So What is the Target?
The most effective learning happens when students are aiming for some understanding or skill, usually called a learning target, and are participating in a formative learning process based on three questions:
- Where am I going?
- Where am I now?
- Where to next?
You might think that feedback just covers that second question-helping students understand the quality of their work and their learning at a point in time. In reality, effective feedback helps students with all three questions by helping students
- See exactly what it is they are trying to learn.
- Understand where they are currently.
- See what their next step in learning should be and get the information they need to take that step.