More useful feedback?

Mary TapiaLOTE Summit June 7, 2012

Basic questions

I. What is “feedback?”II. Why did I choose this topic?III. How important is feedback to the learning

process?IV. Can we make feedback more useful?V. How can we work together on this issue?

What is feedback?

Dictionary definitions of “feedback”• 1) the return of information about the result

of a process or activity• 2) an evaluative response

Examples of feedbackHow many can you think of?

Grades• A number grade on a scale of 1-4, 1-5, 1-20,

etc.• Percentage• Percentile• A letter grade

Examples of feedback, cont.

• Red mark on paper

• Mark to draw attention such as circle, underline, color, etc

Physical response• Smile• Frown• Laugh

Examples of feedback, cont.

Immediate Oral response• Great• Are you stupid?• Think about that…

Recorded oral response• Audio• Video• Phone message

Categories of feedback

• Information / evaluative• Positive / negative• Oral/ written/ physical• Immediate / delayed• Formal/ informal

II. Why did I choose this topic?

I spend a lot of time giving feedback to my students, but they still make lots of mistakes.

What kind of feedback do you give most often to your students?

How much time do you spend giving delayed written feedback?

What is the most unusual place you have ever graded papers?

Places where teachers grade papers

• Where do you most often grade papers?• Can you guess where I have graded papers? • What is the most unusual place you have

graded papers?

III. How important is feedback to the learning process?

“The role of feedback has a place in most theories of second language (L2) learning and language pedagogy. In both behaviorist and cognitive theories of L2 learning, feedback is seen as contributing to language learning. In both structural and communicative approaches to language teaching, feedback is viewed as a means of fostering learner motivation and ensuring linguistic accuracy. “

L2 Journal, Volume 1 (2009), pp. 3-18http://repositories.cdlib.org/uccllt/l2/vol1/iss1/art2Corrective Feedback and Teacher DevelopmentROD ELLIS

“The role of corrective feedback (CF) in second language (L2) learning has received much attention in the literature, but it is still unclear whether CF is effective. (Sorace, 1985; Hulstijn, 2007).”

Adaptive corrective feedback in second language learning. Bart Penning de Vries, Catia Cucchiarini, Roeland van Hout, Helmer StrikITEC 2010

www.ccsenet.org/ijel International Journal of English Linguistics Vol. 1, No. 1;

March 2011

IV. Can we make feedback more useful?

Let’s step back from the formal research and focus on personal observations and common sense.

Think about how you get feedback about how fast you are driving

• Speeding ticket• Speed limit sign• Flashing warning sign

Which is more useful? Why?

Factors that seem to influence effectiveness of feedback

• Not just a grade or an X• Quality of the feedback• Frequency• Mode of delivery• Timing• Consistency• Reflection• Source

General strategies I have implemented to improve feedback

to my own students

• Let tools like Quia and Descubre supersite give right/ wrong answers

• Don’t feel bad if some errors go uncorrected in group work

• Create tasks with multiple steps

More strategies…

• Make tasks real Imbeds feedback into work

• Create tasks with multiple stepsPublishing final version of work on wiki, LMS, etc

• Get feedback from sources other than teacherPeersNative speakers

More strategies…

• Create class time for teacher to meet individually with students on a regular basis

Group workLab timeSpecial appointments

• Use digital media whenever possibleSave treesEasy to save and shareFun!

Examples of different types of feedback that I have tried

• Use of color on essays/ written workPink and blue for genderYellow for minor mistakes such as spelling or

accentsOrange or insert comment for avoidable mistake

or correction

Students create script of oral presentation

• Students use color to evaluate own workUse yellow for one source/ blue for other sourceUse green for synthesis

• AdvantagesRecording is always audibleStudents reflect on own workTeacher grading time is greatly reducedDigital copies available for later use

Use recorded feedback on oral work

• Resources from textbook such as Voiceboard function (Descubre series)

• Eyejot • Voicethread comment function• Fotobabble• Language lab• Audacity• I-phone• Handheld digital recorders

Digital portfolio

• Have parents view/ review work• Have peers review• Have student reflect on progress over the year• Save for next year’s teacher

Students create visual representation of reading

• Voicethread document combines images and audio

• Students act out skit of reading

• Examples from Spanish II HonorsEl trucoPapá ha muerto?Un mundo fantásticoLa bailarina

Is this rubric sufficient to give feedback for this assignment?

More examples of student work

• Home made movie “trailer”Examples from AP Spanish Language

Casa de muñecasCiudad o campo?El cuarto (primera versión)El cuarto (otra versión)

How would you rate these documents using this rubric?

Immediate written feedback

• Give feedback on writing assignments while students write in class

• Especially effective in lab or when students are working on computers

Students write answers to textbook exercises on board

• Class critiques each piece• Peers can offer suggestions in different color• Teacher circles problem areas

Corrective feedback on written work• Use “footnote” style feedback on written work• Helps students to classify errors and identify patterns• Use “Insert Comment” function in Word on digital

essays• Use shortcuts/ abbreviations to give repetitive

feedback• Keep copy of suggestions for future reference or digital

portfolio• Encrypt Word document• Classify certain written errors as avoidable

Multiple steps for a task

• Multiple drafts to prove incorporation of feedback

• Write script, get feedback, perform scriptSubmit “Chat” version before performing skit

Peer correction with specific criteria

• Gender• Noun/ adjective agreement• Subject/verb agreement• Comprehensibility

Miscelaneous…

• Students submit notes and reflections on peers’ presentations

• Use play money as reward or punishment for using target language

• Rephrasing of mistakes in response to an email

• Use rubric and refer to it in feedback

Discovering and avoiding patterns of mistakes

• Students look for patterns of mistakes, make list of mistakes to avoid in future, write list of top 3 at top of page of future paper

• Write corrections for several tests on a single sheet of paper and categorize mistakes as review for final exam

Goals for future

• Resist temptation to correct each and every mistake/ pick my battles

• Continue to explore new technological tools to give feedback

• Collaborate more with other classes within my school

• Use Skype to collaborate with other schools and native speakers

V. How can we work together on this issue in the future?

• ACTFL wiki: ACTFL Skills for 21st century• ACTFL blog: community.actfl.org• My wiki:

http://www.usefulfeedback.wikispaces.com