WEBVTT

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[Music] Welcome to the overview

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on providing prescriptive,
informational feedback.

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Like most students, Rebecca loves
positive feedback from her teacher.

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So, she was on top of the world
when her science teacher said she got

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a perfect score on her first test.

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Her teacher even called
her a "science whiz!"

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As the next test approached, however,

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the material became much more
complicated and difficult.

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Rebecca didn't think she'd get a
perfect score this time, and she worried

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about how her teacher would react.

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So, on the day of the exam she
complained of a stomachache

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and stayed home from school.

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Rebecca's teacher had no
idea that the praise she gave

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after the first exam actually made
Rebecca avoid the second exam.

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She knew that teacher feedback could
impact how students' perceive their

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abilities, but she didn't realize

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that it could sometimes
result in unintended effects.

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Teacher feedback impacts three
important elements of student learning:

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self-confidence, learning
goals, and their knowledge and skills.

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A student's self-confidence
in her academic abilities can go up

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or down depending on her
interactions with her teacher.

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Students are particularly
vulnerable when they are struggling

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with new concepts or at the
beginning of a new class.

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For example, a student who is struggling
with algebraic equations can begin

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to doubt his overall ability in math

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if a teacher only praises the
students who are easily succeeding.

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How can teachers build
self-confidence in their students?

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First, use a genuine, positive tone to
build a supportive classroom environment

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where mistakes are seen
as a growth opportunity--

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a chance to explore something new.

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Second, when giving back test results,
comment on effort as well as scores.

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Help students understand that
test scores are an indication

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of their current understanding of a
topic-- not a fixed level of ability.

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For example, instead of telling
a student he is "really smart,"

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a teacher should say,
"You're working really hard."

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This attributes a student's success

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to a specific behavior rather
than his fixed ability.

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When it comes to learning
goals, teachers need to focus

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on the learning process
rather than the outcome.

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This means focusing on how to
solve math and science problems,

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rather than simply getting
the answer correct.

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In contrast, when students focus on
performance goals, they put their effort

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into looking smart and
getting high test scores.

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Research has consistently
shown that students

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with performance goals avoid doing
anything that involves the risk

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of failure or looking less smart.

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And these students are less able
to emotionally deal with failure

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than students with process-oriented
learning goals.

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So, how can teachers
help students to focus

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on learning rather than performance?

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First, avoid simple right
and wrong responses.

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Instead, spend time elaborating
on the problem-solving process.

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Create opportunities for
students to show their work.

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Reward students for detailing
the steps of their reasoning

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or for sharing early
drafts of their work.

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And when students find the material
too easy, encourage them to take

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on more interesting and
challenging problems.

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Finally, emphasize that mistakes
are part of the natural process

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of learning-- rewarding
students for solving difficult,

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challenging tasks-- not
just the simple ones.

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Remember, when providing feedback on the
learning process, teachers need to be

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as explicit as possible--

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helping students understand the specific
learning strategies they are using.

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Did the student follow
all the necessary steps?

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Did she show an understanding
of the concept and process?

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This kind of specific feedback
will help her better understand how

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to solve problems for herself.

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Teachers should...
Frequently check for understanding,

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trying to catch misunderstandings
as early as possible.

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Remind students that mistakes are a
natural part of the learning process.

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It's how we discover new things.
Regularly review difficult

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material by walking
through a problem-solving

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process step-by-step.
And, whenever possible, show students

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that there are different ways
to solve the same problem.

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Most importantly, useful feedback does
not focus solely on "right" or "wrong."

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It should explain why something
is correct or incorrect,

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and help students understand
the specific steps required

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to correctly solve a problem.

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It's this kind of feedback that turns
mistakes into learning opportunities.

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Here are some additional tips
for providing prescriptive,

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informational feedback.

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Some students, especially in
the secondary grade levels,

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prefer to get feedback
in a one-on-one context.

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Try to individually talk with students

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who need personalized
encouragement and support.

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In addition, teachers should
provide structured opportunities

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for feedback throughout
the learning process.

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For example, give feedback on drafts
of student work so they have time

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to revise it before it is graded.

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If there's no time to provide
individual feedback, make specific,

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process-oriented comments
to the whole class.

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For example, "Everyone
worked hard today!

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I see a lot of you trying to tackle this
assignment in really creative ways."

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A class review following a test is also
a good opportunity to provide students

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with prescriptive, informational
feedback on their progress.

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In addition to clarifying the material,
students can share their study

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strategies with each other
or provide constructive peer feedback.

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Lastly, try not to place student
achievement in a competitive context.

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Placing the importance on "good grades"
and test scores takes the

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focus away from learning.

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Praising the whole class for their
effort reduces competitiveness

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and puts more focus on the learning
process and overall progress.

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In conclusion, prescriptive,

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informational feedback emphasizes
process rather than outcome--

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helping students adjust their
strategies and overcome challenges.

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And when students experience success,

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informational feedback
helps them understand how

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and why they were successful--
making it easier

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to accomplish new learning
goals in the future.

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This kind of teacher feedback is
especially important for girls in math

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and science, because it helps them
overcome false gender stereotypes

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about girls' abilities
in these subjects--

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teaching them that academic achievement
is tied to process and effort,

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rather than innate abilities.

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To learn more about prescriptive,
informational feedback please

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explore the additional resources
on the Doing What Works website.

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[Music]