Feedback.ppt

Feedback - supportive messages from the co-driver of the engine of learning Please jot down now Perhaps half a dozen words or phrases which describe features of effective, and welcomed, feedback to students Feedback What matters? A few anecdotes, summed up in Four suggestions Sorry, I’m not Judith George, So……. I can’t work to her clever title You’re going to have to listen to a harsh, nasal Glaswegian voice, rather than a gentle, cultured one Sorry, I’m not Phil Race, so We won’t be using postits We won’t have full group activity I don’t have a scholarly input to make I haven’t written dozens of books on HE I’m just John Cowan, and I’m restricted in what I can do My closest friends have been frank with me, about what I can and cannot do Seemingly I can tell wee stories - and I can only tell wee stories So here are my wee stories for today which, for me, have morals about feedback Moral tale No 1: The sad fireman from Newton Stewart Alan’s feedback need was: To be told, and to believe, how well he was doing Learners need benchmarking To establish if they are finding things difficult because they are doing badly, or because these topics are just plain difficult To establish how well they are doing, relative to the norm Moral tale No 2: The postmistress in Carradale East Edith’s feedback need was: Help with the real problem, and not with the apparent problem Moral tale No 3: The telling pen-portrait “His face-to-face feedback is great…….. ……. We just wish we could read his handwriting!” The class’s need was Feedback that they could decipher Moral tale No 4: The smallest OU study centre in Scotland Fiona’s need was That kindliness which overcomes the many worries which most learners have about needing help Moral tale No 5: The couple who were the academic equivalent of Jack Sprat and his wife Their needs were To know why that was good To know why that was weak Moral tale No 6: The woman with a success story to tell Leigh’s need was Someone, whose judgement she