24 Instructor
Students also benefit immensely from getting direct feedback from you, the instructor. This feedback can take many forms. Depending on the activity, you might provide either class- or group-wide feedback; on other occasions, you might provide individual student feedback. Instructor feedback can and should take multiple forms.
We recommend a mix of written, verbal and multimedia feedback. Since students learn differently, they also respond to feedback differently. As you reflect on the learners in your learner profile, think about what will help guide them to improve. We find that often less is more. Provide your students with a particular task or skill they can work to improve, and then give feedback on how they perform that element. It is easier to chart growth with targeted feedback than with generalized feedback.
The University of Edinburgh provides an excellent summary of 34 different strategies to improve the ways we provide feedback to students. Visit the website here: http://www.enhancingfeedback.ed.ac.uk/staff/resources.html
Here are some suggestions for how to create opportunities for instructor feedback:
- Offer clear explanations of your expectations upfront with a detailed rubric.
- Provide an assessment of your student’s ability to give and receive self and peer feedback.
- Ask your students how much feedback they want on a particular assignment.
- Encourage students to attend your office hours.
- Facilitate a discussion with your class about the main challenges they encountered while completing a task.
- Pepper your comments with language that promotes a growth mindset and perseverance.
Your Feedback Strategy
Exercises
Download the Feedback Strategy Template to write out the components of your feedback strategy.
Guiding Questions
- What opportunities exist to have the students generate their own feedback?
- Are there ample opportunities in your course for reflective responses?
- How can you best foster students’ metacognitive skills?
- What types of comments can be automated for immediate feedback?
- When does the instructor need to intervene and offer feedback?
