What are some effective tools and strategies for providing feedback online or remotely?

1 Types of feedback

Feedback can be divided into various categories based on its purpose, source, timing, and format. Examples of these types of feedback include formative feedback, which helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses during the learning process; summative feedback, which evaluates performance and achievement at the end of a learning unit or activity; positive feedback, which acknowledges and reinforces the students' efforts; and constructive feedback, which provides actionable suggestions for improvement. Teachers, peers, tests, rubrics, and self-assessment tools are all potential sources of feedback.

2 Benefits of feedback

Feedback can have a positive impact on student motivation in several ways. It can boost their confidence and self-efficacy by demonstrating their abilities and how they can improve. Linking learning goals to interests, values, and aspirations can foster intrinsic motivation. Clear expectations, criteria, and feedback loops can also enhance engagement and persistence. Additionally, feedback can promote autonomy and ownership by encouraging students to reflect on their learning process and outcomes.

3 Challenges of feedback

Feedback can present some difficulties for teachers and students in online or remote settings, such as difficulty providing timely and frequent feedback due to the asynchronous nature of online learning, difficulty conveying the tone and intention of feedback due to the lack of verbal and non-verbal cues in written or audio feedback, being overwhelmed or confused from too much or too little feedback from multiple sources or platforms, and being demotivated or discouraged from receiving feedback that is vague, negative, or inconsistent.

4 Tools for feedback

Teachers and students can use a variety of tools to provide and receive feedback online or remotely. For example, Google Forms is a tool that enables teachers to create and share surveys, quizzes, and forms with their students in order to collect and analyze data and generate reports. Flipgrid is a tool that allows teachers and students to create and share short videos with each other to showcase learning, share opinions, and give feedback. Screencastify is a tool that allows teachers and students to record and share their screen, webcam, or voice in order to create tutorials, demonstrations, and feedback videos. Kaizena is a tool that integrates with Google Docs so that teachers and students can give and receive feedback using text, voice, or video by annotating, highlighting, and commenting on documents.

5 Strategies for feedback

Teachers and students can improve their feedback practices online or remotely by setting clear and specific learning goals and criteria, using a variety of feedback methods and formats, providing timely, frequent, relevant, and actionable feedback, balancing positive and constructive feedback, and encouraging peer and self-feedback. By doing so, they can create an environment that acknowledges the students' efforts and achievements while also guiding them towards improvement.