“I really need feedback to learn:” students’perspectives on the effectiveness

of the differential feedback messagesAnastasiya A. Lipnevich

Jeffrey K. Smith

Published Educational Assessment Evaluation Accountability Journal

Published 2009

Peer Review Journal

Study PurposeExamine Student Perceptions of the effects of different forms of instructional feedback on their:

Performance

Motivation

Emotion (level of satisfaction)

Participants 49 students from an East Coast US university divided into 6 focus groups

each with 8-9 students.

Convenience population

Received 5 points for participating

2 week duration

Study Purpose1. To understand the effects of grades, praise and source (computer vs.

human) of feedback on student’s performance.

2. To Gain a more comprehensive picture of the student’s responses and interpretations to the feedback

The Experiment

The Experiment consisted of 6 groups of which students took an essay exam and had a week to revise the essay and resubmit.

Students receiving extensive feedback from the instructor on an essay examGrade/NoGrade

Students not receiving feedback from the instructor on an essay examGrade/No Grade

Students receiving feedback on their essay exam from a computer

Grade/No Grade

MethodsFocus groups

40 minutes in length

Experimenter was group moderator

Questions1. How did you react to the feedback? How did you go about the revisions?

2. Did you trust your feedback? Did you find it accurate? Did you think it was fair and worthwhile?

3. How did your grade help you? Would have like to know your grade before you began your revisions?

4. Was the praise helpful? Would have like to receive praise on your performance.

5. What is your ideal type of feedback?

Results – Instructor with Grade “loved the feedback”

Receiving a grade was discouraging since it was a draft

Students with high grades were less likely to do revisions

Praise was a “buffer for self-efficacy” when receiving poor grades

Ideal feedback: “individualized comments”

Praise enhanced “mood” but not crucial for improvement

Instructor feedback – No Grade Enthusiastic about detailed comments

Comments kept the students focused

Praise not as important as comments

Computer feedback with Grade Grade and detailed feedback was helpful

Want specific feedback and they were surprised the computer could be so sophisticated

Computer viewed as non-judgmental and impersonal which helped them focus on their work and not feel as they were being judged by the instructor

Ideal feedback: “specific comments with a grade and praise”

Students said they’d rather receive feedback from the instructor than a computer.

Computer feedback – No Grade Clear guidelines were appreciated

Praise from the computer has a minimal impact on performance

Only value of grades is to “reduce the amount of work in cases of a high score”

No feedback - Grade Not optimistic

“Freaked out” “Panicked”

Felt helpless “craved instructions”

Not capable of revising the essay

Praise when the grade was not high was not trustworthy

No detailed feedback – No Grade Student reaction was overwhelmingly negative

Students didn’t know what to change in their essays

One thought no feedback meant great work

Those students who were praised on their performance had the highest negative reactions

“I didn’t know how to make it better”

Any feedback better than no feedback

Conclusion Detailed Comments

Grades are obstacles

Computer feedback is unbiased

Unfavorable computer feedback was dismissed by students as invalid

Praise was the least influential type of feedback

Best to provide “detailed neutral comments”