WHY IS PROVIDING FEEDBACK IMPORTANT?

Feedback help students develop their language skills. It can provide a general indication of ability relating to key skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) or to specific areas that need further work like pronunciation and grammar.

Educators should aim to provide information that students need to improve and not to overwhelm them with too much feedback.

Feedback has three fundamental and interrelated purposes:

·         Improving the fluency, accuracy or complexity of students’ speaking and writing

·         Motivate students, and

·         Developing students’ autonomy.

Reflective feedback is vital in getting learners to evaluate their own ability and performance. This self-assessment gives the students the chance to lead their own learning and make the changes needed to improve.

HOW CAN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY FEEDBACK?

Here are some ways in which technology can play a supporting role:

·         Use Google Drive to create a portfolio for each student/assessment task

·         Deploy survey forms to assess progress toward learning targets and understand how students are coping and feeling throughout the course

·         Video- or audio-recording of a task to self-evaluate

·         Chat functions can be invaluable for peer or co-constructed discussion

·         Students can receive immediate feedback on some of their key language skills via technology solutions such as SANAKO CONNECT