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The Impact of Formative Feedback

Middle Grade Collaborative Conference 2018

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Abstract

Throughout this past fall, I have focused on the impact of frequent formative feedback on students’ ability to understand the learning targets and identify where they are in the learning process. Students have tracked their progress, reflected throughout the learning process, and took part in collaborative practice and feedback.

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The Challenges

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Students rarely used feedback to help them move forward.

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I knew that proficiency-based learning was supposed to make learning targets more clear for students, but it was not.

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Learning Scales ≠ Clear Understanding

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Research on Effective Feedback Systems

  • Timely, Actionable, and Goal-Oriented
  • Collaborative1
  • Answers the question “Where am I going?,” “How am I going?,” and “Where to next?”2
  • Embedded in the learning so that it is an “enabler rather than an evaluator of learning”3
  • Diminish the personal risk involved in publicly or privately making a mistake3
  • Emphasis on metacognition4
  1. (Nelson, 2016)
  2. (Hattie & Timperley, 2016., pg. 86).
  3. (Heritage, 2011, pg. 18)
  4. (“Formative Assessment That Truly Informs Instruction, 2013)

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Making Learning Targets Transparent

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Metacognition: Tracking and Reflecting

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Embedding Peer and Teacher Feedback in Practice

You, We, Us, I Model of Practice1

  • Numerous, low states opportunities to practice
  • Increasing difficulty
  • Fosters collaboration
  1. (Nelson, 2016)

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Kahoot!

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Transparent learning targets gave students the tools they needed to move themselves forward.

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Clear Understanding of Learning Targets

Domain-Specific Vocab: 82% were able to match models with the proper step in the learning process.

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Notetaking: 60% were able to match models with the proper step in the learning process.

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Feedback

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“I thought the fact that we practiced was very helpful because it gave us a lot of opportunities to get it right.”

“It’s like we are playing a video game. We practice skills and then go up levels as we get better”

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Summative Assessment Results

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Successes

  • Most students understood the learning target/scale, even if they were not yet able to reach “proficient” or “advanced”
  • Feedback is not ending up in the recycling bin nearly as much
  • The culture in my class is slowly changing
    • Students are beginning to trust when I say practice is practice
    • Students now expect numerous opportunities for practice and call me out when I don’t give enough
    • Peer feedback is becoming more focused and less superficial

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Areas for Future Growth

  • More consistency with tracking and reflection
  • Making tracking and reflection more effective
  • Supporting students in giving more effective peer feedback

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