Pedagogy and Practice
The Importance of Effective Feedback
Feedback is the mechanism through which learning occurs. Without feedback, learning can not occur. When effective feedback is received, learning is enhanced. It is the role of the teacher to ensure effective feedback is received by each of their students as this manifests in improved learning gain.
Michael McDowell is a leading thinker in terms of contemporary pedagogy. In his work, Facilitating Deeper Learning for Middle and High School Students, he explains how teachers can foster deeper learning by providing careful feedback, assigning comparison tasks, and encouraging robust class discussions. His ideas are outlined below.
Deep learning is where students make connections between facts and procedures and develop enduring understandings and essential principles within a discipline. In other words, deep learning is where students understand the “why” behind what they are learning. For instance, students understand that the human body self-regulates its temperature, that correlation does not imply causation, and that scarcity is a general tenet of economics.
Most, if not all, standards require deep learning to master. But the challenge is, if we are not careful, we can skip deep learning and have very poor transfer-level results. The question is, which path do we take in the future?
A. Shallow transfer. Students learn surface-level knowledge and apply those facts and procedures within and across contexts.
B. Deep transfer. Students apply principles and conceptual understandings from a discipline within and across contexts.
Shallow transfer happens when we value each level differently and aim squarely at getting to transfer as fast as possible. We hear the term “gradual release of responsibility” as a means for relinquishing control of the learning and positioning students with the weight of responsibility as quickly as possible. As a result, we “skip the deep,” which results in shallow transfer. When we skip the deep, we omit the possibility of teaching through the standard and ensuring rigorous learning. To ensure deep learning, we need to invest in a set of strategies that ensures that collaboration occurs. We need strategies that enable teachers and students to co-construct an understanding of the core principles of a discipline; evaluate and reflect on work samples, opinions, and perspectives; and give and receive feedback.
Teachers can access three feedback strategies to ensure deeper learning occurs.
Strategy 1: Default with approximate feedback. Deep learning is the epicentre of the “we do” mentality. Feedback is one of those places where teachers should make sure there is balance in effort by students and teachers.
Strategy 2: Leverage comparisons in tasks. Transition students’ surface learning to deep learning by making routine comparisons in their maths and writing assignments.
Strategy 3: Engage in collaborative interval training. To build students’ deep learning in conversations, consider engaging in multiple, short discussions.
Mr Paul Haras
Leader of Pedagogy and Practice