Feedback
How Immediate, Specific Corrections Drive Real Improvement
The Problem: Grades Are Not Feedback
Your child gets a test back. It says "B-" at the top.
What does that tell them?
- Which concepts they misunderstand? No.
- What specifically to work on? No.
- How to improve? No.
A letter grade is a judgment, not feedback. It tells you where you stand, not how to get better.
The Science: What Makes Feedback Powerful
Researchers Black and Wiliam reviewed 250+ studies on classroom feedback. Their conclusion:
"Innovations designed to strengthen formative assessment produce substantial learning gains — among the largest ever reported for educational interventions."
But not all feedback is created equal.
The Hattie-Timperley Model
Effective feedback answers three questions:
| Question | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Where am I going? | Clear goals and success criteria |
| How am I going? | Progress toward the goal |
| Where to next? | Specific actions to improve |
Most school feedback only partially answers the second question and ignores the third entirely.
Four Levels of Feedback
Hattie identified four levels of feedback, ranked from most to least effective:
1. Task Feedback (Most Effective)
About the specific task: "Your answer to #3 is wrong because you added instead of multiplying."
Works because: Directly addresses the gap in understanding.
2. Process Feedback (Highly Effective)
About the strategy used: "You're using the right formula, but you're forgetting to square the denominator."
Works because: Improves transferable skills, not just single answers.
3. Self-Regulation Feedback (Effective)
About monitoring and self-correction: "Before you submit, check your work by substituting your answer back into the original equation."
Works because: Builds independence and metacognition.
4. Self Feedback (Least Effective — Often Harmful)
About the person: "You're so smart!" or "You're not a math person."
Harmful because: Doesn't provide actionable information. Can damage growth mindset.
What Good Feedback Looks Like
| Bad Feedback | Good Feedback |
|---|---|
| "Good job!" | "Your thesis clearly states your argument, and each paragraph supports it." |
| "Try harder" | "You're skipping the step where you isolate the variable." |
| "B-" | "You understand the concept but made calculation errors in 3/8 problems." |
| "You're so smart" | "You used the right strategy and executed it correctly." |
The Formula
Effective feedback = Specific + Actionable + Timely
| Element | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Specific | "Your answer is wrong" vs. "You forgot to distribute the negative" |
| Actionable | "Do better" vs. "Check your signs before submitting" |
| Timely | Days later vs. immediately after the error |
The Timing Problem
Most school feedback comes days or weeks after the learning:
| Event | Traditional Timing | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Complete assignment | Day 1 | — |
| Teacher grades | Day 5-10 | — |
| Student receives feedback | Day 7-14 | Student has moved on, can't connect |
By the time feedback arrives, the learning moment is gone.
Immediate Feedback Works
Research shows immediate feedback is significantly more effective than delayed:
- Errors are corrected before they solidify
- Students can connect feedback to their thought process
- Misconceptions don't compound
How ISP Applies This
Instant Correction
In TimeBack, every response gets immediate feedback:
| What Happens | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Wrong answer → instant explanation | Correction happens while thinking is fresh |
| Right answer → confirmation | Reinforces correct understanding |
| Pattern of errors → targeted practice | System identifies specific gaps |
Task and Process Focus
ISP feedback focuses on task and process, not person:
| We Don't Say | We Say |
|---|---|
| "You're smart" | "You applied the formula correctly" |
| "This is wrong" | "This is wrong because... Here's how to fix it" |
| "Try harder" | "Try this specific strategy: ..." |
SSC Feedback
Your child's Student Success Coach provides human feedback layered on system feedback:
| SSC Feedback Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Noticing patterns | "I see you're struggling with word problems. Let's work on identifying the key information." |
| Process guidance | "Before solving, try writing out what you know and what you're looking for." |
| Self-regulation support | "What strategy would you use to check this answer?" |
What This Looks Like in Practice
8:10 AM: Your daughter is doing math practice.
Problem: Solve for x: 4(x - 2) = 20
Her answer: x = 3
Immediate feedback: "Not quite. Let's check: 4(3 - 2) = 4(1) = 4. That's not 20. You need to distribute the 4 first. Watch: 4(x - 2) = 4x - 8 = 20..."
She sees the step she missed. Tries the next problem. Gets it right.
Total time between error and correction: 5 seconds.
Compare to traditional: She'd have submitted the homework, waited 3 days for grades, seen "wrong" next to #4, and had no idea what she did wrong.
Feedback and Growth Mindset
The type of feedback shapes mindset:
| Person-Focused (Fixed Mindset) | Process-Focused (Growth Mindset) |
|---|---|
| "You're so smart" | "Your strategy worked well" |
| "Math isn't your thing" | "This concept takes more practice" |
| "Natural talent" | "Your effort paid off" |
Research (Dweck): Children praised for intelligence become risk-averse and give up faster on hard problems. Children praised for effort persist longer and achieve more.
ISP trains SSCs to give process-focused feedback that builds growth mindset.
For Parents: Giving Better Feedback at Home
You can apply these principles too:
| Instead of... | Try... |
|---|---|
| "Good job on your test" | "I noticed you got all the word problems right. What strategy did you use?" |
| "You're so smart" | "You worked hard on that and it shows" |
| "Why did you get this wrong?" | "Walk me through how you approached this problem" |
| "You need to do better" | "Let's figure out specifically what's tripping you up" |
The Research Behind This
| Researcher | Finding | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Black & Wiliam | Formative assessment produces large learning gains | 1998 |
| Hattie & Timperley | Model of effective feedback (task/process/self-regulation) | 2007 |
| Shute | Guidelines for formative feedback | 2008 |
| Dweck | Process praise beats ability praise | 2006 |
| Wiliam | Embedded formative assessment framework | 2011 |
FAQs
Q: Isn't constant feedback overwhelming?
A: The goal isn't quantity, it's quality and timing. One specific, actionable piece of feedback at the right moment beats ten vague comments a week later.
Q: What about letting kids figure out mistakes themselves?
A: There's value in productive struggle. But struggling without knowing what you're doing wrong doesn't lead to learning — it leads to frustration or reinforced misconceptions. Feedback should guide the struggle, not replace it.
Q: Don't grades matter for college?
A: Yes. But grades should be the result of effective feedback and learning, not a substitute for it. ISP produces both — strong learning that results in strong grades.
Related Pages
- Retrieval Practice → — Feedback on what you know
- Mastery Learning → — Feedback loops in action
- Deliberate Practice → — Feedback as essential component
- Learning Science Overview → — All principles
"Feedback isn't judgment. It's information. The faster and clearer the information, the faster the improvement."