The Ultimate Feedback Toolkit

Effective feedback is essential for pupils to make progress, but in many schools written feedback has become disproportionately valued and unnecessarily burdensome. The emphasis needs to be on the impact of feedback instead of how the feedback has been provided. This is not to say that all marking should be eliminated, but it should be proportionate, and the quantity of feedback should not be confused with the quality and impact it has on student learning. I have been on a journey in my current school to review and redirect our Feedback Policy which has led to us creating a guide for teachers. I thought I would share this guide with you.

I would like to also add, before you get reading, that we are still on a journey and while I believe this guide to be step in the right direction, the way we provide feedback will continue to evolve.

Purpose

Research suggest that effective feedback should address three underpinning questions:

• Where am I going? (i.e. What are the goals?)
• How am I doing? (i.e. What progress is being made toward the goal?)
• Where to next? (i.e. What activities need to be undertaken to make better progress?)

The purpose of feedback focusses on improving the learner in some capacity. The three questions above enable and support teachers to take steps towards whatever goal they have in mind.

Feedback Impact

It is important that feedback is provided in the most effective way so to have the best impact on learning. In the FS and Primary setting, feedback is provided for the following reasons:

1. Editing and Self-Reflecting on Learning = Feedback about the task
2. Extending and Deepening Thinking = Feedback about the processing of the task
3. Promoting Self-Regulation and Meta-Cognition = Feedback about the learner’s self-regulation
4. Motivating and Celebrating Achievement = Feedback about the self

Feedback about the task​

Method – The most direct level of feedback, which can include identifying correct and incorrect responses. See examples below.
Impact – This is most effective when the learner’s knowledge is faulty, rather than missing.
Limitations – If the learner doesn’t know why they have got the answer incorrect, or how to check the answer, then this type of feedback is detrimental.

Feedback about the processing of the task

Method – This type of feedback focusses on the approaches required to complete a task, as well as related tasks. The feedback highlights how to complete it better, how to detect mistakes, or build relationships between knowledge. See examples below.
Impact – Using cues or prompts to help direct the learner’s attention to building strategies means that this type of feedback can be better at improving learning compared to feedback about the task. Processing level feedback encourages the learner to engage and consider their approach.

Feedback about the learner’s self-regulation

Method – This encourages meta-cognitive processes to encourage learning from feedback. See examples below.
Impact – This can be extremely powerful when linked with previous levels of feedback (about the task / processing).
Limitations – Feedback at this level can shift the agency in learning from class teacher to the learner but can be the most difficult, both for the students to implement and for teachers to provide.

Feedback about the self

Method – This level of feedback is about the learner as a person rather than the task performance. See examples below.
Impact – Praise, as long as this is linked to effort, can have a positive impact. The key here is focusing the attention back to the task and learning processes. If you goal is to maximise the benefit to learning rather than build self-esteem then give feedback on the work, not the learner.
Limitations – This sort of praise is generally ineffective at improving student learning and may be counterproductive.

Student Response

Students responding to feedback is important. Not to evidence feedback has happened but as a visual record for students to see their own progress.

Students can respond to feedback in a variety of ways including the following:
Dialogue – Students can respond through written or spoken dialogue with a teacher or peer. It is important that dialogue is not a waste time. It should not focus on how students feel about the work they have done. Dialogue should focus on learning and then practising.
Uplevelling – Students can respond to feedback by revising and improving their work and learning.
Extending – Students can respond to feedback by continuing or extending their learning taking the feedback into account.
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Feedback Timing

Research would suggest that the timing of feedback is important. The type of learning and subject can influence the time feedback is provided. Equally, individual students may favour specific timings of feedback:

• Immediate / Responsive Feedback – This feedback is given instantly in lessons. It allows students to reflect and respond immediately to the feedback in order to accelerate progress.
• Midway Feedback / Mini Plenary Feedback - This feedback is given based upon observations through part of a lessons. It gives students time to take risks and experiment before feedback is provided. It allows students to reflect and respond on their progress so far and set next steps for the next stage of the lesson.
• End of Lesson Feedback – This feedback is given in the last part of a lesson and summarises the progress made within the lesson while allow children to think about future learning both at home and in future lessons.
• Asynchronous Feedback – This feedback is provided after the lesson away for the students. This allows teachers to reflect on student outcomes and allows time to carefully set next steps for students.
• Next Lesson Feedback – This feedback is provided at the beginning of the next lesson and focuses on previous learning. This can support students to recall prior learning while also setting the tone and standards for the remainder of the lesson.

Feedback Toolkit

​As with the timing of feedback, the type of feedback can also influence the quality of learning. Research would suggest that feedback needs to be personalised to suit the subject, lesson and student's needs. The following feedback strategies identified in the ‘Feedback Toolkit’ provide some examples of feedback to support and further learning, while also influencing future lesson adaptation.

Live Feedback

​Method – Live feedback is implemented during the lesson as the students are completing their work.  The feedback is provided on a one-to-one basis and is personalised to each student and can happen at any point within a lesson. Live feedback allows students to respond to feedback immediately within their work. Live feedback can be used alongside written or verbal feedback. The aim is not just to get books marked, but to offer useful written notes alongside verbal prompts.
Impact - Live feedback provides students with instant feedback that they can act on immediately. Students have a good understanding of how to reflect on the feedback, as they are being supported by the teacher. It allows for a conversation rather than formal written feedback, which may allow the student to gain a better understanding of how they can improve and celebrate their work. Live feedback encourages the skill of self-regulation, and overtime, may encourage students to independently check their work.
Limitations - As this feedback is given on a one-to-one basis, the teacher can only work with a few students within the lesson at a time. Live feedback may be viewed as ‘correcting’ rather than highlighting areas for improvement, which may be seen to be a negative approach to feeding back on students work.

​Whole Class and/or Group Feedback

Method - This type of feedback is a summary and evaluation of a lesson that has taken place. Teacher judgements from the lesson and books will inform what to write on the Feedback Marking Code (see below). The feedback slide will state ‘What Went Well’ (WWW) and then suggest areas for improvement (EBI) that can either address a misconception, move learning forward or provide challenge. The students will respond together to the EBI and any students who need extending can respond to a deeper thinking question from the Feedback Marking Code (see below).
Impact - This effective method of giving feedback allows pupils to learn from their peers, reflect on their work, act upon feedback, celebrate success and know their next steps. Pupils will recognise the format of WWW and EBI and instantly see where the strengths and weaknesses were across the class. The WWW will praise the students so they feel recognised and proud of their efforts. By responding to the feedback together, it can allow teachers to model good examples and guide any misconceptions, as well as monitor the feedback delivery to each student. By involving all the pupils, an inclusive environment will be created which will enhance student’s confidence. This type of feedback also encourages meta-cognition and self-regulation in students.
Limitations - This type of feedback can be too generic and gives less chance for differentiated feedback. Some misconceptions from the previous lesson may be too complex and deep-rooted to address in the feedback time. The feedback may also feel too fast paced for some students.

Peer-to-Peer Feedback​

​Method – This feedback can be completed in groups of pairs. Children can swap learning outcomes or focus on one particular student’s work in order to evaluate and provide feedback for the student. ‘Fake marking’ can focus on work that has been created by a fictional student.
Impact - Students providing peers with feedback has two benefits. The student receiving the feedback develops an understanding on the quality of their learning while the student providing feedback is tasked with evaluating learning in a coherent and purposeful way. This method promotes self-regulation in both participants. Students may benefit from the use of a success criteria to guide focus to certain aspects of the learning.
Limitations - Pupils may not know how to give effective feedback, they may need training first. Pupils not expert enough to offer valid feedback, they may need a success criterion to support them.

Self-Reflective Feedback

​Method - This feedback can be completed independently. Students focus on their own learning and work and evaluate their performance based upon the lesson’s success criteria. This can be done through annotations, using the marking code or by making separate notes.
Impact - Students providing themselves with feedback has two benefits. The method promotes self-regulation both during the evaluation process and during future work. It can turn self-reflection and self-regulation into a habit. Students may benefit from the use of a success criteria to guide focus to certain aspects of the learning.
Limitations - Pupils may not know how to give effective feedback, they may need training first. Pupils not expert enough to offer valid feedback, they may need a success criterion to support them.

Written Feedback

​Method - Written feedback gives teachers an opportunity to provide personalised feedback to each student in order to move the student’s learning forward. This will involve looking at student’s work after the lesson, identifying strengths and next steps. It is vital to provide feedback that refers to the learning objectives from the lesson and to limit this feedback so that students have the chance to respond and act on it. Teachers will use the symbols from the marking policy, WWW, EBI and deeper thinking questions when providing written feedback.
Impact - Students work will be acknowledged and the feedback will be individual to the student. As a result, this should drive the student’s learning forward. Misconceptions can be quickly addressed with next steps provided for students to respond to.
Limitations – Danger of children always having a next step, there must be a balance between acknowledging work and providing next steps for students. This is time-consuming for teachers and if children are not provided with the time to respond to feedback, this could be time wasted. Written feedback is only successful if students use it to improve their performance.