Formative Feedback

Providing Feedback That Enhances Student Learning

The Higher Education Academy in England and Scotland has put together a short publication on "Enhancing student learning through effective formative feedback." (2004, 40 pp.) that has outstanding ideas on this topic.

In the first 15 pages, they lay out "7 Principles of Effective Formative Feedback". The book comments on each principle and then provides 3-5 examples of specific practices to implement that principle.

The remainder of the booklet consists of 8 case studies where professors in different kinds of institutions and different disciplines intentionally used these principles of formative feedback. Each case describes what was done, why, and what happened as a result.

The booklet has been made available on line. To access it:

• go to the website at this URL address: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.asp?id=353&process=full_record&section=generic
• on the 5th line from the top ("Download publication"), click on the publication number ("ASS096"). You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader software to read the document.