliance on numbers and begin to understand that a single mark
cannot possibly communicate the scope and depth of their learning.
(Setting and Using Criteria by Kathleen Gregory, Caren Cameron, Anne Davies 1999)
Jr High and High School –
Supplemental Resources
for this Presentation
Talk About Assessment -High School Strategies and Tools.
By: Damien Cooper
Video Clips
 Introduction clip #1
 Assessment Without Marks #6
Case Study’s and Reading - Chapter 6
 Case Study 1 - One-to-one Conferencing (p.112)
 Case Study 2 - Whatjyaget and Howdwedo (p.113)
 Do I routinely provide Individual Feedback That Informs Students
How to Improve (p.110)
 Do I Routinely Work one-on-one or with small groups of Students To
Support Them in Using Feedback To Improve Their Work (p.111)
Contact dmueller@[plpsd.mb.ca for acquiring this material
Other Suggested Activities
In a group or on own
 Notable Quotes - Google Docs
 In this activity participants are
divided up into groups. Each
group is asked to look at quotes
on formative assessment by
different researchers, summarize
key points and report back to the
larger group.
On your own
 Feedback Feedforward -
Using Assessment to Boost
Literacy Learning - Anne
Davies -An online journal
article that summarizes key
components of effective
feedback.
 Feed Up, Back, Forward –
Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey ASCD
November 2009
In closing…
 “The most powerful single modification that enhances
achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for
improving education must be ‘dollops of feedback’.”
Hattie, 1992
Assessment references
Cameron, C., Gregory K., Davies, A., (1997) Knowing What Counts – Setting and
Using Criteria. Building Connections Publishing.
Clarke, S. (2001). Unlocking formative assessment: Practical strategies for enhancing
pupils’ learning in the primary classroom. London: Hodder and Stoughton.
Clarke, S. (2003). Enriching Feedback in the primary classroom. London: Hodder
and Stoughton.
Hawk, K. & Hill, J. (2001) The Challenge of Formative Assessment in Secondary
Classrooms SPANZ Journal, September 2001.
Tunstall, P., & Gipps, C. (1996). Teacher feedback to young children in formative
assessment: A typology. British Educational Research Journal, 22 (4).
Sutton, R. (1998). School-wide Assessment. Improving Teaching and Learning. New
Zealand Council for educational Research. Wellington NZ.
Wiliam, D. (1999). Formative Assessment in Mathematics. The Mathematical
Association. Equals. Summer Volume 5, Number 2.