Category: cognitive science

• How to give effective feedback

  “To be effective, feedback needs to be clear, purposeful, meaningful and compatible with students’ prior knowledge, and to provide logical connections.”

  John Hattie (2009)

  We are constantly giving feedback to our students. We give written feedback, oral feedback, whole-class feedback, or one-on-one feedback. But what makes feedback effective? How can we ensure that the feedback we give to students is worthwhile?

  Effective feedback should:

  • Focus on what students are supposed to learn and how they should do it.
  • Occur while students are learning and trying out new things.
  • Be clear about whether and how students have met the criteria for success.
  • Explain why they did well or what they can do better.

  There are two main types of feedback: Evaluative Feedback and Descriptive Feedback.

  Evaluative Feedback
  Involves a judgement made by the teacher.

  Approval: “You’ve done a great job on solving these equations.”
  Disapproval: “You haven’t shown enough working.”
  Rewards: Handing out gold stars, stickers, or merit tokens.
  Punishment: “Do it again.”

  Descriptive Feedback
  Focuses on one learning outcome and makes a specific reference to the student progress or achievement, looking toward improvement.
  
  “That is a good starting point for your investigation because it covers all the main points for an introduction. Now what could
  you expand on?”

  Providing feedback that evaluates performance (Evaluative Feedback) can shape how students see themselves. While it can enhance confidence in high-achieving students, it may make struggling students feel success is unattainable.

  The way we offer suggestions for improvement through feedback plays a crucial role in narrowing the gap for students. The likelihood of improvement increases when we use feedback prompts that align with the specific needs of the student.

  It’s important to keep in mind that any feedback should revolve around the learning goal of the task the student is currently working on. Descriptive Feedback has been proven time and time again to be most effective.

  HOW TO USE DESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK
  Here is an example of how to use descriptive feedback in the classroom. In this example, the student has just learned how to find the area of a triangle and is struggling to get started. We start by giving a hint or a reminder to the student. If the student still doesn’t understand, we can scaffold the question for them and give them a tool to continue on their own. As a last resort, giving an example (whether going through one portion or referring them to an earlier example) could give the student the tools they need to continue.

  STEP ONE
  Reminder feedback prompt: Do you remember the rule about area we talked about?

  STEP TWO
  Scaffolded feedback prompt: What about the equation that says Area = ½ * b * h for a triangle?

  STEP THREE
  Example feedback prompt: Let’s substitute the pieces we have into our equation. The base is 5cm…

  The most effective feedback discussions occur when the learner takes the lead. Both the teacher and student should collaborate to determine the appropriate level of support. Too little support can leave the student uncertain about how to improve, while excessive support might discourage effort.

  Encourage the student to express their needs by asking questions such as
  “Is the current level of support adequate, or would you benefit from an example?”
  “Do you know what to do next?”
  “What will you do if you get stuck again?”

  After you have mastered descriptive feedback and using this in your classroom, you can look at different types of feedback (such as oral, written, peer, self, and whole class) and how you can make a difference with any type of feedback.

  November 14, 2023

  cognitive science, feedback, professional development

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• Hanlon’s Razor in education

  “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

  – Hanlon’s Razor

  Hanlon’s Razor can be extremely useful not just in your professional life but in all aspects of communication. It is a philosophical razor (a theory that allows us to eliminate or “shave off” unlikely explanations for an event

  The theory is that whenever another person behaves in such a way that negatively effects you, do not assume the intention was malicious, purposeful or negative. There could be other explanations for their actions such as incompetence or carelessness. They may not know any better or not realise that it is having any impact on you. You also could be subconsciously biased toward the person.

  Some questions to ask yourself if you believe someone is acting negatively or inappropriately are:

  • Could there be a different logical explanation for this behaviour?
    If so, what could be the reason the other person behaved this way?
  • Is there any evidence that the person has intended to harm or negatively effect others?
  • Is it possible that I am incorrect?

  Hanlon’s Razor is important for all communication but can be especially useful in the classroom. Below are some examples that I have used in my own classroom.

  Student Behaviour	Common Teacher Response	Hanlon’s Razor Response	Logical Explanation
  Student A is out of their seat.	“Student A, please sit down!”	“Student A. Do you need something?”	The student was out of their seat trying to borrow a pencil from a classmate.
  Student B has spoken inappropriately to someone.	“Student B, we don’t talk that way in this classroom!”	“Student B, did you realise that these words could cause harm?”	The student is spoken to like this at home and doesn’t know any differently.
  Student C is talking during a teacher-led portion of the lesson.	“Student C, please be quiet while others are talking.”	“Student C, was there something you needed or wanted to add?”	The student did not understand what they should be doing and was asking a classmate who also did not understand.

  Of course, sometimes our assumptions are correct. I am not trying to say that all of your students are angels. There are times that student’s negative behaviours do not have a valid reason. Nevertheless, by remembering Hanlon’s Razor, we can find out the intentions or causes in a kinder and more accepting way.

  November 14, 2023

  classroom management, cognitive science

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