Principles of effective feedback

Think about the last time you received either verbal or written feedback from a peer, senior colleague or an educator:

• What form was the feedback given?
• How welcome was the feedback?
• To what extent was the feedback useful or less useful?
• What thoughts, feelings and emotions characterised the experience?

In professional environments, there is a requirement to give feedback that not only engages the learner but enables them to start to come to judgements about their own performance. This is called ‘mark 2’ feedback (Boud & Molloy, 2012) and requires the mentor or assessor to consider the following:

• To give feedback that is non-evaluative (not good/bad), by focusing on the who, what, where, when and how. This can be achieved by reflecting on the performance of the learner and questioning the student
• Asking yourself to what end is this feedback intended and does the feedback need to be shared
• Determining which parts need to be written, which parts need to be verbal
• Identifying the best location and place for learner to feel safest and at the optimum time for the feedback to be ‘taken up’
• Considering whether the feedback should be given during performance or post performance
• Determining whether the feedback should be given as a flow of information or be discursive
• The use of suitable vocabulary that is inclusive (encouraging) rather than final (incontestable) and that allows responses and questioning from the learner
• Being aware of non-verbal dynamics such as body language
• Enabling the learner to engage in self-evaluation rather than validation by the mentor or assessor

Written feedback is more effective when:

• There is a balance of comments that confirm good performance that emphasises improvement of performance in relation to standards of good work
• Provides examples – comments on aspects of work and behaviour (NOT person or ‘broad brush’ generalisations)
• Provide strategies that are ‘future referenced’ e.g. how can improvement be made? What strategies are required? Does the student think they are achievable?
• Ends with a summary that enables the mentor or assessor to check shared understanding and to make notes of the ‘take-home’ messages.

In a Nutshell

• Where is the student going (goal)?
• How is the student going (performance)?
• Where to next? (further steps to achieve goal)

Resource

Current cause for concern reporting document [DOCX]

Raising concerns and the cause for concern process

The cause for concern process has not changed as a result of the introduction of the SSSA (2018). Please examine the attached document which should be completed in accordance with the checklist. A cause for concern can be submitted by anyone and may be initiated if there is a concern relating to a student’s welfare.