Chapter 8

Feedback as Part of Differentiated Instruction

  • Feedback adjustments should be paired with differentiated instruction.
  • Feedback and instruction should be tailored to meet individual needs.
  • Teachers should use feedback to inform instruction, ensuring that it responds to student progress and struggles.

Reluctant Students

  • These students often perceive themselves as failures and may block feedback due to negative self-perception.

Feedback should:

  • Address negative feelings before diving into information for improvement.
  • Be positive, encouraging, and focused on small, manageable improvements.
  • Use self-referenced feedback, comparing current work with the student’s previous performance.
  • Avoid overwhelming them with feedback that is overly negative or complex.

English Language Learners

Key issue: Ability to understand feedback due to language barriers.

  • Feedback should be conversational and at the student's language proficiency level.
  • Focus on content over minor language issues if the main goal is comprehension.
  • Match feedback to the student's English proficiency level (e.g., silent, early speech, intermediate).
  • Coordinate feedback with the instructional model used for English language learners

Struggling Students

  • May lack prior learning experiences or skills to understand the assignment or feedback.

Benefit from:

  • Scaffolded feedback that links process to outcomes.
  • Self-referenced feedback, comparing current performance to their own past work.
  • Suggestions for small, manageable steps.
  • Self-referenced feedback builds students’ confidence by focusing on improvement, not just failures.
  • Teachers should check for understanding after feedback to ensure it is meaningful.

Adjusting Feedback for Different Learners

Successful Students:

  • Benefit from feedback despite appearing independent.
  • Often engage in self-assessment spontaneously.
  • Use assignments and feedback as formative tools for improvement.

Feedback should be:

  • Task and process-focused.
  • Criterion-referenced, positive, clear, and specific.
  • Include suggestions for next steps.
  • Enrichment opportunities may be suggested beyond the classroom goals.

Important to avoid skimping on feedback for them, even though they often self-regulate.

Feedback should encourage conversation and self-awareness of their learning process.