Provide Instant Feedback!

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

One of the things I recommend to new teachers is to provide students with a timely, meaningful feedback about their progress. Providing instant feedback is an important step in student learning which helps them understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Many teachers see this as a time consuming or daunting process but in reality it saves a ton of time in reality. In this article, I have compiled a list of ways teachers can offer instant feedback to their students:

Immediate Verbal Feedback 

Teachers should seek out for opportunities during class discussions or activities to provide verbal feedback for the individual students or the entire class. While giving individual feedback, think about student privacy and respect their personalities. As much as you can, use praise and constructive criticism to highlight what was done well and what needs to be improved. 

Quick Written Feedback 

Since verbal feedback can be a little tricky, consider written feedback where it's appropriate. You may use sticky notes or quick written comments on assignments or assessments to provide that feedback in a confidential way. Teachers can also create their feedback language which can be acronyms or shortened comments but the students know its meaning. 

Technology-Based Feedback 

Now that we have technology all around us, utilize educational applications or tools that allows instant feedback. Many online platforms offer auto scoring and feedback on quizzes or assignments. If the students are sharing documents, adding immediate comments to their work can also be considered as instant feedback. Becoming familiar with a learning management system (LMS) with features like comment sections will come in handy. 

Peer Feedback 

It's widely known that the students learn a lot from each other. Seeing this as an opportunity, teachers can  implement peer review sessions where students provide feedback to each other immediately after completing an activity or assignment. While doing this, teachers need to be actively monitoring student interactions and there needs to be clear guidelines to ensure constructive and helpful feedback is happening.

Response Systems 

Although it's a bit of an old technology, teachers can use clickers or other response systems to gauge student understanding during a lesson. This allows for real-time assessment and adjustment of teaching strategies. Many students now have at least a device with them and there are online tools to allow students submit work in real time. Online platforms, such as Kahoot, Gimlet or Quizizz can be used for interactive and engaging activities for immediate feedback.

In-Class Discussions 

Another great way to provide feedback is through meaningful and engaging class discussions. You need to create a safe and supportive environment where students can express their thoughts and opinions without any judgement. As students share their ideas, look out for opportunities to provide feedback and guide students in refining their ideas.

Exit Tickets 

I always tell teachers there needs to be an end goal in every lesson. Implement exit tickets at the end of a lesson or creating a mini quiz will serve that purpose. Through an exit ticket, you can ask students to summarize key concepts that they learned in that class. Using quizzes as a way to measure student understanding will provide a valuable insight to any teacher. After collecting them, you can review those exit tickets quickly to gauge overall comprehension. If there is even time left, you can address some of the misconceptions without waiting for the next class. 

There are many ways to provide feedback to students during daily instruction. Some of these ideas could be built into a lesson plan but some others could be implemented on the spot. Always look out for opportunities to provide students with meaningful and immediate feedback. Also remember, the key is to be timely, specific, and constructive in your feedback. Providing instant feedback does not only enhances learning but also fosters a supportive and engaged classroom environment.

This article is written by a real human being with the help of artificial intelligence.