How to Give Constructive Assessment Feedback
We touched on the subject area of assessment feedback recently when we delved into the praise sandwich. Giving feedback is one of the hardest tasks of an Assessor and can be very challenging. You need to get the balance right; letting the learner know how they need to improve, whilst providing them with motivation and support. Here are some of our top tips on how you can provide constructive feedback to your learners.
Feedback should be educative
Try to refrain from giving your learner vague feedback. You should explain what they are doing correctly, as well as what they are doing incorrectly. Remember the praise sandwich here to help guide your feedback – compliment, correct, compliment. It’s also a good idea to provide an example as to what is accurate and inaccurate about their work.
Give feedback in a timely manner
Feedback is very important and as an Assessor, and you should not only be able to give feedback but accept it too. When you are giving your learner feedback, try and do this as soon as you can after they have carried out a task. If you wait too long, the moment is lost and your learner may not understand what you are referencing to.
Give genuine praise
If you are constantly telling your learner that they are doing a good job, it becomes meaningless over time. Try to only praise them when they are going above and beyond, as this will also help to motivate them to try harder. Acknowledging the efforts of your learner will really help to positively influence them and carry out their assessments to a higher standard.
Provide examples
Communicating with your learner how they have performed in their assessment is sometimes not enough. They may not quite understand where you are coming from and what they need to do in order to improve. This is where it is useful to give them examples of how they can do better. There are lots of different types of assessment methods so try and provide your learner with an example relative to the particular method of assessment you are using.
Support your learner
One of the main purposes of feedback is to improve your learner’s performance. By giving them feedback you are helping to identify their strengths and weaknesses, which will help to build their confidence. Be clear on how a specific grade was reached. Provide them with the tools they need in order to improve.
Provide constructive feedback
As well as highlighting what they did well and what they need to work on, feedback should set out ways in which your learner can improve. This will encourage your learner to think critically about their work; allowing them to reflect on what they need to do to improve it. Constructive feedback will also help them see their learning in a different light, which could really help to motivate them.
The main objectives of feedback
It is important that when you are giving your learner feedback you are specific, and base it on facts rather than opinions. Your personal views are not going to be very useful when your learner reaches their End-Point Assessment and is assessed by an IEPA.
Once you have given feedback, it is important to outline the next phase of the assessment process. A learner can easily lose motivation if they feel they have finished everything and are not given a plan for the future. Be transparent – if your learner just has one final observation left before you they will have met all the criteria of the course, let them know. That could be the push that they need to reach the finish line.
Finally, make sure that you document the feedback you have given throughout the assessment. It is important that your learner can see how they performed and the areas that they need to work on. It is also good for them to have something to look back on. Your learner will be able to see how far they have come!
If you would like any further help on how to give constructive feedback, please give our team a call on 01205 805 155 and we will be happy to assist.
