April 20, 2023 | Dan Weidman
Providing Student Feedback Might be Even More Powerful Than You Think
My 8th-grade English papers were always returned covered with red and green ink. At first, Mr. Sword’s comments scared me. I was an ‘A’ student with an oversized adolescent ego. In other words, it was definitely difficult to read and accept any critique of my writing. However, over time I began to look forward to it. His feedback compelled me to reconsider and contemplate my work. His praises inspired, and his critical analysis forced me to reflect on myself. Yes, I was a decent pupil, but I had, and still always will, have more to learn.
Many of us may also remember teachers who provided influential feedback on our work. It helped us grow, but also showed us that they cared about us as students. And while there’s lots of information about how to provide purposeful and relevant feedback, it’s just as important to remember the power an insightful comment can have. Whether it’s an inspiring improvement or building meaningful relationships, a few words or even a ‘like’ can profoundly affect a student.
Research also proves this point, showing us that our intuitions and personal experiences about the importance of feedback are in fact validated by scientific evidence. Below are three important reminders of why we should continue to prioritize giving feedback on student work as educational professionals.
1. Feedback drastically improves student learning.
According to a University of Auckland study, providing feedback can increase student learning by 40-50% depending on the quality of the feedback given. Just think, by reviewing and responding to student work you could almost double their unit takeaways.
2. Feedback augments student motivation
Even if students are able to learn, are they motivated to do the work? A study of 2534 students from 6th to 12th grade found that academic engagement remarkably improved when teachers provided feedback. In other words, when students feel teachers care about their work they tend to take on more initiatives to actually engage.
3. Feedback helps students achieve personal goals
There is no better feeling than accomplishing something you’ve set out to do. Providing feedback can aid this process. Two independent academic studies revealed that students were more likely to achieve personal bests or accomplish goals when provided with teacher praise and feedback along the way. A like or a quick comment might be the stimulus to keep kids back on track to their objective!
Knowing the significance of feedback in improving student performance, motivation, and achieving goals our Team at Find Your Grind has introduced a new and important feature. Now, not only can you review your student’s notebooks, but you can now quickly and easily provide feedback on their writing. The available responses are pre-populated to allow teachers to react in a timely manner.
In turn, students are then alerted by a notification on their side that their teacher has left a comment. We built this feature based on direct teacher feedback. Teachers shared how they’re constantly pressed for time, but still want to engage with their student’s work. Hence, why we came up with this easy-to-implement, yet powerful formula. This salient update shows how engaged our team is to continue improving our program to align with educational best practices and that we take your feedback to heart!
We hope that our new feedback feature will help your students engage more deeply with our exciting curriculum and ultimately achieve their ultimate goal of finding the lifestyle they want to live.
