I remember when my mother put in front of us the dish she had prepared for dinner. She asked us then: "And then, is it good? ". Ok, I was young and I knew I had to say it was DELICIOUS. At the time, I was not equipped to make a decent feedback. It makes me smile to think of what I would say as an adult. Do not misunderstand me, my mother was an EXCELLENT cook. My answer today would be more nuanced, more precise.
Whether it's learning to ski, learning to cook, teaching in class, or even knowing the opinions of our loved ones about our skills, the best lever to improve and learn is the feedback.
[image credits: Pixabay]
Today, I teach elementary school. Feedback is part of my daily life because it is the intervention that I favor to accompany my students in their learning, to get them to improve. Also, let me sketch out the outline.
What is feedback?
It is the information transmitted between the teacher and the learner, which aims to improve and develop a skill. The intention is also to reduce the gap between the initial situation and the desired situation. It is therefore an important lever of learning.
Giving feedback also implies that a bond of trust is established between the learner and the teacher. This bond of trust is essential to the triggering of the learner's analysis process, which will then show more listening during the explanations and will more easily make a search for meaning. The learner's ability to receive feedback and the trainer's ability to provide feedback are two essential elements in the learning process. The way the feedback is presented is as important as the information itself.
For feedback to be effective, four basic principles must also be considered:
- It must be specific: The trainer must have in mind the objective to achieve and break down the steps to access it. It must be selective: In order to avoid information overload, it is important that the feedback be brief and precise.
- It must be constructive: The learner must be convinced that he / she has the skills to improve, so the trainer will make sure that each step is attainable for him / her.
- The trainer should be open to discussion: The trainer should use a positive and neutral tone, encourage the learner and do not hesitate to discuss and clarify misunderstandings. It is sometimes difficult to receive feedback and the trainer must take this into account by adopting an open and reassuring attitude.
In conclusion, educational research seems to show that feedback is one of the most effective factors for student success, as mentioned by John Hattie in the Visible Learning meta-analysis. However, we must be aware that it is important that this feedback be done in the right way to be beneficial, as I mentioned earlier in this article.
It is always a pleasure to share with you my interest in educational success!
Greenvago
References
John Hattie. Meta-analysis. Visible learning. https://visible-learning.org/fr/
How to give effective feedback to students (2016) http://www.profweb.ca/publications/articles/comment-donner-une-retroaction-efficace-aux-etudiants