Feedback That Moves Learning

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Why it works

Research on feedback finds it is among the most powerful influences on achievement, but only certain kinds: feedback focused on the task, the process, and self-regulation, rather than on the person or a grade. Feedback also has to be actionable and acted upon, which means building in time to use it.

The research: Hattie and Timperley on the feedback model; Black and Wiliam on assessment for learning.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: plan feedback students act on

Teachers leave having planned focused feedback on one piece of work, plus the time for students to use it.

Pick an upcoming piece of student work.
Decide the one or two things your feedback will focus on, not everything.
Write the feedback as a next step, not a judgment.
Plan the class time students will use to act on it.

Feedback without time to act is decorationIf students read a comment, see a grade, and move on, the feedback did nothing. Plan the time for them to use it.

Facilitator notes

Focus feedback; do not try to cover everything.
Separate grades from comments when the goal is improvement.
Use whole-class and peer feedback to make it scale.

Do not grade and comment at onceStudents who see a grade tend to ignore the comments. When the goal is improvement, give the feedback without the grade.

Adapt it

Elementary: verbal, specific, immediate feedback with a simple next step.
Secondary: focused written feedback, peer feedback, and response time.
Students who need support: one clear next step, modeled.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Feedback That Moves Learning: focus it, act on it

Feedback that works: one or two things, written as a next step, with time to use it.

The piece of work:
The one or two things my feedback focuses on:
My feedback written as a next step:
The class time students act on it:
How I scale it (whole-class, peer, self):

Make it stick

Build response time in:

Make time to act on feedback part of the routine.
Separate grades from comments.
Bring feedback students actually acted on to the next PLC.

Common questions

Isn't a grade feedback?

A grade tells students where they landed, not what to do next. Attaching a grade to comments often makes students ignore the comments. Separate them when you can.

I don't have time to give everyone detailed feedback.

Target it. Whole-class feedback on common errors, one focused comment, and peer and self-feedback all scale better than marking everything.

What makes feedback actionable?

It names a specific next step the student can take, and they get class time to act on it before moving on.