Documentation:Assessment/Formative Feedback

Formative Assessment
“Encompassing all those activities undertaken by teachers, and/or by their students, which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged” (Black & Wiliams,1998)

Benefits to Feedback
Sadler (1989) identified three conditions necessary for students to benefit from feedback in academic tasks. He argued that the student must know:
 * what good performance is (i.e. the student must possess a concept of the goal orstandard being aimed for);
 * how current performance relates to good performance (for this, the student must be able to compare current and good performance)
 * how to act to close the gap

Seven principles of good feedback practice (Nicol and Dick, 2006, p. 205 ) that support student self-assessment. Feedback practice:

1. helps clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, expected sandards);

2. facilitates the development of self-assessment (reflection) in learning;

3. delivers high quality information to students about their learning;

4. encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning;

5. encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem;

6. provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance;

7. provides information to teachers that can be used to help shape teaching.