Giving feedback – An integral part of education

Feedback is an integral part of the educational process. It provides learners with a comparison of their performance to educational goals with the aim of helping them achieve or exceed their goals. Effective feedback is delivered in an appropriate setting, focusses on performance and not the individual, is specific, is based on direct observation or objective date, is delivered using neutral, non-judgemental language and identifies actions or plans for improvement. For best results, the sender and receiver of feedback must work as allies. Negative feedback can create an emotional response in the learner, which may interfere with the effectiveness of the feedback due to dissonance between self-evaluation and external appraisal. Reflection can help learners process negative feedback and allow them to develop and implement improvement plans. Both delivering and receiving feedback are skills that can be improved with training. Teachers have a duty to provide meaningful feedback to learners; learners should expect feedback and seek it.