Implications of Feedback Research for Group Facilitation and the Design of Experiential Learning

Abstract

Despite extensive research on feedback and almost complete agreement on its power to effect learning, there is little theoretical understanding of the concept. Its ultrabroad definition and difficulties operationalizing both its causal mechanisms and the learning it supposedly effects have hampered understanding. The particular language used favors certain explanations and lines of research over others. Implications for group facilitation and the design of experiential learning programs are discussed.

The role of scaffolding in the instructional design of online, self-directed, inquiry-based learning environments: student engagement and learning approaches

“…It was found in the current study that the provision of synchronous feedback as part of the POEE scaffolding strategy was an important element for successful outcomes in the self-directed online learning. Indeed, several findings of this study (see section 5.5, chapter 5) align with current thinking in published research, such as that feedback provides the evaluative or corrective information about student activity and process necessary to facilitate learning (Hattie et al, 2007;Wing, 1990); feedback helps students to evaluate their answers, facilitates competencies and understanding, and promotes motivation and confidence (Hyland, 2000); students require, however, a certain level of cognitive engagement to interpret the feedback and make the necessary accommodations to their conceptual understanding (Louwrens et al, 2015). Thus, feedback, through which students receive immediate support, is found to be a key aspect of inquiry learning in the self-directed online environment.…”

“…Student activity without feedback in the learning process is unproductive (Laurillard, 1993). Effective feedback can provide the evaluative or corrective information about student activity, or process to facilitate and foster learning (Hattie et al, 2007;Wing, 1990). Feedback works in multiple ways to help students; it is crucial for the evaluation of their answers, to facilitate their competencies and understanding, and to promote motivation and confidence (Hyland, 2000).…”

Assessing the Effectiveness of Capacity-Building Initiatives: Seven Issues for the Field

“…Third, participants in these experiments often set goals for themselves that were different from those the experimenters set for them. Only the goals the participants set for themselves are relevant to performance improvement (e.g., see Ammons, 1956;Locke, Cartledge, & Koeppel, 1968;Wing, 1990).…”

The social context of teaching and learning

“…This lack of reciprocal communication was just as deadening in a video performance as it would have been in an insensitive live lecturer. Wing (1990), after a review of the research on feedback, concludes rhat feedback will not promote learning unless at least two conditions are met: the recipient must have a performance goal, and the goal must be the same as that of the provider of the feedback. These conditions have implications for any feedback that is intended to improve the social context, and they apply both to students' evaluations of teachers and to teachers' evaluation of students.…”

“…(This is also true for any evaluation of written work during the semester that does not allow for at least one draft.) Similarly, the most common form of feedback to improve teaching-student ratings at the end of the term-also usually violates Wing's (1990) principles. The popularity of this method is fueled by the assumption that, in order to improve, teachers need only one thing: accurate information about the success or failure of their teaching strategies.…”