The Importance of Effective Feedback

Before discussing feedback specific to the development of student writing, it is necessary to briefly outline the pedagogical underpinnings and role of feedback in learning in general. 

1. Feedback is integral to formative assessment

Feedback on performance, when effective, is widely considered to be integral to learning. People learn faster and more deeply if they know what the strengths and weaknesses of their performance are and most importantly, how to improve future performance. 

One of the most valuable contributions anyone can make to another person’s learning is constructive feedback. Whether as a student or as a teacher each one of us has the capacity to provide useful information to other people, which will help them to learn more effectively (Boud, 1991, p. 19). 

This potential to influence future performance is known as feedforward. In order to generate feedforward, feedback must not only identify the learner gap between actual and desired performance (by indicating the standard achieved on any given criterion for example) but also provide information needed to close that gap. It is this additional information which is so important in making assessment formative. What’s more, when specific guidance is provided to close the gap, the feedforward effect is even greater and the focus of feedback quickly becomes learning rather than marks. See Figure 1 for an illustration of this process at work. 

 Guidance and Feedback Loop (Hounsell, McCune, Hounsell & Litjens, 2008, p.60)

Figure 1: Guidance and feedback loop (Hounsell, McCune, Hounsell & Litjens, 2008, p.60)    

2. Feedback produces learner autonomy

One of the most valuable aspects of effective feedback is its ability to foster learner autonomy. Students tend to become self regulated learners when they are provided with detailed feedback on performance as well as guidance for future improvement. Evidence of this self-regulatory process can be seen in an increasing ability to align aspects of thinking, motivation and behaviour with assessment criteria, standards and learning outcomes as well as learning goals established by the learners themselves. 

A similar effect can be produced in students’ written work. Feedback which specifically identifies weaknesses in aspects of student writing, such as structural and language issues, and then offers guidance in addressing these can better equip the student to proofread and self-correct in the future. Feedforward then results in less dependence on support from lecturers and tutors. Even better, self-regulated learners are often more successful learners, being more resourceful, tenacious and confident.

3. Feedback aligns teaching and learning

Feedback can also play an essential role in aligning teaching, learning and assessment. When explicitly linked to assessment tasks, learning outcomes and marking schemes, feedback functions to create and maintain meaning for teachers and students alike through a reinforcement of the purpose of assessment and how it relates to learning outcomes (Biggs, 1999; Dunn, Morgan, O’Reilly, Parry, 2004). Conversely, the absence of effective feedback reduces assessment to a post-script for learning and teaching and little more than a means of justifying the awarding of a particular grade (Orrell, 2006).

4. Feedback directly impacts student experience

Whether intended or not, feedback affects the self-esteem and motivation of students. All lecturers and tutors are seen by students to possess power. Poorly worded or overly judgemental comments on assessments can easily damage student confidence. This can lead to a student with low self-esteem interpreting all future feedback personally (as a judgement on their ability). On the other hand, constructive, well-written feedback contributes to positive self-esteem and an ability to interpret feedback, be it positive or negative, more objectively. As positive self-esteem and self-belief increase motivation to learn and improve performance, effective feedback has a flow on effect on student outcomes through increased success and retention.

It is obvious then that feedback has a profound effect on student experience. Students want and value feedback; however their experience of receiving satisfactory feedback is uneven. Recent research in Australian tertiary education highlights the frustration students experience with feedback. Three consecutive national surveys revealed two fifths of first year respondents were dissatisfied with the helpfulness of tutor comments on assignments (Krause, Hartley, James & McInnes, 2005).

The following student comments capture the frustration felt when inadequate feedback is received:

'No feedback on the first assignment, like literally none. Just ticks, ticks and more ticks, followed by a pretty average mark. Why so many ticks then. Maybe some crosses. Or, oh, I don't know, some constructive criticism. Heck any words at all.'

'I think that receiving the first assessment back before handing in the second task would’ve been beneficial as it clearly defines the level required in passing the unit and might’ve offered valuable feedback which could’ve affected the outcome of the second assessment.'

However, students also acknowledge the positive impact timely and constructive feedback can have:

'The opportunity to submit learning tasks was also valuable as the feedback helped me a lot. I doubt I would have passed the assessments without the feedback.'

'The feedback I received gave help with English through a review of how to write essays, reference list.'

(Comments taken from Student Feedback on Unit Surveys 2009)