Class Notes 7-15-10

Looking from the papers that are actionable - Article and page #

Feedback
    1. Type/goal orientation
    2. Timing
    3. certitude/confidence
   
    Achievement
   

Feedback

    Providing Feedback in Computer Based Instruction - Mason & Bruning
   
        Delayed feedback for low level learning - quick feedback for high level learning
            In addition to determining students’ achievement levels, it is
            important to tailor feedback to the nature of the learning task. If the goal
            of instruction is teaching novel information or facilitate concept
            acquisition, it probably is more beneficial to incorporate immediate
            feedback, which will assist in correcting initial errors in understanding
            and help prevent inaccurate information from being encoded. If the
            instruction aims at developing higher order skills such as comprehension,
            application, or abstract reasoning, however, delayed or end-of-session
            feedback is likely to be most effective. (7)
           
        Correct misconceptions - Help them understand what they are doing wrong
       
            Roper theorized that the increased amount of feedback information provided
            students with enhanced knowledge from which they could correct
            misunderstandings. All of these studies provide evidence for increased
            learning in response to CBI programs incorporating elaborated feedback.
            The research by Whyte et al. (1995) also showed that the
            greatest learning gains in response to CBI came with the highest (most
            elaborate) levels of feedback. (4-5)
           
        Expanding feedback model - Provide a lot of feedback and dynamically - based on performance - taylor the feedback provided
       
            In contrast, since low ability learners tend to be less confident in their own
            academic skills and less aware of their metacognitive processes, they
            may be inclined to select feedback that provides them with the correct
            answer as opposed to the type of feedback that promotes the greatest
            learning. (6)
           
        Certitude of correct response - High Low
            Low certitude 
       
           
    Pashler, Cepeda, & Wixted: When Does Feedback Facilitate Learning of Words and Facts?
   
        We may not always want to give them the right answer when they get it wrong
       
             "a number of recent reviews have argued that while providing full feedback (i.e., knowledge of what the correct response would have been on the previous trial) tends to improve performance during training, it often does so at the expense of later retention (Bjork, 1994; Rosenbaum, Carlson & Gilmore, 2000; Schmidt & Bjork, 1992)." (4)
           
            "This reflects the fact that subjects forgot more when they were given the correct answer as feedback than when given no feedback." (16)
           
            The effect of feedback depends dramatically on whether a subject has mastered an item or not. If the subject responds correctly, whether or not feedback is provided scarcely matters. On the other hand, if the subject does not respond correctly to an item, both experiments disclose that learning appears to stall completely if the subject is provided with anything less than "complete" (Correct Answer) feedback. There is no sign in our data that omitting feedback confers any benefits either in the learning session or in a delayed test, questioning claims made in some of the reviews cited in the Introduction (18)
           
           
        Limit feedback when the student knows the correct answer
           
   
    Shute, Valerie (2008): Focus on Formative Feedback
   
        Provide feedback on the learners progress toward their goal.
       
            Motivation has been shown to be an important mediating factor in learners’ performance (Covington & Omelich, 1984), and feedback can be a powerful motivator when delivered in response to goal-driven efforts. Some researchers suggest that the learner’s goal orientation should be considered when designing instruction, particularly when feedback can encourage or discourage a learner’s effort (Dempsey et al. 1993). (11)