Feedback is action taken by an external agent (instructor, peer, audience...etc.) to provide information regarding some aspect of one's performance on a task. John Hattie, a University of Melbourne education professor, has done extensive research that shows feedback has one of the biggest impacts on learning. This is because it sits at the intersection of two of our basic needs: our drive to learn, and our longing for acceptance/acknowledgement. 

But not all feedback is considered equal. Not all of it improves outcomes. And certainly, not all of it is read by our students. 

The most important part of feedback is that it should be forward-looking rather than backward-looking. In other words, the purpose of feedback should be to improve the work on tasks that students have not yet attempted. This means that feedback (received in the form of descriptive commentary, peer assessment, coaching, or formative practice) should be provided prior to a heavily-weighted, high-stakes assessment task. 

Another important consideration is what kind of feedback your students receive. Imagine this scenario: You are taking a class on typing. Remember those? Here are some examples of feedback you might receive:

Feedback can be categorized as appreciative (in the form of encouragement and acknowledgement), evaluative (scored or labeled), or coaching (providing specific instruction to improve future performance). All are helpful for different reasons, but coaching feedback sprinkled with a little appreciative feedback is the most effective for improving performance. 

Feedback doesn't just have to come from the instructor. It can be implicit in the task (e.g. in games or when students receive a score), it can come from peers, audiences, and other experts. Or, it can be metacognitive, through reflection and self-evaluation.  

STOP & THINK: What kind of feedback do you most often provide students? Are you the only source of feedback? 

There are six possible responses to feedback by the student or receiver (adapted from Kluger & DeNisi, 1996):

Only two of these lead to positive outcomes, so how to ensure you avoid the other four?

STOP & THINK: How can you can design for feedback in your next course?