Why is this important?
As a teacher, you have an important role to play in your students' learning and professional development. By teaching them how to give relevant feedback, you offer them an invaluable tool that will enable them to progress and develop throughout their careers.
Feedback is a key element of learning and collaboration. By giving constructive, well-targeted feedback, you can help your students improve their work and achieve their goals. It can also help create a culture of caring and trust within your workgroup, which can benefit your students' learning.
Ultimately, by teaching your students to give relevant feedback, you're giving them an important professional asset that will stand them in good stead throughout their careers. This can enable them to contribute to their company's development, and stand out in their professional environment.
Definition of feedback
Feedback is feedback on performance or work done, and can be given by a teacher, colleague or supervisor. It can be positive or negative, and is intended to help the individual progress and improve his or her performance.
Feedback is an important part of learning, as it gives feedback on the progress and difficulties encountered by the individual. It can offer hints on how to improve your work, and show you what you've achieved and what you still need to work on. Giving feedback on a regular basis can help the individual achieve his or her goals and develop.
Feedback is also important for group collaboration and cooperation. By giving constructive, positive feedback to other group members, we can strengthen bonds of trust and create a pleasant working atmosphere. What's more, by taking other people's feedback into account, you can improve your own performance and contribute to the development of the group as a whole.
In short, feedback is an important part of learning, as it provides feedback on progress and difficulties encountered, as well as pointers for improving an individual's performance. It is also important for group collaboration and cooperation.
Explain the benefits of relevant feedback?
Feedback can have many benefits for student learning. Firstly, it gives them feedback on their work, indicating what they have achieved or what they still need to work on. This can provide them with avenues to improve their performance and help them achieve their goals.
In addition, feedback can help students develop their reflexivity and capacity for self-evaluation. By becoming aware of their strengths and areas for improvement, they can better understand their own progress and the steps they need to take to continue developing.
Finally, feedback can boost students' motivation and commitment by showing them that their work is valued and has an impact. This can encourage them to continue their efforts and become more involved in their learning.
How can we help students give constructive feedback?
Here are some practical tips for teachers who want to help their students give constructive feedback:
- Encourage students to focus on actions and behaviors rather than people. Instead of saying "you suck," encourage them to say "I'm having trouble understanding this part of the work, can you explain how you did it?"
- Ask students to give concrete examples to illustrate their points. This will help the other person better understand what was done well or not so well.
- Encourage students to put themselves in the other person's shoes and ask themselves "how would I react if I were in his or her shoes?" This can help them to be more caring and to better understand the other person's difficulties.
- Encourage students to be specific and focus on what was done well or not so well. Instead of saying "that was good", encourage them to say "I particularly liked your conclusion, it was very clear and well argued".
- Encourage students to be open and listen to the other person. This will enable them to better understand each other's points of view and to better respond to the feedback they receive.
By focusing on communication and listening, you can help your students give constructive, positive feedback that will help everyone progress and develop.
Give them examples of feedback
Don't hesitate to give them examples of feedback. Here are some examples of relevant feedback that can help students progress and improve their work:
- "I liked your introduction, it's very clear and well structured. It made me want to continue reading your work. Perhaps you could go even further by specifying your objectives and explaining why your subject is important."
This feedback is positive and encouraging, and provides concrete suggestions for improvement. It also shows the student what he or she has achieved and how he or she can go further.
- "I'm having trouble understanding this part of your work. Could you explain to me how you conducted your research and why you chose these sources? It would help me better understand your approach."
This feedback is constructive and enables the student to clarify his or her approach and show what he or she has done well. It also enables the student to better understand the other's difficulties and adapt accordingly.
Conversely, you can also show them feedback that isn't and explain why:
- "It sucked."
This feedback is very negative and gives no indication of what has been done well or not so well. It doesn't help the student understand what he or she has achieved, or what still needs to be worked on.
- "I didn't understand your work, it's too complicated."
This feedback is very general and doesn't give any concrete suggestions for improving the work. It does not enable the student to understand what was done well or not so well, nor does it help him clarify his approach.
- "You've got it all wrong."
This feedback is very negative and does not take into account the student's strengths. It doesn't help students understand what they've achieved or what they still need to work on, and doesn't encourage them to continue their efforts.
In short, it is important to give relevant feedback that is specific, constructive and positive, and that provides concrete suggestions for improving the work.
How can we help them receive feedback "well"?
Here are a few tips to help students receive feedback:
- Encourage them to keep an open mind and try to understand the other person's point of view. This will enable them to better handle criticism and avoid becoming defensive.
- Encourage them to ask questions and seek clarification if they miss something. This will enable them to better understand the feedback and react accordingly.
- Encourage them to focus on the content of the feedback rather than their ego. Instead of feeling attacked, encourage them to think "what is this person trying to tell me, and how can I use their feedback to improve my work?"
Encourage them to thank the person who gave them the feedback, even if they don't agree with it. This shows their open-mindedness and respect for the other person.
By encouraging students to have an open attitude and to ask questions, you can help them to receive feedback well and make the most of it.
To conclude
it's essential to be able to give relevant, constructive feedback to help students progress and improve their work.
To achieve this, it's important to focus on the content of the feedback and avoid subjective judgments. It's also important to give concrete suggestions for improving the work, and to show the student what he or she has achieved and how he or she can go further. As teachers, you can help your students to give relevant feedback by showing them how to formulate their comments clearly and constructively, and by giving them concrete examples of relevant feedback.
You can also encourage them to ask questions and seek clarification if they miss something, and to thank the person who gave them the feedback, even if they don't agree with it. By adopting these practices, you can help your students become better assessors and improve their learning.
