Feedback for Learning

Assessment for Learning Workshop

Portage la Prairie School Division Facilitators: Brigitte Heppner, Faye Maly, and Donna Mueller

“"The most powerful single modification that enhances

achievement is feedback. The simplest prescription for improving education must be ‘dollops of feedback’.” Hattie,

1992

Clear Targets for Today’s Session:

Look at the current research findings on feedback as it relates to assessment for learning

Make connections between clear targets, setting criteria and descriptive feedback

Explore four different categories of feedback

Look at practical strategies that promote descriptive feedback in the classroom

Have time with our colleagues to reflect on today’s learning.

Education is a journey…….

Seven Strategies of Assessment FOR Learning

Where am I going?1.  Provide a clear statement of the learning

target2.  Use examples and models of strong and

weak work (exemplars)Where am I now?

3.  Offer regular descriptive feedback4.  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 

Anchor activityFind your elbow partner for the day.

Introduce yourself.

Task:Build a structure using the materials

provided.Use as much of the material as possible.You will have 5 minutes

And go! cooltimer

Table Group Discussion

Did the feedback given help or hinder you? Could you do better next time?Were you engaged in the activity?What did you learn?What information were you missing?

1 person from your table group please be ready to share.

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Rick Stiggins Intro

Set the Stage – Assessment for Learning

Key Point Work done in the pre-planning phase sets the stage for the learner. Setting criteria and connecting the activity to the outcome gives the learner focus and reason. Once this is accomplished, students and teachers can use the criteria for launching into effective feedback that is focused on the learning target(s).

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).

• 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.

Think of it this way……

Evaluative FeedbackDescriptive 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.

• 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.

VIEW VIDEO

What was one key point that caused you to reflect on your

classroom practice with regards to assessment?

Turn and Talk

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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 or motivational (ego related )

2. descriptive feedback (task related)

-1996 Pat Tunstall and Caroline Gipps

Key Terms

Evaluative vs. Descriptive

Evaluative Feedback

Descriptive Feedback

Typically uses a single measurement

May compare students to each other

Does not give students information about specific elements (knowledge, skills) they perform well

May encourage competitionSometimes linked to rewards

vs. punishmentsStifles learningGenerally summative type of

assessment

Describes features of work or 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

Feedback can be further broken down further into 4 types…

Motivational Feedback

Evaluative Feedback

Descriptive Feedback

Effective Descriptive Feedback

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.”

Evaluative FeedbackGoal 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%

Descriptive FeedbackGoal 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.”

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 shapes in the table. How could you prove this?”

Types of Feedback - Summary

Motivational Evaluative Descriptive Effective

Feedback is primarily motivational

Feedback is primarily evaluative

Descriptive feedback primarily tells the student how to correct their reasoning.

Descriptive feedback asks the student what to do to move their reasoning to the next level.

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

Purpose: to improve learning, by moving student reasoning to the next level

More Summative More Formative

Activity 2 slide

Activity 2Types of feedback

Types of Feedback - Activity 2Complete the activity in small groups or

partners.Do a quick self reflection as to what types

of feedback you most often use.Cooltimer

Regroup and share

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.

Feedback… in summary

• 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.

Related article “Feedback That Fits” - Susan Bookhart

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.

PART 2- APPLICATIONS

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 MetMet, Not Yet Met, I NoticedSample MatchPerformance GridMore of, Less OfN.B. (Pay Attention)Specific RemarksUsing AcronymsThe Next StepKey Questions

EXAMPLE

Using scenario 1 – Restaurant OwnerMet, Not Met, I Noticed

YOUR TURN - GROUP ACTIVITY

1. Each group selects from the remaining scenarios

2. As a group select a strategy (one of the sheets provided in the booklet)

3. Set criteria together for your scenario4. Read the method for the strategy and try

applying it to the scenario you’ve selected5. Share a way you might be able to use this

strategy in the classroom. 6. Select one person from your group who

will be prepared to comment on: your strategy, the process of selecting criteria, and giving descriptive feedback and/or other ways to use the method.

Activity BLM cooltimer

• It is not practical or necessary to set criteria for every single activity.

• Spend time working on the performances, procedures or products you evaluate often to start with.

(i.e. classroom procedures, fire drills, title pages, presentations, performances, group work, problem solving, projects, writing, reading aloud, conversations, etc…)

Peer Feedback

“Get students working harder. School is not a place to watch old people get tired. The person working the hardest is growing the most dendrites! It’s about the learning”

Anne Davies

Teaching students how to give descriptive feedback to one another is a powerful learning tool for the classroom. The following video could be used as a tool in early years classrooms to assist with teaching students how to give descriptive feedback

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/tech/lict/let_me_try/v_clips/level2_feedback.mov

                   

    

  

Use for students self-reflection on giving descriptive feedback. (i.e. student

presentation peer assessment)

Criteria For Descriptive Feedback1. I read the goal(s) or learning target

2. I compared the work with the learning target or goal

3. I gave at least one piece of advice as to how to improve the work to get closer to the goal.

4. I pointed out something I thought was good and why.

REFLECTEffective 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?What will you take away from today’s session?

Other Related Articles

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….

On behalf of the Assessment Committee and your school

administrator(s), thank you for learning and sharing with us

today!

Donna, Brigitte and Faye

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.

Feedback That FitsTask 1:• Read article “Feedback That Fits” by Susan M.

Brookhart on effective feedback.• Go for a break – coffee• When we return from break we will do a related

activity

Perspective Lens ActivityBLM -LINK

White Lens – pure white facts (information, details, truths)

Purple Lens – judgment (the downside, why it won’t work, what’s wrong with it)

Red Lens – just feel it (emotions, how do you feel, opinions, hunches)Green lens – green and growing (possibilities, new ideas, where can this go?)

Yellow – sunshine and brightness (positive, the upside, constructive, what’s the potential)

Blue Lens – cool and controlled (pulls things together, summarizes, thinks about the thinking)