Feedback That Supports Learning

Feedback is an important component of effective learning. It is one of the most, if not the most important tools for supporting learning. Feedback improves learner confidence, motivation, and outcomes.

What exactly is feedback in the context of learning? Providing feedback means giving learners an explanation of what they are doing correctly and incorrectly, with the focus of the feedback on what the learner is doing right. 

Whether you are implementing a face-to-face or online learning intervention, it is most productive to an individual’s learning when they are provided with an explanation as to what is accurate and inaccurate about what is expected out of their learning.

The three loops of Learner Feedback by Paul Kirschner

There are many different types of feedback, all serving different purposes. The three most common ones are corrective, directive, and epistemic feedback.

Corrective Feedback 

This feedback can be seen as a type of single loop, where when a learner provides an incorrect answer, the right answer is provided. The learner knows immediately if the answer is right or wrong and also what the correct answer should be. Very simple and quite easy.

Directive Feedback 

This feedback, meanwhile, can be seen as a type of double loop that gives direction on how things can be better or done better. It informs the learner how to do something so that he or she can carry out the task properly. 

For example: “You didn’t solve the problem correctly, it would be better to do it this way” or “Although your answer is correct, the process you followed is not so effective. This is a better way to solve the problem.”

Epistemic Feedback 

This third type of feedback, finally, can be seen as a type of triple loop that helps learners learn or gather knowledge. It informs or stimulates the learner to think about the “why” in relation to carrying out a task. 

An example of such feedback is “In this step, you seem to have made a mistake; considering X, what could you do differently?” or “Why did you choose to do it this way? Are there other approaches to doing it which might give a different or better answer?” 

When you give epistemic feedback, you don’t tell learners what they did right or wrong (corrective) or how they can do better (directive). Instead, you give a hint in order to help them figure out how they can do it differently or better.

This blog entry is based on an article by Paul Kirschner and Mirjam Neelen. You can read more of their work here.