Optimising Feedback with DOMS™️

Five practical tips to 10X the impact of your feedback

A question I get asked a lot is: what does the research tell us about how to write & deliver feedback?

Here’s a summary of the evidence, distilled into five tips:

1. Content

Explaining why an answer is right or wrong is proven to be more effective than simply displaying scores.

Feedback is most effective when it:

• provides the learner with next steps to correct misunderstandings;

• prompts the learner to extend their learning in some new and novel way- e.g. through offering new questions for consideration, or a chance to tackle the same or a more complex challenge again.

In practice: optimised feedback explains why an answer is right or wrong & provides an immediate opportunity to try again, followed by a second round of feedback.

2. Quantity

The quantity of feedback given to the learner matters. As a rule: the more feedback a learner receives, the more likely they are to achieve outcomes.

In practice: optimised feedback happens regularly; ideally there are 2-3 pieces of well-crafted feedback (~2-3 mins each), per 1 hr of learning.

3. Immediacy

The length of time between a learner’s action & the feedback of either a peer or instructor also matters. The longer the wait, the less valuable the feedback.

In practice: in optimised course designs, all learner activity is followed immediately by well-crafted feedback.

4. Mode

Research has found that feedback has more impact on learner outcomes when it is verbal rather than text-based. This is in part because the feedback is more embodied & authoritative - i.e. it’s clear who the source is and that they are trustworthy (e.g. human, not machine).

In practice: optimised feedback is delivered via responsive or pre-recorded video or audio, rather than text.

5. Length

Learners consistently skip feedback when it’s too too long. Extended feedback leads to cognitive overload which in turn leads to disengagement.

In practice: optimised feedback is short & targeted. It takes ~2-3 minutes to consume & focuses on common errors and/or examples of great, related back to key outcomes.

Key Reads

🎓  Crisp, E., & Bonk, C. J. (November, 2018). Defining the learner feedback experience. TechTrends, 62(6), 585-593

🎓 Heritage, M. (2007). Formative assessment: What do teachers need to know and do? Phi Delta Kappan, 89(2), 140–145

🎓 Maier, U., Wolf, N. & Randler, C. (2016). Effects of a computer-assisted formative assessment intervention based on multiple-tier diagnostic items and different feedback types. Computers & Education, 95, 85–98

🎓 Wylie, C. & Lyon, C. (2012, June). Formative assessment—Supporting students’ learning. R & D Connections (No. 19)

I’d love to hear how you write & deliver feedback & how it’s impacted your learners’ outcomes. Share your thoughts / comments / challenges / questions in the comments below.

Happy designing! 👋

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Want to learn & try the DOMS™️ process for yourself?

Apply for a place on my course design accelerator, a three week, hands-on adventure where we work together to design a course of your choice using the DOMS™️ evidence-based principles & process.

The next cohort kicks off in September. You can learn more about the accelerator & see some example content here or jump straight in and apply now using the button below.

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