Ways to give effective feedback on EE/IA
Providing feedback is a process of conveying information about the quality of
product. It helps the student in understanding the requirements of the work. It
can improve student’s confidence, enthusiasm and motivation of learning.
In IB curriculum teachers, are always required to give feedback on the student’s
work, to help them understand their strengths and weaknesses. This feedback
should be in the form of scaffolding to ensure that student does not receive
more than required feedback to complete the task. This is the most challenging
part for a teacher. They are only supposed to give one written feedback on the
draft and then expect the final work. Therefore, the quality of this feedback
determines the outcome of the project.
According to Black and William (1998) Feedback to any pupil should be about
the particular qualities of his or her work, with advice on what he or she can do
to improve, and should avoid comparisons with other pupils.
This first and last written feedback on students work should be effective. It
should be easy for student to understand and interpret to take positive action.
The feedback should be in simple, short, clear and in the form of guiding
questions. For this, here are some scenarios and sampler guiding questions
that can provide effective feedback to students:
If a student write an unclear statement:
Avoid only underlying the statement or just writing words like
?
Explain
Not Clear
Ask guiding questions like:

Why do you think this is possible?

How did you reach to this conclusion?

What are you trying to explain in this statement?

Is your statement clear? Please check

Is your statement making good connection with previous and next
statement?
If student forgot to cite the information/ incorrectly cite/ you have doubt
on authenticity of information:
Annotate the work using questions like:

From where did you get this information?

Do you think the information is taken from a reliable resource?

Did you verify this information from other sources?

Are you following academic honesty?
If student miss some data or data in incorrectly processed:
Question the student by writing:

Please check this page

Do you think you have mentioned everything that is required?

Do you think you have considered sufficient data required for
conclusion?

Check calculation.
If student miss some of the assessment criteria strands:
Make him/her read the strands again by asking questions like:

Did you check your work against the assessment criteria?

For criteria …….. do you think you have met all the strands?

What more can you do in criteria …….. to show better understanding?
If student have done something great don’t miss a chance to motivate
him/her:
Motivation makes student progress faster so don’t miss the opportunity, always
praise by saying

This point shows good critical thinking

You show good understanding of criteria…….

The diagrammatic representation gives clear indication of methodology.

You show good ICT skills

This point strengthens the understanding.
The following questions could guide your feedback:

Is the vocabulary appropriate to the task? Is it varied?

Are grammatical structures varied and effectively used?

Is language accurate? Do errors interfere with communication?

Are the ideas relevant to the task?

Are ideas fully developed?

Are ideas clearly presented? Are they structured in a logical and
coherent manner?

Are register and tone appropriate to the task?

Does the student make links to the target culture and develop them?

Is the choice of text type appropriate to the task in written assignments?

Are pronunciation and intonation easy to understand in oral activities?
Where should feedback come from?
When feedback is provided by teachers, it allows them to verify to what degree
the learning objectives have been met and whether the content has been
understood. Thanks to feedback, teachers have the opportunity to review,
practise and clarify key concepts, and to provide learners with personalised
suggestions for improvement and development. Teacher feedback is
undoubtedly essential for guiding and supporting students in their learning
process.
However, students normally accept teachers’ comments without further ado
and, for that reason, not many reflect on the advice they are given. On the
contrary, when feedback is provided by peers, not only is it easier for the
student to be receptive to comments, but it also encourages debate and makes
them dare to discuss their opinion, show disagreement and ask for justifications.
This practice helps them to reflect on their performance and learn from it. Even
in the case of students whose achievement is significantly above the average,
identifying the mistakes of their classmates allows them to review the contents
and reflect on how these could be explained – a process that reinforces their
knowledge.
Students can also assess themselves. Although self-feedback should be
accompanied by other types of feedback – one’s own perspective is sometimes
limited – it is equally valuable, as it helps learners become familiar with the
marking criteria and develop their reflective skills, which are essential for
autonomous learning. Furthermore, it makes them more receptive and
interested in receiving feedback from others.
How to ensure feedback is effective and meaningful
For feedback to be effective and meaningful, it should be….

Timely
Provide feedback as soon as possible, and from the beginning of the learning
process, to ensure there is still time for learners to act on it by applying your
suggestions to their work and adjusting their own learning.

Positive
Highlight students’ achievements, and then give examples of how they could
improve their work. This will increase their confidence and reduce frustration
over mistakes.

Clear and concise
Use a language that is easy for students to understand. Complex vocabulary
can sometimes interfere with communication and make learners unsure of the
advice they are being given.

Concrete
Tell them exactly what they are able to do and point out the specific areas that
need to be improved. General phrases like “good job” or “I don’t think you
understood this exercise” are not helpful if we do not explain why students did
well or how they can correct their mistakes.

Focused
Avoid overwhelming students with countless comments. Look for patterns in
their work and focus on the two or three most important aspects to improve:
grammar, vocabulary choice, development of ideas, effectiveness of
communication, use of connectors… It will be easier for them to remember your
advice, internalise it and put it into practice.

Applied
It is essential that students do something with the feedback provided. Ask them
to redo the assignment applying the feedback received and make sure that both
you and your students keep track of the feedback given. This will allow you to
revisit it when it’s needed to assess students’ progress.