Provide Feedback and Assessment of Learning
Feedback, like assessment, compares standards and expectations with actual student performance to evaluate the quality of work. However, the purpose of feedback differs from that of assessment in that the purpose of feedback is to highlight those areas of performance which satisfied standards and expectations, rather than to grade the performance. It is important that teachers clarify standards and expectations before students engage in the lesson. By doing so, students will learn how to assess their own performance in the future. The feedback process provides an opportunity for teachers and students to engage in meaningful dialogue about what differentiates successful performance from unsuccessful as they together review expectations and standards (Fink, 2003)
Teachers can learn to provide good feedback by breaking up a given lesson into parts and allowing students to sufficiently practice what will be covered in the formal assessment. At the end of each stage the teacher can meet with students to discuss their progress. Students may also engage in peer-to-peer feedback provided they are given clear instruction so that the feedback is constructive rather than punitive.
Teachers need to plan the feedback they provide so that it is both thoughtful and purposeful. According to Wlodkowski and Ginsberg, teachers provide feedback that is informational in nature and not controlling; (i.e. teachers should not seek to direct the way in which students approach the lesson but rather focus the feedback on student progress alone (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 1995). Other criteria for effective feedback are that it is based on mutually-acceptable standards, specific, constructive, frequent, positive, and differentiated (i.e. basing evaluation of individual student performance within preferred learning modality.)
In addition to feedback, assessment is also an important instructional goal. According to Fink (2003) assessment can enhance the overall learning experience and includes four key components. The first component is “forward looking assessment, which incorporates exercises, problems presented in a real-world context and relevant to course content. These types of questions and exercises require that students look beyond the conclusion of the course. To write such questions, the teacher must consider possible future situations in which students might need such knowledge and then create a question, unnecessary that mirrors this real world situation. These questions should be open-ended, and key assumption should be provided so that the teacher may assess the quality of student response.
The second component of assessment is for the teacher to clearly explain the criteria and standards that will be used to assess student performance. Teachers must identify the characteristics of high-quality work (i.e. criteria). The teacher should next identify those qualities which separate acceptable from outstanding work (i.e. the standards). Providing examples of outstanding student work may be useful in further clarifying assessment standards and criteria to the student. In keeping with the principles of differential assessment and authentic assessment, the student should be evaluated learning modality. The idea behind differentiation is that all students should have the opportunity to experience success.
The third component of assessment is to create sufficient opportunity for student self-assessment. This will be a particularly relevant skill for students to develop as they progress in their academic careers, as well as advance in their professional lives. Self-assessment may be performed individually, or in group settings. To be successful students need to understand the appropriate criteria and standards for evaluating and assessing their performance.
The fourth component of assessment is teacher-generated feedback. This feedback should be quality-oriented and have the following characteristics identified by Fink (2003): frequent, immediate, discriminating, and loving. In this context, teacher feedback should be provided on a consistent basis, as soon as possible as student performance, should clarify the difference between poor, acceptable, and outstanding performance, and should be provided in a kind and encouraging manner. This last component is important as many students may be initially uncomfortable with receiving feedback and in assessing their own performance. The teacher should strive to present at least one positive aspect of student performance.
Providing positive and appropriate feedback is an important component in creating a classroom environment which encourages active learning and risk-taking on the part of students. Finally, it is important to note the significance of assessment within the 5-step model as a whole. Information obtained from the feedback and assessment process provides immediate notification to the teacher of which learning objectives were met, the effectiveness of specific learning activities, those activities which should be adjusted or eliminated, and the effectiveness of feedback and assessment on helping students to meet performance outcomes. This type of information can also be very valuable in designing future outcome-based assessment methods. |
