Feedback is based on:

Process – Something that happens over time. Not once off.

A challenge in feedback design is that the process is an abstract concept – i.e. the feedback process (sequence, source, frequency, modality, detail, etc.) can look quite different – there is no universal design for that process. In addition, the process may, ideally, be different for each individual.

Learners – this definition is learner-centred.

This represents a shift from a dominant understanding of feedback (comments provided by educators to learners). In this definition, information about performance could come from educators, but it could also be generated by the learner, her/his peers, others, or even automated systems. A challenge in feedback design is to not only facilitate the generation of performance information through these diverse sources, but also to enable learners to make sense of information AND to demonstrate improvement.

Sense-making

A challenge in feedback design is the conceptualisation of the sense-making process. How do we make sense of something? What skills do learners need? What features of the feedback process facilitate effective sense-making?

Information

A challenge in feedback design is the need to consider what nature of information is most useful for learners (e.g. multiple sources, modalities, detailed, personalised, individualised, task oriented, metacognitive/thinking orientated etc.).

Performance

Because feedback uses performance information to enhance future work and learning strategies, it is logical that there should be more feedback opportunities earlier in a subject (front-end loading). But how can we have more feedback earlier, without also assessing more?

Impact/Effect

How do educators or students know if feedback has an effect?

A challenge in feedback design is to set the conditions in which learners have opportunities to demonstrate improvement which is more than simply asking them to do a further task.

It necessarily needs to also offer a chance for learners to judge their performance and evaluate it in relation to their changed work/learning strategies.

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Extra Resources

The way that we perceive feedback can assist in how we process it.  Watch the below video that helps us to understand how we process events.