Introduction

Each of us has had the experience of getting a major paper or test back with a grade: "A"/ "C." If you're like me what followed was a hopeful scan of the paper, looking for a word, a stray mark, a question—anything that would indicate what was right, what was wrong, what we might do better. Each learner has the same need; each teacher has the need as well—some response, a signal of connection. Giving prompt feedback is a key to the learning process.

More formally, feedback is responsive communication (verbal or non-verbal) showing a reaction—"teaching" through the learner's own work. Feedback can come from teachers, peers, the self, or relevant professionals outside the teaching-learning relationship. Active learning requires not only prompt but also specific, challenging, catalyzing feedback. Without it the learner is most likely to recycle past achievements and errors rather than create new insight, ability and competence.

Early on, some argued that online learning would limit the possibilities for providing feedback with technology as a barrier. Actually, technology has created new opportunities for online and face-to-face teachers alike to facilitate and participate in the learning process itself. Here are some ways I have used technology to give feedback: 1) scheduling "live" one-on-one time via email or chat; 2) reviewing and commenting upon papers and projects in draft before submission; 3) "chat" rooms or discussion databases for student feedback to each other; 4) referral to sources through hotlinks; 5) networking with professionals who are actually doing what the learner is trying to do.

Major theory related to the notion of "pure" feedback is being developed in the field of Interpersonal Communication. If you are new to the study of communication, this article provides a broad, general overview of the context in which we view feedback. For an excellent overview of the characteristics of feedback in online assessment, see Nicol , D. J. & Milligan, C. (2006), Rethinking technology-supported assessment in terms of the seven principles of good feedback practice. In C. Bryan and K. Clegg (Eds), Innovative Assessment in Higher Education, Taylor and Francis Group Ltd, London. Specifically relevant to our work here is the article which does appear online. "Rethinking technology-supported assessment practices in relation to the seven principles of good feedback practice"

An outstanding and comprehensive article provided by the United Kingdom's Higher Education Academy, titled “ Enhancing student learning through effective formative feedback” is well worth reviewing, as it represents years of collective experience in British online education.

Perhaps the most unique application of the feedback described here is "tutoring," as practiced in Problem-Based Learning and in the major universities of Europe. A key American thinker on the subject is Howard Barrows (The tutorial process. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield IL. 1988.)

Relevance

After 37 years of teaching, I find that the best results come not from a power relationship but a collaboration between teacher and learner—both focused on the student's achievement. This collaboration is based upon the creative tension among learning goals and expectations, teaching/learning process, learner performance, mutual assessment and careful reflection. The tool for blending these elements into "learning," is feedback.

Resources

• A very helpful resource for elearning is the Work-Learning Research. Spend some time exploring this site for its many relevant components.
• A case study overview of the collaborative/facilitative use of feedback in learning is provided by Cindy Hmelo-Silver in a case study called "Facilitating Collaborative Knowledge Construction" (2003, PDF).
• The University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching publishes an extended list of individual faculty members actually using technology to create collaborative, interactive learning environments online.

Statistics and Research

Relatively little specific research has been done about online interaction and feedback. A few key researchers look at teacher-learner interaction for the sake of learning. J.B. Arbaugh (2001) in "How Instructor Immediacy Behaviors Affect Student Satisfaction and Learning" has found that students both value and demonstrate stronger learning outcomes when "Instructor Immediacy" (strategies the teacher uses to demonstrate his or her presence to the learner), is high.

• Brain dominance appears to impact the learner's preference for feedback approach as reported by Shieland Violantiin "The Role of Brain Dominance in the Communication Feedback Process"
• Students believe they learn more and are more satisfied with that learning experience in a highly interactive online environment, writes Arbaugh, J.B. (2000) in "How Classroom Environment and Student Engagement Affect Learning in Internet-Based MBA Courses,"Business Communication Quarterly, 63 (December) 9-26.
• Lin Chai, in her article, "To Have or Have Not: An Examination of Feedback, Learner Control and Knowledge Type on Online Learning" (PDF) finds a unique relationship between the nature of the learning required and the effectiveness of feedback.
• Chiviacowsky S, Wulf G (2002) reports the results of a study in which learners could request feedback when they wanted it. They conclude that self-requested feedback leads to better learning (from www.accelerated-learning- online.com).
• Harvard University is the site of an ongoing project to study student self-feedback, as it is associated with rubrics. Early findings suggest that students learn a great deal from comparing their own assignments with the professor's rubric.

Student Voices

I sent a quick email to a few of my former students in the Ohio University MBA Program. You will find first that they know exactly what is meant by feedback because it was such an integral part of the learning process. Second, many of them speak most highly of feedback most when it came from professional practitioners.

Here are a few responses:

• "The feedback provided by professional groups offers real-world views and judgments that students need to hear. Feedback, in my opinion, is a critical element to the overall process of learning and improvement. As a professional consultant, I rely on timely feedback for almost everything that I'm involved with to learn status, direction and even failure. You are traveling a blind path without appropriate feedback. Feedback to learning, is like cash flow to business!" (Tim Martin, MBA, President, Martin Consulting)

• "The feedback I received from peers, faculty, and outside guests at the WB was important to me for several reasons: First, it came from a group that was completely removed from my day-to-day work and home environment.  That provided a fresh perspective and removed the organizational or emotional ties that can inhibit truly constructive feedback (or the ability to hear it). Second, it came in an environment where experimentation and "stretch" were encouraged, and where "failure" really meant you weren't trying something new. As such, the feedback helped to reinforce new skills and learning. Third, it came in a variety of forms. Some of it was "in your face" ---good and bad. Some of it [peer feedback] was anonymous. Some of it was verbal, some written....Fourth, it was almost always immediate, so I could reflect and act on it in real time. Finally, it was important to me because I knew it came from people who were connected to me, and whose opinions I valued. That made the positive feedback even sweeter, and the negative feedback easier to hear" (Mike Johnston, MBA '02, Chief Technology Officer, Cumming Engine).

• "Reading responses [online] from the team, staff and our own responses was a good part of the learning process....Our responses (to each other) were key because they held us accountable and maintained our daily focus.... I would [recommend a] 2 week cycle. External feedback from reviewers was very effective because it provided a real world non-biased approach. This challenges the team to implement all their skills and be successful in a real world setting. It held us accountable" (Tony Danta , MBA '01, Senior Regional Account Manager, Novartis Pharmaceuticals).

• In the two years working in WB I have to say that the best feedback I received was from Darien... because he engaged us, challenged us, brought us to seemingly unrelated matters that when we put it all together brought us to realizations from different angles and points of view....In other words he was very careful not to spoon feed information to the students but it was obvious that he carefully listened to our questions, read our Learning Points [MBAWB talk for structure reflection], reviewed our projects and seemed to be able to tell whether our outputs were just opinions or well researched thought processes. His feedback came back to us in many forms, questions, requested readings, follow up statements and questions, sometimes three and four times. His feedback was not used to provide answers as much as they were used to keep us from using blinders to thinking that there was ONE right answer. Primarily, the value of Darien 's feedback was not so much in the quantity of his involvement, but in the quality of his responses. It was obvious he read and contemplated our work. Feedback, whether positive or negative, must give the recipient the impetus to go to the next step or to back up a step to re-evaluate. (James Mazzocca , Chief Engineer, Consol Energy, MBA '03)

• I so enjoyed when guests came in and offered comments on their area of expertise as well as their take on global business principles. That was rich!!... On the occasion that I heard from a classmate, I found the comments to be both remarkable and profound, regardless to whether they agreed or disagreed with me. I enjoyed being challenged: it forced me to not just say things, but have a basis of facts (learning).... The feedback that I might receive from a banker may be very different than that from an engineer or educator, but that was a part of the unique, diverse and rich learning environment that was proposed with OUMBAWB. ... It is my contention that the level of and feedback about diverse perspectives is at the very core of this learning model. (Reginald Gooden, Project Manager, Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, MBA '03)

Principle in Practice

I believe that providing feedback means some form of electronic "talking" with the learner while he or she is working to learn as well as providing strong, targeted information about the final product of the learning—whether it is a test, a paper, a presentation or a project of some kind. Here are some ways this can be done:

• Since one goal is to target key learning items and to provide meaningful learning moments perhaps the most powerful tool is the "why" question—"why did you decide to…" "Have you considered…" "Are there other ways to…"

• Student might submit drafts of work for comment.

• One can offer a "rubric" which lays out for the learner those elements perceived to be important and which will, ultimately, be evaluated. I do this in my classes-both face-to-face and online- and I find they greatly reduce the stress of justifying a poor grade since the student had before him or her the standards by which they would be evaluated. Here is an example rubric template from San Diego's Triton project. Here is another example rubric template from Midlink sponsored by NC State University and the University of Central Florida. You can have some fun with a "rubric generator" from Teach-nology.
  

• The "one minute paper" is a powerful focal point for dialogue between teacher and learner. Asked to perform a task quickly in writing, the student will clearly communicate what he or she understands (and doesn't) and the teacher can make the "teaching moment" happen. More about the one minute paper from the University of Virginia.

Resources

• A basic guide to giving feedback as adapted from the Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision.

• In her research study titled “Distinctive qualities of expert teachers,” Amy Tsui found that one of the key characteristics of expert teachers is “their ability to engage in reflection and conscious deliberation.” A useful tool for any faculty member attempting to provide self-feedback is this List of Questions from Harvard's Learnweb.

• Do Not Miss This One : Perhaps the most powerful self-assessment tool I have ever seen for educators committed to collaborative, action-oriented learning is "Learning With Technology Profile" provided by the North Central Regional Education Laboratory. The site provides an interactive framework and will generate a profile instantaneously.

• Specific to facilitating on-line work, here is a checklist of essential facilitator qualities and skills posted by Full Circle Associates.

• Assessments Through the Learning Process, by Eric Shepherd and Janet Godwin: This paper explores how instructors and organizations can use assessments as feedback to improve the learning process.

While learners—especially experienced learners—have usually developed coping strategies to deal with teachers whose approach is one of "take it or leave it," research has shown that interaction during the learning process makes a difference. Some would argue that our work as educators is to foster independence and that the only feedback necessary is a final grade. The grade communicates everything. Students clearly tell us that—without timely, focused feedback, however, the final grade means little except a shift in the GPA.

For More Information

"Good Teaching: one size fits all?" by Daniel D. Pratt (PDF) is a well-reasoned overview of alternative approaches to teaching. Pratt offers insight into the pros and cons of five different ways in which people think about the teaching/learning process. It also argues persuasively for the relative merits of each approach.

"Learning and Transfer of Learning with No Feedback" by Roberto A. Weber (PDF) reports an economic game-based study in which learning clearly happened despite the absence of feedback. The author thoughtfully explores the conditions under which learners can and do learn without specific teacher response.

Assessing the Benefits

In my experience, "feedback on feedback" is fairly easy to obtain. Truly engaged learners understand the process as a collaborative one and are quite willing to help the teacher grow as well. The first, most obvious way of seeing the results of one's feedback is to ask. Simply, at reasonable intervals during the term, ask learners to advise regarding the usefulness of any tool: one minute papers, rubrics, editorial interventions, etc. Focus on the new approaches you are trying with targeted questions. You will be surprised at the helpfulness of results.

Resources

• Peer faculty dialogue is a helpful way of soliciting eedback on your own performance. Asking a colleague to visit your learning site and observe your work is a legitimate and occasionally surprising source of insight.

• "Journaling" has been shown to positively affect professional development. By keeping a personal journal of challenging, interesting or "stumping" feedback situations and experiences, the teacher can keep track of personal development over time.

• You can use a blank screen, piece of paper or a blog to record your thoughts. A good example of how blogging offers self-reflection is “All Teachers are Learners—All Learners are Teachers.” The value in blogging lies in the fact that you are open to web visitors who can provide third party insight to your own self-perception.

• The Work-Learning website we have noted earlier has a fascinating (free) interactive quiz and feedback services for elearning professionals.

• A more formal way to focus on feedback's impact is to run two classes differently. Then measure the results in terms of changes in student behavior, grade results or satisfaction. Any resource which guides the development of student feedback forms would be helpful here

• In addition to traditional methods of retrieving student feedback, a powerful tool, uniquely accessible to both faculty and student online, is the electronic portfolio.

Looking Ahead

Technical advancements for the exchange of feedback between faculty and students are multiplying. In 1989 at The Interactive Learning Federation (ILF) conference in Glasgow, Chaveau in his paper On the Electronic University of the Future envisions the use of networks which would link universities throughout the world and enable them to share resources (e.g. libraries), and thus become "borderless universities" where students will use networks for learning process from a distance. The same capacity will be available for obtaining feedback from non-faculty. Imagine, for example, the possibility of a student reading evaluative comments on his or her presentation from the president of the company reported about!

For those interested in existing advanced technical resources for instructor-learning interaction, the which allows immediate interaction between faculty and learner during online "lectures."

"Intelligent Learning Systems" are machine-based, highly interactive, artificially intelligent programs which provide both learning and instantaneous feedback for users. As this technology advances, learning materials and various media delivery systems will be able to assess and target the individual learner's most effective learning approaches.

The Interactive Learning Federation defines interactive learning as "learner-centered learning using a multimedia approach." It appears, however to have become a catch-all term for both software products and technical systems which facilitate the exchange of feedback between faculty and students. Instantaneous feedback, for example, can be obtained through a device in the hands of students in a classroom. The technology that supports this could easily become available for online instructional interactivity.

The Ohio Learning Network would like to thank Content Specialist Valerie S. Perotti for thoughtfully gathering and organizing the content about this Principle.