Using feedback effectively

Effective and timely feedback is an important component of the academic journey for all students. Feedback is used not only to inform students about their progress, but also to give guidance for techniques in developing their knowledge and skills. Feedback comes in many forms, including ongoing verbal and written feedback in the classroom, and after the submission of formal and informal tasks.

There may be instances when students receive a result and the feedback given is disappointing for them. Girls may have worked very hard on a task and feel they have met all the requirements satisfactorily, but then receive a different result to what they had expected. These are the best opportunities for learning, since learning to deal with disappointment is a necessary skill for students to develop. Looking past a mark on the page to understand and apply the feedback will enhance a student’s capabilities in the future.

If your daughter comes home with a disappointing result in an assessment, it is important to acknowledge her disappointment. It is a good motivator for the future and will assist her in identifying the importance of completing set tasks in class and regularly completing homework. Learning to look past this result and using the process as a learning tool will be the best practice for your daughter.

While outstanding results in all assessment tasks is the desire, the learning opportunities that come from accepting constructive feedback are critical to the learning journey.

I encourage all students to focus on the feedback rather than the mark when assessment tasks are returned. Once they have had an opportunity to digest the feedback, re-attempting the task, or portions of the task, will enable them to make the most improvement.

Remember, learning is a journey, and all progress should be recognised and celebrated.