Feedback is a powerful tool for learning, especially for adult learners who want to improve their memory retention. Feedback can help learners identify their strengths and weaknesses, correct their mistakes, reinforce their knowledge, and motivate them to keep learning. In this article, you will learn how to use feedback effectively to enhance your memory and learning outcomes.
Feedback is any information that you receive from yourself, others, or the environment about your performance or understanding of a task or a topic. Feedback can be positive or negative, verbal or non-verbal, formal or informal, immediate or delayed, specific or general, and so on. Feedback can come from different sources, such as your instructor, your peers, your self-assessment, your results, or your feedback tools.
Real Life learning is anchored in feedback. So feedback is the fast track to learning impact. Positive and negative response are powerful learning tools. However negative feedback should be used carefully, at the risk of demotivating the learner. I recommend a diverse learning structure, with varied forms of feedback, with deliberative effort made to match the level to the learner, so that a healthy balance of positive feedback to negative feedback is maintained (often 4x, 5x). The more different styles the learning is applied in, and feedback received in, the deeper the learning will be and longer it will be retained.
Feedback is important for memory retention because it helps you to process and consolidate the information that you have learned. When you receive feedback, you activate your brain regions that are involved in memory formation and retrieval, such as the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. Feedback also helps you to strengthen the connections between your neurons and to form new associations and patterns. Feedback can also enhance your memory retention by boosting your confidence, curiosity, and interest in the subject matter.
Learning that is never applied dies. The feedback process of validating and responding, and having this response validated, is critical practice and application for learning. For maximum real world impact of this learning, the feedback should be connected to practical assessment and application. Designed to mirror as closely as possible real world learning goals. Our learners, especially adult learners, have clear and specific learning goals they aim to achieve. So our practice and feedback should mirror this and align. Deepening the learning and setting our learners up for success.
To give effective feedback, you need to consider some principles and strategies that can make your feedback more useful and meaningful for your learners. Align your feedback with the learning objectives and criteria, provide timely and frequent feedback, and ensure to balance positive and negative feedback. Additionally, be specific and actionable, giving concrete examples and suggestions on how your learners can improve their performance. Lastly, encourage self-regulation and reflection by asking your learners to evaluate their own work and to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Help them to reflect on their feedback and to apply it to their practice.
To receive effective feedback, you need to adopt a positive and open attitude that will help you make the most of the feedback you get. To do this, you should seek feedback actively and regularly from diverse sources, such as your instructor, peers, or self-assessment. Listen and process the feedback carefully; don't dismiss it just because you don't like it or agree with it. Instead, use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Respond and act on the feedback appropriately by thanking your provider for their input and asking questions for clarification. Take responsibility for your learning and implement the feedback you get. Monitor and evaluate your progress to track your progress and outcomes.
Feedback tools are any devices or applications that can help you to generate, collect, analyze, or present feedback. These tools can be useful for improving memory retention because they give you immediate, specific, and personalized feedback that can help you identify and correct mistakes, reinforce knowledge, and motivate you to keep learning. Examples of feedback tools include flashcards, quizzes, and feedback games. Flashcards have a question or term on one side and an answer or definition on the other side. They can be used to test yourself on the information learned and apply the spacing and testing effects that are proven to increase memory retention. Quizzes are short tests with multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank, or matching questions. They can be used to assess understanding of key concepts and facts learned as well as apply retrieval practice for memory retention. Feedback games are interactive activities that have feedback elements such as points, levels, badges, leaderboards, or rewards. They can be used to practice skills and knowledge in a fun and challenging way while stimulating curiosity, interest, and enjoyment in the learning process.