Feedback and Evaluation in E-Learning

Ensuring Students Act on Feedback Feedback is only as valuable as the action students take in response to it. Too often, feedback becomes a passive exchange,teachers give comments, students glance at them, and then move on to the next task without making meaningful improvements. To truly accelerate progress, we need to create structures that ensure feedback leads to independent development. Here’s how: 1. Build Dedicated Feedback Lessons into Your Scheme of Work If feedback is to be effective, there must be time for students to engage with it properly. This means moving beyond a quick ‘read your comments’ approach and embedding dedicated feedback lessons into the scheme of work. By protecting this time within the curriculum, feedback becomes a continuous, structured process rather than an afterthought. 2. Use Targeted and Specific Feedback Vague comments like ‘be more analytical’ or ‘develop your explanation’ don’t give students a clear direction. Instead, feedback should be precise and actionable. For example: • Before: ‘Your analysis is weak.’ • After: ‘To strengthen your analysis, explain why this event was significant and link it to a wider consequence.’ Or Pose questions to help students develop their answer or guide them to the correct knowledge. Pairing feedback with examples or sentence starters can help students apply improvements more effectively. 3. Teach Students How to Use Feedback Students need to be explicitly taught how to engage with feedback. This includes: • Modelling the process – Show students how to act on feedback by walking them through a worked example. • Guiding self-reflection – Use prompts like, ‘How does my answer compare to the model? Where can I improve?’ • Encouraging peer support – Structured peer review can help students identify strengths and areas for development before teacher intervention. I often like to highlight a weak paragraph in a green box so students know what area to precisely improve/re-write, as you can see below. 4. Use Feedback Trackers to Monitor Progress Instead of feedback disappearing into exercise books, encourage students to keep a feedback tracker where they record teacher comments and their own reflections. They can then set targets for the next piece of work and review previous feedback to ensure they’re improving over time. Feedback is most powerful when it becomes part of the learning process, not just an add-on. By allocating time in the curriculum for feedback lessons, making guidance explicit, and encouraging students to take ownership, we can transform feedback from words on a page into meaningful improvement. The ultimate goal? Students who no longer just receive feedback, but actively use it to progress.

🧵 FEEDBACK! Feedback should guide students toward improvement, be clear and specific, and encourage action. Here's a breakdown of key strategies to make the feedback process more impactful and move students forward! 🎯 **Make Feedback Specific**: Avoid generic comments like "good work" or "needs improvement." Be precise and clear. For example, “Your analysis is strong because you used…” This approach helps students understand exactly what they did well or need to improve. 🔍 **Make Feedback Understandable, Helpful, and Actionable**: Kate Jones explains that teacher must ensure students grasp the feedback and know how to improve. 1. Understandable: Do pupils understand the feedback? Do they understand what they need to do to improve? 2. Helpful: If the feedback isn't helping the learner move forwards and progress with their learning, then the feedback is not effective. 3. Actionable: Can pupils act on the feedback? Teachers should provide a task and time to respond and act on all feedback provided. ✍️ **Give Formative Feedback**: Focus on providing feedback that guides learning rather than just grading. Use Michael Chiles FCCT Goldilocks method—provide just enough feedback to be helpful without overwhelming students. Encourage them to think about how they can apply the feedback. 👥 **Provide Whole Class Feedback**: Analyse common patterns in student work and address them with the entire class. This helps tackle widespread issues and provides all students with actionable steps for improvement. 🕵️ **Turn Feedback into a Detective Work**: Challenge students to engage with their feedback by turning it into a puzzle or what Dylan Wiliam calls ‘detective work’. This approach challenges students to fix errors in their work and helps them internalise the feedback more effectively. 🙇 **Ensure Feedback is Actionable**: Feedback should encourage students to “think hard” (Robert Coe) Use Tom Sherrington’s 5 R's approach. These steps help students take concrete actions to improve their learning. 1. Redraft or Redo: Go back and edit specific areas. 2. Rehearse or Repeat: Go back and practise to master specific skills. 3. Revisit or Respond: Go back and answer similar practice questions. 4. Relearn or Retest: Go back to consolidate understanding of previous content. 5. Research or Record: Go back to develop work further with extensive research. ⚖️ **Reduce Workload with Dylan Wiliam’s 4 Quarters Marking Method**: Split your feedback time into four equal parts: 25% Mark in Detail: Provide specific, actionable feedback. 25% Peer Assess: Students assess each other’s work under supervision. 25% Skim Mark: Look for common errors and patterns (WCF). 25% Self Assess: Students evaluate their own work, building independence. 🤝 **Peer Feedback**: Teach and scaffold how to ‘Kind’, ‘Specific’ and ‘Helpful’ language to support students with delivering formative feedback to their peers. Provide examples of effective feedback and model the process.

All the scholarship on assessment and feedback means little if we cannot translate it into practice. This week I am teaching a course in the Graduate Certificate in University Teaching, where I introduce academics to some amazing scholars who help us think more expansively about how feedback and assessment supports learning goals for students. First, I translate scholarship into principles: 1. Feedback is relational practice Elizabeth Molloy shows how trust, dialogue and psychological safety shape whether feedback becomes usable. 2. Feedback is cultural practice David Boud and Joanna Tai highlight how assessment and program cultures build students’ capacity for future learning (sustainable assessment) and evaluative judgement. 3. Feedback is learning practice Naomi Winstone and David Carless demonstrate that students need structured opportunities to interpret and apply feedback (feedback literacies), not just receive it. 4. Feedback is emotional and identity practice Rebecca Olson and Rola Ajjawi show how belonging, vulnerability and identity shape how students respond to feedback (and how feedback shapes identities). Then I translate these principles into my teaching practice: – Embed dialogue and collaboration (professional learning communities model) across the course – Create feedback conversations in class before assessment is due – Add ‘changes I made because of peer feedback’ as part of the graded assessment task – Integrate self-assessment to build evaluative judgement and use this in marking and written feedback process – Dedicate class time to address all assessment questions throughout the semester – Link earlier feedback to later tasks so students can act on it (scaffold assessment tasks) In my Grad Cert class, academics then apply this work to a subject or supervision context they teach. They identify the explicit role feedback will play and design three or four feedback activities to embed across pedagogy and assessment. This is scholarly teaching: translating theory into practice. It is how we unlock the creativity and academic rigour of university teaching. And it is fun!

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐈 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? Delighted to share that our latest paper — the third in our trilogy of empirical studies examining the role of generative AI feedback in learning environments, “𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡? 𝐀 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈-𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬” has recently been published in Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence. Fantastic work by our talented PhD student Omar Alsaiari in leading this study, and sincere thanks to colleagues Nilufar Baghaei, Jason M. Lodge, Marie Boden, Omid Noroozi, and Dragan Gasevic for their valuable contributions. 🔗 Link to the article https://lnkd.in/gR2yf33g Links to posts about the other two papers in the series are included in the comments. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 A major challenge in designing feedback is balancing clear guidance with opportunities for reflection. 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 gives explicit corrections that reduce cognitive load and accelerate early performance. 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 prompts students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their work, supporting self-regulated learning. Both approaches have strong theoretical foundations, but how do they actually influence student behaviour? 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 We conducted a 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 329 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. Students received one of three types of AI-generated feedback: • Directive – clear, step-by-step recommendations • Metacognitive – reflective prompts encouraging self-evaluation • Hybrid – a combination of directive guidance and reflective prompts 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 ➡️ The three feedback types were linguistically and structurally distinct, confirming that prompt design can intentionally produce different pedagogical feedback styles. ➡️ Hybrid feedback prompted the most revisions, followed by directive feedback, while metacognitive feedback led to the lowest revision rates. ➡️ Engagement time, confidence, and final work quality were similar across groups, suggesting that different feedback styles influence how students engage rather than the final outcomes. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ➡️ Generative AI provides a powerful and scalable testbed for studying feedback design. ➡️ Blending directive and metacognitive feedback may be particularly promising, combining clear, supporting both immediate revisions and deeper learning processes.

Understanding Formative Assessment: Empowering Learning Every Step of the Way In the ever-evolving classroom, formative assessment stands as one of the most powerful tools for both teachers and students. Unlike summative assessments that evaluate learning at the end, formative assessments are ongoing, flexible, and meant to support learning during instruction. Formative assessment isn't just a method—it's a mindset. It’s about identifying gaps, adapting instruction, and empowering students to take ownership of their learning journey. Key Categories & Types of Formative Assessment 1. Teacher-Led Checks: -Observation: Informal monitoring during activities or group work. -Questioning: Open-ended or probing questions to elicit deeper thinking. -Mini Quizzes: Low-stakes assessments to measure concept grasp quickly. -Exit Tickets: Short written responses before students leave the class. 2. Student Self-Assessment: -Traffic Lights: Students indicate understanding using red (confused), yellow (unsure), or green (confident). -Reflection Journals: Writing about what was learned and where help is needed. -Checklists & Rubrics: Students use criteria to evaluate their own performance. 3. Peer Assessment: -Think-Pair-Share: Students discuss and clarify understanding before sharing with the class. -Peer Reviews: Giving and receiving structured feedback based on learning goals. 4. Collaborative Learning Activities: -Group Projects & Discussions: Encourage dialogue, problem-solving, and real-time feedback. -Concept Mapping: Visually organizing thoughts helps assess comprehension and relationships between ideas. 5. Digital & Creative Tools: -Interactive Polls & Quizzes: Use of tools like Kahoot, Mentimeter, or Google Forms. -Padlet or Jamboard Responses: Students post responses in real-time to visualize understanding. -Whiteboard Sketches & Visual Explanations: Let students draw what they know. --- Why Formative Assessment Matters: -Promotes active learning -Supports differentiated instruction -Encourages student agency -Builds a growth mindset Whether it’s a thumbs-up, an exit ticket, or a quick group brainstorm—formative assessment allows teaching to breathe with the learners, adapting in real-time and making education truly learner-centered. --- #FormativeAssessment #AssessmentForLearning #ActiveLearning #SelfAssessment #PeerAssessment #TrafficLightStrategy #ExitTickets #DifferentiatedInstruction #StudentCenteredLearning #EdTechInEducation #TeacherTools #VisibleLearning #ReflectiveTeaching #InstructionalStrategies

Two hundred students. One course. And each one expects, and deserves, personalized feedback. At the University of Passau, teacher education faculty faced this challenge. Imagine reviewing 3,000 reflective entries in a single semester. Without help, it’s an impossible task. Their solution? KI-Folio, an e-portfolio platform enhanced with generative AI. Students write reflections on their learning and experiences; the AI offers instant, tailored suggestions. Later, teachers step in with human nuance, context, and empathy. The result: faster feedback cycles, deeper critical thinking, and no compromise on quality. This week, in EdTech Research Insights, we dive into this case study: > How AI + human feedback can scale personalization without losing pedagogical depth > Lessons from the first deployments > A practical checklist to launch your own AI-supported e-portfolio What’s your take — can AI truly amplify rather than replace formative feedback? 📩 Read a real case study in the latest edition of the Edtech Research Insights newsletter (link in comments)

What if the primary purpose of an assessment were not to produce a grade, but to act as a dynamic catalyst for the learning process itself? For decades, we've utilized assessment too narrowly—often to rank and sort students rather than to teach and to learn. The result is a system that excels at delivering a verdict but often fails to offer a meaningful path forward. Today on Getting Smart, Edmund Gordon and I discuss a growing movement that seeks to change this, arguing that the most valuable information an assessment provides isn’t a score, but a story rich with insights about how a student learns. This paradigm shift, known as ‘assessment in the service of learning,’ reframes measurement from a static snapshot into a continuous source of feedback designed to guide instruction and inspire growth. To make this vision a reality, a new, free and open three-volume resource, the Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning, is offering a roadmap for this essential transformation.

When I first started teaching online back in 2017, the course evaluation process bothered me. Initially, I was excited to get feedback from my students about their learning experience. Then I saw the survey questions. Even though there were about 15 of them, none actually helped me improve the course. They were all extremely generic and left me scratching my head, unsure of what to do with the information. It’s not like I could ask follow-up questions or suggest improvements to the survey itself. Understandably, the institution used these evaluations for its own data points, and there wasn’t much chance of me influencing that process. So, I decided to take a different approach. What if I created my own informal course evaluations that were completely optional? In this survey, I could ask course-specific and teaching-style questions to figure out how to improve the course before the next run started. After several revisions, I came up with these questions: - Overall course rating (1–5 stars) - What was your favorite part (if any) of this course? - What did you find the least helpful (if any) during this course? - Please rate the relevancy of the learning materials (readings and videos) to your academic journey, career, or instructional design journey. (1 = not relevant at all, 10 = extremely relevant) - Please rate the relevancy of the learning activities and assessments to your academic journey, career, or instructional design journey. (1 = not relevant at all, 10 = extremely relevant) - Did you find my teaching style and feedback helpful for your assignments? - What suggestions do you have for improving the course (if any)? - Are there any other comments you'd like to share with me? I was—and still am—pleasantly surprised at how many students complete both the optional course survey and the official one. If you're looking for more meaningful feedback about your courses, I recommend giving this a try! This process has really helped me improve my learning experiences over time.

Do your learners treat training as a “one and done” activity, only to forget what they’ve learned later? 🤔 Meaningful learning isn’t something that happens all at once. It’s a process that builds over time. Learners need repeated opportunities to engage with the material, apply what they’ve learned, and adjust based on feedback. Providing timely feedback throughout this process is essential for reinforcing learning and encouraging growth. Without it, learners are left guessing whether they’re on the right track. For example, consider a leadership training program that teaches conflict resolution skills. Instead of a single role-play exercise meant as an assessment, imagine a variety of activities sprinkled throughout the course. During one activity, learners might identify and label conflict styles. Later, they practice techniques for de-escalating tense conversations. After each activity, they receive targeted feedback like, “You showed empathy well, but next time, try rephrasing to clarify the other person’s point.” Over time, this iterative learning process helps learners refine their skills and gain confidence. Want to make learning iterative and impactful? Try this! ⬇️ 👉 Plan for multiple touchpoints. Create spaced activities that revisit key concepts, giving learners opportunities to deepen their understanding over time. 👉 Use actionable feedback. Go beyond “correct” or “incorrect.” Highlight what they did well and give specific advice on what to improve. 👉 Include self-reflection with feedback. Encourage learners to reflect on their progress after receiving feedback. Ask questions like, “What will you do differently next time?” 👉 Incorporate peer feedback. In group settings, allow learners to give constructive feedback to each other, which can deepen their own understanding. Learning is a journey, not a sprint. When we provide timely feedback and give learners the chance to revisit concepts, we set them up for long-term success. ---------------------- Hi! I'm Elizabeth! 👋 💻 I specialize in eLearning development, where I create engaging courses that are designed to change the behavior of the learner to meet the needs of the organization. Follow me for more, and reach out if you need a high-quality innovative learning solution. 🤝 #InstructionalDesign #IterativeLearning #FeedbackMatters #eLearning #LearnerEngagement #AdultLearning #LearningAndDevelopment

How do you set up the review process for your eLearning courses? If your answer is, “I just send them a review link,” we might need to add a little more structure. 😉 Yes, SMEs and reviewers should know what to do, but often they don’t. Sometimes it’s their first time reviewing an eLearning course, or they’re used to reviewing Word docs and slide decks instead. That’s why I like to host a short Review Kickoff before I send the link. It gives everyone space to ask questions and helps me set clear expectations upfront. In that meeting, I usually cover: 1️⃣The type of feedback that actually helps: - Clear, definitive comments beat vague ones every time. Example: “Change X to Y” is more actionable than “Maybe we could…” 💭💭💭 Have you ever spent more time decoding feedback than making updates? 2️⃣How multiple reviewers will align If there’s more than one reviewer? - We will often nominate one person to reconcile feedback and give final approval—especially when opinions conflict. 💭💭💭 When two reviewers disagree, who makes the final call on your projects? 3️⃣ What happens after feedback is submitted - We align on basics like: When is feedback due? How many rounds of review make sense? Who gives final sign-off, and when should reviewers expect an updated version? 💭💭💭 If you asked your reviewers to describe your review process, would they all say the same thing? 🌟 These small steps lead to cleaner feedback, fewer surprises, and a smoother review cycle for everyone. How to create successful review cycles? What are some other tips that you would share about Review cycles? Oh I have one more tip: Feedback is part of the process - get comfortable receiving feedback 😀🤙😎 #eLearning #InstructionalDesign #SharingKnowledge #eLearningbyDana