VI: CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENT of LEARNING                                                                                                      PACES

TEACHING AND LEARNING COMPONENT

VI.C FEEDBACK
A key element in guiding and enhancing learning is providing specific feedback to learners about their engagement in the process of learning, level(s) of performance(s), and mastery of learning outcomes during the process of teaching and learning. Feedback is more than providing information about correct and incorrect performances. Effective feedback includes suggestions for improving performance and encouragement of subsequent effort. During the process of learning, effective feedback helps shape learning of complex tasks and broadens learner understanding and mastery of content. Feedback can be provided by the teacher and/or learners. Self-assessment of learning is an important element of feedback. Through self-assessments of learning, learners can provide self-corrective feedback about their personal learning. For feedback from the teacher and/or learners to be effective during the process of learning, feedback should:

  1. be specific to the individual learner or group of learners,

  2. provide learner(s) with information as to whether or not responses are adequate or inadequate,

     

  3. be reasonably balanced between adequate and inadequate responses, and

  4. broaden understanding and mastery of content knowledge.

Feedback about home learning tasks might also be provided to one or more learners during the lesson. Formal feedback (e.g., on written assignments and on formal assessment and evaluation tasks) is addressed in I.F.6.

Learners might also provide feedback to each other while the teacher monitors. Feedback is an important element of building learner motivation and beliefs in their capabilities to accomplish learning tasks (self-efficacy for learning).

 

Sample Professional Growth Activity 1

Comprehension

  1. Refer to and study the PACES Teaching and Learning Professional Growth Manual, Domain VI, Teaching and Learning Component C.

  2. Research web sites recommended by colleagues, or professional journals for information about feedback. Note new trends that seem promising and effective.

Practical Application

  1. Integrate strategies from your research into your teaching practice.
Assessment
  1. Self-assess and identify in writing which techniques were effective and which ones were ineffective.

Sample Professional Growth Activity 2

Comprehension

  1. Confer with one or more members(s) of the PACES Professional Growth Team about what information should be communicated to the learner(s) when offering specific feedback.

Practical Application

  1. Integrate strategies from the meeting into your teaching practice.

Assessment

  1. Determine the effectiveness of strategies used to improve learning, and write results in your Professional Growth Plan.

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