Providing Quality Feedback in the
Online Learning Environment
ETEC 501
Karla Lechuga
How many times have you used one of the following phrases below when
you provide feedback to the students regarding their work?
This Presentation will…





Provide background information on Assessment and
Formative Feedback
Provide Principles of Quality Instruction
Explain what is Feedback, and how feedback can influence
student achievement.
Explain how quality feedback can improve learning.
Provide 5 recommendations for providing quality
feedback in an online learning environment.
Assessment and Formative Feedback
Summative and Formative Assessment


Assessment is divided into two categories: summative, and formative.

Summative assessment is evaluative, and is provided by the instructor at the end of the
course typically through a letter grade.

Formative assessment is diagnostic, and provided continuously throughout the length of the
course by the instructor or a peer. Formative assessment is not used as an evaluative method to
assign student grades, it is used to provide students with formative feedback regarding student’s
work.

Robert Stake, educational researcher, explains “When the cook tastes the soup,
that's formative. When the guests taste the soup, that's summative.“(Educational
Assessment, 2010).
Cauley and McMillan explain that “effective teachers” use formative assessment
throughout the course to:

Identify specific misunderstandings the student may have regarding the assignment.

Provide feedback to help students.

Revise current instructional methods to help students better understand the goals and objectives
of the assignment. (Cauley, and Mc Millan, 2010).
More on Assessment



Garrison explains that “ assessment occurs throughout the
course, thereby providing formative feedback to students…on
their progress toward attaining educational goals and
objectives.”(Garrison, 100-102).
Regarding the importance of feedback in an online
environment Garrison explains that “students need feedback
and direction for cognitive reasons or because of time
constraints and the need to expedite the educational process.”
(Garrison, 97).
Research shows that students are “more likely to increase
effort when the intended goal “is clear, when high commitment
is secured for it, and when the belief in eventual success is
high.” (Hattie and Timperley, 86)
Seven Principles of Quality Instruction

Chickering and Gamson’s identify seven principles of quality
instruction in undergraduate education. These principles have
proven to engage students, and motivate them to learn. They
include:
1.
Frequent student/teacher interaction.
2.
Collaborative learning.
3.
Using active learning techniques.
4.
Providing prompt feedback.
5.
Emphasizing time on task
6.
Communicate high expectations
7.
Respect diversity
(Abdul-Hamid, Lewis, 84)
Five Learning Principles for Effective Online
Instruction
Hacker and Niederhauser identify five principles for
effective online instruction, and enhancement of student
learning outcomes. They include:
1. Students must actively participate in their learning.
2. Prepare students by providing examples.
3. Use collaborative problem solving
4. Providing appropriate feedback
5. Motivate students, and provide opportunities to
enhance student self-efficacy.
(Abdul-Hamid, Lewis, 84)

Four Strategies of Effective Online Teaching



1.
2.
3.
4.
In 2005 the University of Maryland University College (UMUC),
leader in distance education, provided more than 500 courses, 80
degree programs, and an enrollment total of 87,000.
A study of a total of 30 undergraduate, and graduate faculty
teachers at (UMUC), was compiled to determine what practices
were being implemented, and what the faculty teachers felt
contributed to the success in the online learning environment.
The findings were broken down into four categories which include:
fostering interaction
providing feedback,
facilitating learning
maintaining enthusiasm and organization.
(Abdul-Hamid, Lewis, 85)
Feedback?



As we can see providing prompt and appropriate feedback is
delineated within Chickering and Gamson’s “Seven Principles
of Quality Instruction,” and in Hacker and Niederhauser “Five
Learning Principles for Effective Online Instruction.”
Feedback is also listed among one of the four strategies used
in successful online instruction. But what is feedback, and how
can it improve learning? What is the value of providing
feedback to the students, and what strategies can be used to
provide effective feedback in an online learning environment?
The following slides were created in an attempt to answer
these questions, and to reflect on the findings of many
published articles and peer-reviewed journals.
Feedback

Feedback is defined as “as information provided by an agent (e.g., teacher, peer,
book, parent, self, experience) regarding aspects of one’s performance or
understanding.” (Hattie & Timperly, 81).

In a traditional classroom environment the teacher can provide formative feedback
in one or more ways. Some examples include:
 Visual- Teachers use visual cues such as a smile, a thumbs up, and or a nod to let
the student know how they are doing.
 Verbal- Teachers use short expressions like “good job,” or “You are on the right
track, keep on trying” to let the student know how they are doing in the class.
 Written- Teachers can provide written feedback that points out what student
did well, and what areas need to be improved.

In an online learning environment the teacher can also provide verbal and written
feedback, but lacks the immediacy or verbal and visual cues that the traditional
classroom provided. That is why feedback in an online learning environment is
critical to student success because of the isolated nature of the course.
Why is Feedback Important?

Feedback is critical at all stages of learning because it allows the learner to view
their progress, and ways in which they can improve. In order to help students
self-assess (based on the learning goals and objectives) the feedback provided
by the teacher should be clear and detailed enough to allow students to see
what parts of the assignment are correct, and which ones are not.

Danielson, Fluckiger, Pasco, and Tixier, state that “Formative feedback furthers
student learning as the student engages in a continuous loop of self-assessment
based on particular criteria.” They further explain that “effective formative
feedback must be specific, simple, descriptive and focused on the task”
(Danielson, et al. ,2009).

From their research Guskey(1996), Shutte (2007), and Stiggins (2008) suggest
that formative feedback is provided to the student as follows:

Product- assignment .

Process- how the assignment is done.

Progress- improvement over time. (Danielson et al., 2009).
Influence of Feedback on Student Achievement
Hattie and Timperly (2007)




Research shows that there is a correlation between the feedback provided
to the student, and their achievement. Furthermore studies show that
some forms of feedback are preferred more than others.
Database information compiled by Hattie(1999) showed a direct
relationship between feedback and student achievement. In a summary of
12 meta-analysis (196 studies, and 6, 972 effect sizes), the average effect
size was 0.79 which placed feedback among the top 5 to 10 highest
influences on student achievement. Table 1 on next slide.
Further research of 74 meta-analysis (7,000 studies, and 13,370 effect
sizes), demonstrated that the most effective forms of feedback provided
support and detailed information about what the student needs to do. The
most effective forms of feedback included cues (1.10), feedback (.95),
reinforcement (.94), video or audio feedback (.64), and computer-assisted
instructional feedback (.52). Table 2 on next slide.
The least effective feedback methods in enhancing student achievement
included: rewards (0.31), punishment (0.20), praise (0.14), and programmed
instruction (-0.04).
Influence of Feedback on Student Achievement
Hattie and Timperly
Influence of Feedback on Student Achievement
Cauley and McMillan

Research supports the importance of providing feedback to the student, but not
just any kind of feedback.

Cauley and Mc Millan, explain that feedback can affect how students internalize
their achievement , and categorize these goals into performance, and mastery goals.
The first being ego-centric, while the second promotes “learning, understanding,
improving, mastering new skills, and taking on challenges.”
Performance Goals
Mastery Goal
Students are compared to other students based
on their work!
Students are encourage to try again, and learn
from their mistakes!
Teachers that promote performance goals
provide feedback publicly and assess student
work by comparing the work of one student
against another.
Performance goals reward students who
perform better than others, and assess
student based on their ability to perform the
task.
Teachers that promote mastery goals assess
student work using a variety of evaluation
methods, and provides feedback privately to
allow the student to analyze how the student
has progress through the assignments, and
provides opportunities to revise, and
improve.
Influence of Feedback on Student Achievement
Cauley and McMillan (2010)
Mastery Goals: Assess individual goals, take into consideration
the active participation of the student and provide “positive”
feedback and strategies.
Research shows that students who pursue mastery goals are
intrinsically motivated to learn, are more persistent when they face
challenging tasks, and display positive accomplishments and make use of
deeper cognitive strategies.
Performance Goals: Highlights student’s ability to perform,
and rewards students who outperforms others.
Research shows that students who pursue performance goals are
extrinsically motivated to learn, and therefore are more concerned
about the rewards that can be obtained as a result of accomplishing the
task. Furthermore they are concerned about how their work
compares to work of others. They are most likely to procrastinate, and
in some cases cheat on their assignments.
Purpose of Providing Quality Feedback


Price, Donovan, Handley, and Miller state that “more feedback does
not always equal more learning…feedback identifies a gap between
what is understood/ has been demonstrated and the standard of
performance expected” Therefore it is important to clarify at all
times the purpose of providing feedback to the student. It is equally
important that both teacher and student understand what feedback
is trying to achieve for it to be successful. (Price, et al. 2010)
Garrison explains that providing students with assessment and
formative feedback allows students to learn in a deep and
meaningful manner. Garrison also explains that in order for
assessment and feedback to be effective they must both match the
learning objectives and goals of the intended outcomes. For
example, in an online learning environment “if the goal is to realize
deep understanding of the concepts and develop critical thinking
abilities, the focus of assessment must be understanding and
thinking,” (Garrison, 100-101).
5 recommendations for
Providing Quality Feedback
Defining Quality Feedback and Poor Feedback
Feedback “put(s) things right by taking corrective action.
Quality Feedback
Poor Feedback
•Feedback is descriptive and provides
enough details so that the student can
self-assess, and self-correct. Comments
are tailored and highlight the good and
what needs to be corrected. For example:
“your points support your claims, can you
elaborate more on why you agree with
the evidence?”
•Is given with enough time to allow
students to improve the task if necessary.
•Focuses on task, not behavior or
performance.
•Feedback is given in a form of a letter
grade, or with vague comments like “add
more references,” or “well done.”
•Feedback provided towards the end of
the course with no possibility for student
improvement, or no feedback provided at
all.
•Compares student work to the work of
other students in the class.
•Highlight only the wrong, and not the
right.
#1 Set the Stage and be Specific



Post syllabus at the beginning of the class and include the
learning goals and objective, and student expectations. Include
assignments, due dates, and evaluation criteria (rubrics, point
system, quiz, etc.) that tells the student how each assignment (
essays, participation, creation of a product) will be graded.
Let the students know which assignment will take more time
to elaborate, so that the student can plan ahead of time to
elaborate quality work.
Research shows that when students have clear learning targets
and models of strong and weak student work, and when
feedback is continuous, students have a foundation that helps
them to understand what they are learning, set goals , and selfassess.
#2 Timing
Timing is crucial in an online learning environment, especially if the task requires
correction. Determine how much, when, how, and why you (the instructor) will
provide feedback, and provide this information to the student at the beginning of the
course.
 How much: Explain how much feedback will be provided and whether it will be
individual (formative), or to the group (summative) via the LMS. Also, let the
students know that you (the teacher) will not provide feedback on all assignments.
 When: Students are busy, setting a scheduled time will give them time to plan
accordingly. Explain when the feedback will be delivered (within 24 hours, 2 days, 1
week), and maintain the same schedule for the remainder of the school year. Don’t
provide feedback at the end of the course, give students time to rectify their work.
 How: Prepare students so that they have the necessary tools. Explain what method
of delivery will be used (e-mail, discussion forum, text-based chat, and telephone).
 Why: Not all students will know what to do with the feedback that you are
providing to them. Explain why you are providing feedback (to ensure receipt of
work, or to provide suggestions for improvement).
Donovan, Handley, Miller and Price explain that if feedback will be used to inform
students about the errors in their work, then ensuring a receipt will be a measure of
effectiveness. However, if the goal is to help students develop their understanding, and
requires correction, then more complex measures will be used to ensure future
learning. (Donovan et al., 2010).
#3 Provide Examples




To promote higher-order thinking skills online teachers design learning assignment
that engage students, and motivate the student to want to further explore the
topics. Most instructors use the discussion forum (as part of the learning
assignment) and post open-ended questions and instruct students to “think
critically” and provide “meaningful” comments. Students are required to provide
feedback to their peers, thus promoting a collaborative learning and creating an
active learning environment. In the discussion forum students are the ones in charge
of providing feedback, not the teacher.
However, for some students this will be the first online class they have ever taken,
and they might not know how to formulate their response. Teachers cannot just
say “Think critically and expect students to understand how to do it.” (Danielson
Fluckiger, Pasco, Tixier, 139). Teachers should provide examples and models that
students can rely on to seek specific information on what the teacher is looking for
from the assignment.
Examples are powerful because they enable students to more fully understand
where they are going and why the teacher provides feedback.
For example: teachers can post an example in the discussion forum on how to cite
their work, and how to relate their comments to the assigned readings. In addition,
teachers can post examples of good quality work from students work from
previous semesters.
#4 Provide Specific Individualized Feedback


A group of 30 online teaching faculty experts from University
of Maryland University College concurred that “all students
regardless of their performance…are given individualized
feedback and individualized feedback…of how they are doing
at every stage of the course.” One instructor in particular
explained that he used feedback to encourage bright students
to maintain the quality of their work, and to encourage those
who are not doing so well to motivate them to improve their
work (Abdul-Hamid, Lewis, 90).
Quality feedback employs using descriptive feedback, with
tailored comments about students progress in the assignment.
It also provides information regarding the areas that are
correct, and those that need improvement.
Recommendation #5
Check for Understanding



In their research Handley, Millar, O’Donovan, and Price found
that students referred to feedback as “…just some notes on a
piece of paper…but I don’t always understand what they have
written.” (Handley et al., 282). Interpreting feedback is often a
hard task for students, and even harder is trying to figure out
what to do with the information. That is why teachers need to
check for understanding.
Once feedback is provided the teachers should provide
opportunities for open dialogue to clear any misunderstanding
regarding the content of the feedback, and to help students
understand what they should do with the feedback they have
obtained.
Teacher can follow up via e-mail, telephone, text-based chat,
video-conferencing. Sometimes a simple phone call from
teacher to student, and vice-versa can clarify more than a text
message, or an e-mail.
Feedback in a Nutshell
Effective Feedback
 Identifies a gap between what is understood/ has been demonstrated and
the standard of performance expected.
 Is diagnostic, and provided continuously throughout the length of the
course by the instructor or a peer.
 Is not used as an evaluative method to assign student grades.
 Is used to provide students with information regarding student’s progress
and keeps them on task.
 Avoids comparing the work of one student against another, because the
level of expertise and skill set will vary among all students.
 Is given in a timely and recurring manner.
 Encourages student intrinsic motivation to learn.
 Empowers student and promotes open dialogue between teacher and
peers.
References








Abdul-Hamid, H., Lewis, C. (2006). Implementing effective online teaching
practices: voices of exemplary faculty. Innovative Higher Education, 83-98.
Brandenburg,T.,Yu, Chien. (2006). I would have had more success if…:the
reflections and tribulations of a first-time online instructor, 32 (1), p43-52.
Cauley, K.M., McMillan, J.H. (2010). Formative assessment techniques to
support student motivation and achievement. Heldref Publications, 1-5.
Danielson, K., Fluckiger, J., Pasco, R., Tixier,Y. (2009). Formative feedback:
involving students as partners in assessment to enhance learning. College
Teaching, 136-140.
Garrison, R. (2011). E-learning in the 21st century. New York, NY, Routledge.
Handley, K., Millar, J., O’Donovan, B., Price, M. (2010). Feedback: all that
effort, but what is the effect. Assessment &Evaluation in Higher Education,
277-289.
Hattie, J., Timperly, H. (2007). The power of feedback. American Educational
Research Association, 77(1), 81-112.
Educational Assessment (2011).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_assessment