Fast Feedback on Skills and Habits
Fast Feedback on the Learning Skills
Use Feedback Forward to gather evidence of student growth as they practice the Learning Skills.
(New to the OE learning skills? Check out our blog to get to know the Learning Skills that help students Communicate, Reason, Analyze, and Explore.)
Give Fast Feedback to students every time they complete an activity where they practice a specific skill.
Criteria for growth or proficiency will vary according to the content area. In English class, students might practice the skill of Investigation as they work to identify multiple viewpoints in a text. In a math class, students might practice Collaboration as they act as peer partners and instructional resources for classmates. Fast Feedback makes it easy to elicit and interpret evidence of progress consistently, so that you can give students regular feedback and understand their growth through data insights.
Five questions to answer as you plan for Fast Feedback:
1. Which Learning Skill should be a focus during this project, unit, term or course?
As you are planning, review the content, formative and summative assessments, tasks and activities, standards, and learning goals for a period of time, whether it be for a single project or an entire term. Consider which Learning Skills students will practice as they progress and choose at least one as a criterion for Fast Feedback.
2. What does success look like over time or in different activities? What are specific indicators of growth?
Use the evidence statements or identify your own specific indicators (or success criteria) that will help you recognize and explain what proficiency or progress in each skill looks like. Consider developing a rubric or framework, or co-creating one with students.
3. How will I share success criteria with students?
If you do not co-create a rubric or framework with students, make a plan to share these indicators with students. Discuss the specific success criteria with students and consider building reflection exercises into class activities.
4. When and how often will I give Fast Feedback to students on this learning skill?
Meaningful data insights in Feedback Forward require at least five sessions of Fast Feedback. This means that giving feedback needs to be a consistent part of your routine. Consider both your lesson plans and daily classroom routines, and identify the formative assessments or activities that allow students to demonstrate this learning skill.
5. How will I act on data insights and help students move forward?
Make a plan to help students move forward using the feedback from Feedback Forward. Use the Insights to provide the foundation for conferences or weekly check-ins. Ask students to reflect, set goals, and create plans for moving forward. You can also screenshot a student’s data insights to create a customizable progress report to share with students and parents. Use Insights to plan for intervention, targeted re-teaching, or differentiated instruction.
Download a copy of our Learning Skills bookmarks to take with you.