Providing feedback to students
The aim of feedback is for you to communicate to students how well their knowledge, understanding and skills are developing in relation to the outcomes. When planning programs and units of work, you need to think about the ways in which you will provide feedback to your students.Feedback enables students to recognise their strengths and areas for development, and to plan with you the next steps in their learning. In this way they are given opportunities to improve and further develop their knowledge, understanding and skills.
Teacher feedback about student work is essential for students, and is integral to the teaching and learning process. Student self-reflection and peer evaluation can also provide valuable feedback to students. provide your students with regular opportunities to reflect on their learning.
In summary, feedback should:
- focus on the activity or task and what was expected
- be constructive, providing meaningful information to students about their learning
- correct misunderstandings
- identify and reinforce students' strengths
- state clearly how students can improve
- allow students to take a more active role in their learning.
Forms of feedback include:
- oral discussion with class, groups or individual students
- written annotations
- general comments to the class about those aspects of the activity or task in which students excelled and those aspects that still need addressing
- examples of good responses
- peer evaluation and self-evaluation.