Favorite Feedback: Fact and FictionExploring the Disconnect between Students and Educators

Instructors work hard to give their students thoughtful feedback on their work. But how helpful do students find that feedback? A study of over 2,000 students and educators (September 2014) explores the disconnect between their views.

Provide the benefits of face-to-face feedback by considering new feedback formats like voice and audio

comments. These alternatives save time and overcome scheduling constraints. Talk to your students. Ask them

how theyd most like to see feedback.

TAKEAWAY

Students dont read the written or typed comments on their work.

Face-to-face feedback is eective for students.

FACT OR FICTION?

FACT OR FICTION?

Favorite Feedback: Fact and Fiction, September 2014

FICTION In fact, the majority of students surveyed find written or typed feedback veryor extremely eective, while a minority of educators surveyed thought that to be the case.

FACT 76% of students and educators view face-to-face as very or extremely eective.

FACT 29% of students receive face-to-face comments very or extremely often.

FACT The majority of both students and educators surveyed find face-to-face feedback as very or extremely eective. The challenge is that only about 30% report receiving that feedback.

FACT 70% of students find written or typed feedback very or extremely eective.

FACT 39% of educators find typed comments very or extremely eective, and 31% find written comments on paper very or extremely eective.

Reach out to your students to discover what type of suggestions for improvement might help them most. Establish

a collaborative dialogue where students can identify and receive optimal feedback from their instructors as well as

their peers.

TAKEAWAY

Students just want to be commended on their work.

(Average Score) (Average Score)

Types of Feedback by Eectiveness

Suggestions for Improvement

1 2 3 4 5

1 = Not Eective at All 5 = Extremely Eective

4.04

Specific Notes in Margins 3.99

Using Criteria or Rubrics 3.90

Use of Examples 3.90

General, Overall Comments 3.88

Showing Mistakes 3.88

Showing What I Did Right 3.88

Praise or Discouragement 3.62

Types of Feedback by Frequency

General, Overall Comments

1 2 3 4 5

1 = None at All 5 = Extremely Often

3.87

Using Criteria or Rubrics 3.73

Suggestions for Improvement 3.64

Showing Mistakes 3.58

Specific Notes in Margins 3.45

Showing What I Did Right 3.39

Praise or Discouragement 3.32

Use of Examples 3.06

FACT OR FICTION?

Favorite Feedback: Fact and Fiction, September 2014

FICTION Students report wanting constructive feedback on their work, identifying suggestions for improvement as most helpful. What they reported as

least eective is feedback limited to either praise or discouragement.

FACT Students ranked suggestions for improvement as the most helpful type of feedback (4.04), followed closely by specific notes written in the margins.

FACT Students ranked praise or discouragement as the least eective (3.62) type of feedback. They also report not receiving this type of feedback very often (3.32).

Drill down to what eective feedback means to your students. On the next page, youll find a quick and easy survey

that you can use to gauge feedback eectiveness in your classroom.

TAKEAWAY

Educators and students dont always agree in their perceptions of what constitutes eective feedback.

TYPES OF FEEDBACK EDUCATOR STUDENTS GAP

General, Overall Comments 33.66% 66.99% 33.33%

Specific Notes in Margins 46.81% 73.40% 26.59%

Showing Mistakes 44.44% 68.96% 24.52%

Showing What I Did Right 47.87% 68.16% 20.29%

Suggestions for Improvement 59.22% 76.04% 16.82%

Using Criteria or Rubrics 52.43% 68.67% 16.24%

Use of Examples 65.59% 69.14% 3.55%

Praise or Discouragement 53.47% 56.92% 3.45%

FACT Even though 67% of students say general, overall comments about the paper are very or extremely eective, only 33% of educators view general, overall comments about the paper as very or extremely eective.

FACT Both educators and students agreed on the eectiveness of feedback that uses examples and feedback that uses praise or discouragement. The greatest dierence occurs with general, overall comments about the paper and specific notes written in the margins.

FACT OR FICTION?

Favorite Feedback: Fact and Fiction, September 2014

Eective Feedback: The Numbers

FACT There was a wide gap in perceived eectiveness in six of the eight categories that were surveyed.

(% indicate respondents reporting feedback to be very or extremely eective)

Favorite Feedback: Fact and Fiction, September 2014

Feedback Survey

1. What makes feedback eective?(Rate eectiveness from 1 to 5. 1 = does not eective 5 = makes extremely eective)

Feedback that engages me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Encourages me to revise more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Gets me to think harder about my task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Shows me how to give feedback to myself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Tells me the exact changes I need to make . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Personally praises or criticizes me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

2. How often do you expect the feedback you receive to lead to the following results?(Rate importance from 1 to 5. 1 = never expect 5 = always expect)

It will help me save time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

It helps me receive good grades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

I will now know how to avoid mistakes in the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

I will have a better understanding of what makes for high quality work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

I will better know how to give feedback to myself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

I will be motivated to learn more about the subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

3. How often have the following made it more dicult for you to understand feedback?(Rate frequency from 1 to 5. 1 = never 5 = always)

Comments that used terms or vocabulary I didn't know. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Comments that referred to concepts or facts I didn't know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Handwriting that was not legible. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

The relevance of comments to my work or assignment goals was unclear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Feedback that was too general . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Too many comments that made it hard to know which were the most important . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

General language barriers (My native language was not the same as my teacher's) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

4. How often have you thought of the following as good sources of feedback?(Rate frequency from 1 to 5. 1 = not important 5 = very important)

Myself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Peers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Results from a Computer Program (e.g., CAD, Virtual Lab, Word Grammar Checker, Code Compiler) . . 1 2 3 4 5

Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

Instructor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5

5. Do you have any further comments on instructor feedback?

Name