Brilliant or Insane?: feedback

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Infographic Shows 7 Things to Remember About Feedback

By Mark Barnes

I've written widely about feedback for learning. In fact, I believe that narrative feedback should completely replace traditional number and letter grades.

This infographic contains 7 key takeaways from an issue of Educational Leadership, dedicated to feedback.

Each "thing to remember about feedback" in the graphic is from an expert on assessment. What are your thoughts about feedback, in general, and these takeaways, in particular?

Mark Barnes is an education author and consultant and the publisher of Brilliant or Insane. Learn more about Mark on our Team page. Follow him on Twitter here.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

SE2R Feedback Forever Changes How Teachers, Students Evaluate Learning

By Mark Barnes

photo credit: Ken Whytock via photopin cc

One of the keys to a successful student-centered, Results Only Learning Environment is the use of narrative feedback over grades. Although feedback isn't necessarily difficult to provide, a systematic approach can simplify the process.

A few years ago, when I was writing more feedback than ever before, I developed a system that I call the SE2R approach:

Summarize -- Provide a one- or two-sentence statement of what was accomplished.

Explain -- Give a detailed, objective explanation of what learning is demonstrated and/or what is missing, based on the activity's guidelines.

Redirect -- When learning outcomes are not demonstrated, redirect students to prior learning or to seek help from the teacher or a peer.

Resubmit -- Ask students to resubmit activities, projects or assessments, after they've returned to prior lessons and models and made changes to the work. This way the teacher can re-evaluate for mastery learning.

SE2R feedback in action: Here is an example of SE2R feedback for a student who wrote what we call a reflection letter about a book she read. Notice that there is no point or letter grade attached; this is crucial to the success of narrative feedback. Studies indicate that if you add a measure of any kind to the feedback, students do not read it, making your effort a complete waste of time.

Summarize

"You wrote a brief reflection on The Hunger Games, in which you mix plot details and your own personal connection."

Explain

"The summary information demonstrates comprehension of plot elements including characterization and conflict -- elements of fiction we recently learned. I think, however, that you misidentify the rising action. I like how you show empathy for Katniss and her plight, as she faces the prospect of killing Peeta (hint: what story element is this?). Elaborating on this part would improve your reflection."

Redirect

"Please review the presentation on rising action on our classroom web site linked here. Then, revise your reflection, reworking the part on rising action, in order to demonstrate understanding of the concept. Then, elaborate on your feelings about Katniss' tough decision near the end of the story.

Resubmit

When you have finished, e-mail me or send me a message on our private message board, telling me that you've done so."

What makes the SE2R approach integral to mastery learning is that it removes the kind of subjectivity present in grades and rubrics, while providing students with clear information about what they've accomplished and what they still need to do.

Most important, SE2R allows students to revisit activities and projects, so they can make corrections and resubmit for re-evaluation. This is what teaching and learning should look like but, sadly, is a part that is omitted in most traditional classrooms.

Are you using anything like SE2R? What advantages and problems do you see in this system of feedback?

Mark Barnes is an education author and consultant and the publisher of Brilliant or Insane. Learn more about Mark on our Team page. Follow him on Twitter here.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Can Narrative Feedback Eliminate Traditional Grading?

If you read Brilliant or Insane, you probably know we are anti-tradition, when it comes to education. One of my goals, in fact, is to completely eliminate traditional number and letter grading in schools.

With this goal in mind, I produced the Storify below in 2012, in an effort to get the conversation about eliminating grades started. Scroll through the Storify and let us know what you think of the opinions expressed therein.

Please add your thoughts in the comment section below.

Mark Barnes is an education author and consultant and the publisher of Brilliant or Insane. Learn more about Mark on our Team page. Follow him on Twitter here.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

The three-step rubric

By Reed Gillespie

Effective rubrics provide clear criteria and an equally clear means of measuring performance. My best rubrics took hours to construct, yet student projects always seemed to fall short of what I envisioned. The Three Step Rubric changed that.

The right assessment tool stimulates conversation
via: learning first.org

Together, the three steps ensure quality work and feedback. First, students create the rubric. Secondly, each student self-assesses, and finally, the teacher assesses the assignment. A peer-editing step can also be added.

Creating the Rubric

As a class or in student groups, use the following questions to guide the creation of the rubric:

What should the assignment include?
What will be assessed?
How will the assignment align with standards?
How will we measure your (student) achievement?

Admittedly, I’m a big fan of using a 4-point rubric (Exceeds, Proficient, Approaching, Needs Improvement). Because of student choice, sometimes a project doesn’t fit into the confines of the rubric. When this occurs, spend time collaborating and discussing with the student how he/she can create an individual rubric.

Student Self-Assessments

After completing the assessment, students use the rubric to evaluate themselves. They must justify and explain their ratings for each category. You’ll find the students to be very accurate with their own evaluations—often even grading themselves more harshly than you would.

Teacher Assessment

After they’ve completed their self-evaluation, it’s the teacher’s turn to provide feedback. Instead of making comments on all parts of the assessment and rubric, only comment where differences between the student grade and your grade exist (this is a great time saver!) This process enables teachers to more intently focus their time on areas where disagreement exists and where feedback is most important.

Advantages

Setting their own goals helps students get started. It helps them organize and the focus on the task. Students visualize. This is what the assignment is supposed to look like.
Students focus on important components and standards.
They can explain and see why the information or skill is relevant.
By allowing student choice, motivation increases.
Rubrics can be personalized, increasing creativity.
Students are able to accurately evaluate the quality of their work, which enables them to discover ways to improve their performance.
Students and teacher work side-by-side, making the feedback more meaningful.

The Three Step Rubric actively engages students in their own learning. By monitoring and reflecting on their work, they assume more responsibility for their learning.

Reed Gillespie writes about education for Brilliant or Insane. Learn more about Reed on our Team page. Follow Reed on Twitter here.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Student-teacher conferencing: feedback for learning

Guest post

By John Spencer

I didn't begin student-teacher conferencing with the students in mind. Honestly, it was more of a survival thing for an introverted teacher who needed to move away from the whole group and see students as individuals. After a week of it, I realized that this was one of the best methods of assessment that I could do.

Overview

I organize the conferences so that I can meet with three students per hour. That's a reasonable goal, given the fact that they usually take five to ten minutes a piece and they happen during group and independent work.

In a departmentalized setting, this usually means that I can meet with each student once every two weeks. However, there are times when it's closer to six a day and I meet with all students each week. In a self-contained classroom, it has meant that I can meet with all kids multiple times per week.

I have two types of conferences I do with students. The conferences vary from focusing on specific standards to focusing on specific work.

Coaching

I explain to them that I am a coach there to ask questions and help them articulate how they are doing. The goal here is student self-assessment and I am simply the facilitator of the process.

To what extent have you mastered __________?

In what area are you still struggling?

How would you describe ____________?

What would happen if ____________?

How do you feel _________ went? Did it turn out like you had planned?

What are some things you're noticing?

What I'm hearing you say is (paraphrase). Is that accurate?

What are some steps you might take to improve this work?

What do you think will happen if/when ___________? Alternate: Tell me where you're seeing this going?

What are you hoping to learn from ________?

Consulting

Here, I am the expert. I know, I know. I'm supposed to be a "guide on the side." However, the truth is that I know a thing or two about writing and reading and math. This type of conversation allows students to figure out where they need help and what questions they can ask.

Sometimes students show me a work they have and other times they bring up conceptual questions. The goal is for them to reflect on their own learning in a way that helps them see the very nitty-gritty, practical side of learning.

I don't have a set of questions that I use, but I offer them the following question frames:

I was noticing that ____________. Are you seeing the same thing?

Could you show me how ____________?

Why is it that _______________?

I'm stuck with ______________. What resources would you recommend to help me?

How could I __________?

What are you noticing when you see me _____________?

Location

I used to have a desk where these conversations happened. However, I quickly realized that the desk was an authority symbol for them. I was higher up, in a comfortable chair. So, now we have a small table specifically for this purpose. I sit next to, instead of across, from the students.

Is that necessary for all teachers? I doubt it. However, it’s what works for me.

John Spencer is a teacher in a low-SES, Title One school in Phoenix, Arizona. He blogs at educationrethink.com and writes a column for Kappan Magazine. He has also written Pencil Me In, A Sustainable Start, and a chapter in The Nature of Technology. You can follow him on Twitter at @edrethink.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

In case you missed our series on eliminating grades

Thanks to you, our series, "Strategies for eliminating traditional grades," has been very popular. In case you missed any of the posts, here they are in the order that they were published.

Please share these with friends and colleagues, so we can keep this powerful movement against traditional grading going.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Taking the grades out of assessments

Fifth in a series on strategies for eliminating traditional grades

by Reed Gillespie

For many, the word “assessment” conjures up thoughts about all that’s wrong with education: standardized testing, final exams, grades, etc.

But an effective assessment strategy actually eliminates grades.

A 1991 study by Masaharu Kage revealed grading quizzes lowered students’ intrinsic motivation and led to poorer learning when compared to self-monitored, non-evaluative quizzes. Other studies have similar results.

Assessments are an important part of learning, but educators tend to leave students out of the process. Having students participate in their own evaluation, while detaching grades, increases learning.

Involving students in assessment

Here’s a simple strategy that involves students in the assessment process, creating a sense of ownership and increasing their commitment to learning.

Students complete a formative assessment. This can be a quiz, classwork, project, etc.
After completing the assessment, students turn their work into the teacher. If you’re concerned about student confidentiality, have students use random IDs instead of their names.
Working individually, in groups, or as a class, students create a separate “answer key.” While students work, the teacher provides assistance, informally assesses performance and determines whether re-teaching will be necessary.
Students return the corrected work to their teacher who then passes it back to the original student. This step allows the teacher to further measure student understanding.
Students keep a copy of their “answer key” and use that to double-check their peer’s feedback.

By working with the students through the entire process, the teacher uses the assessment as a source of information and, if necessary, can provide high-quality corrective re-teaching. Students receive instant, specific and descriptive feedback without the stigma attached to grades. Working together, the teacher and the students make choices about what to focus on next in their learning.

With the emphasis on learning and mastery, students will be more intrinsically motivated and more willing to take risks to expand their learning.

Reference

Kage, M. The effects of evaluation on intrinsic motivation. Paper presented at the meetings of the Japan Association of Education Psychology, Joetsu, Japan.

Reed Gillespie writes about education for Brilliant or Insane. He is a longtime educator and blogger. Catch more of Reed's work here. Follow him on Twitter here.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Eliminate grades with digital feedback

Fourth in a series on strategies for eliminating traditional grades

One of the fears of discarding traditional grades, in favor of a system like SE2R (Summarize, Explain, Redirect and Resubmit) is wondering how to efficiently deliver it.

To deliver effective narrative feedback on a consistent basis, digital tools, like Google Drive, and Kidblog are crucial. These social networks allow teachers to provide written narratives directly next to or beneath student activities, and to create a two-way conversation, which leads to mastery learning.

The video above shows part of SE2R in the comment stream. The student is Redirected to prior learning with a link to a classroom presentation. He's then asked to improve the work and Resubmit it.

Providing this kind of feedback in the virtual world entices students to act immediately. In the Google Doc, for example, the student can click on a link to prior learning, make immediate changes to the work and inform the teacher in the comment stream, when changes have been made.

Reviewing this activity can take place on your Smartphone or tablet, so this amazing teaching and learning can happen anywhere.

So, if you want to eliminate traditional grades, use digital feedback. Your students won't be punished by a number or letter, and they'll love you for teaching them in their world.

Read the prior post in the series here, and keep the conversation going.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

All things considered, what should your grade be?

Third in a series on strategies for eliminating traditional grades

The more educators hear about the power of meaningful narrative feedback, the more their interest in feedback over grades grows.

via: 123rf.com

The question that crops up more than any about eliminating number and letter grades is, "How are report cards handled, if there are no points throughout a marking period?"

Make it a conversation

When I transitioned my classroom to results-only learning, I stopped placing numbers and letters on every activity and project students ever completed. When time for district-mandated report cards arrived, I met with individual students to discuss their learning during the previous nine weeks.

We would review all activities and projects and discuss the narrative feedback I'd given and the conversations about learning that we'd had. Since students grow up in a system that uses A, B, C, D, F grades, they are keenly aware of how this system works.

I made it clear to them that I had no interest in the report card grade, because I knew how much they had learned. Then I'd say, "All things considered, if we have to assess your learning with a letter, what should it be?"

The students would contemplate the question and the work they'd done and assign themselves a report card grade. Occasionally, I might disagree with them at first, so we'd continue the discussion, but these times were few and far between.

What's amazing about this is that you'll find that your students, when taught about the value of self-evaluation, become very critical of their own work, which important for both academic growth and maturation in general.

So, begin assessment by replacing numbers and letters with narrative feedback. Then, when report card time comes, ask your students to grade themselves. You'll be amazed at the results.

Read the first and second articles in the series

Monday, January 13, 2014

How to stop measuring your students

Second in a series on strategies for eliminating traditional grades

via: mcclungsworld.com

The workshop audience, filled with K-12 teachers and administrators, loved the idea of narrative feedback. "I think we all agree that this is good for kids," one participant said, "but how do we measure achievement?"

This is a common question, brought on in most cases by parental demands, college admissions officers and a political quest to win a mythical global education competition.

How do we measure achievement? Don't!

Although answering the how-do-we-measure-achievement question with a simple, We don't, may seem glib, it's a mindset that teachers need to embrace, if we're going to win the war on punitive grades.

Once educators understand that achievement can't be measured with simple numbers, percentages or letters, evaluating learning becomes easy.

The picture above is as misleading as any graphic can be. The numbers say nothing about learning, because we don't know how these students are being evaluated, although it is definitely with some kind of standardized test.

One must wonder what factors contribute to some groups being at the bottom of the graph. Might it be that a student who is hungry can't concentrate on a test? Is it possible that others come from crime-ridden neighborhoods, and concern over their own safety far outweighs the questions on a multiple-choice test?

Evaluation should always be done with feedback

So, stop measuring. If your school mandates high stakes tests throughout the year, ignore all other testing until those tests arrive. Stop grading papers, projects and participation.

Engage students with interactive lessons, collaboration and technology integration. Then, converse with them about learning.

When someone says, "How do you measure achievement?" Tell them you don't. Explain that students provide work product based on mini lessons; you observe constantly, and discuss what is learned and what is not.

Ask students, perched conspicuously at the bottom of the graph above, what they have learned, instead of handing them a paper-and-pencil test. You'll be amazed by their answers.

Read the first article in this series here

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Overcoming the weekly grades mandate

First in a series on strategies for eliminating traditional grades

After promising to do all I can to eliminate traditional grades in schools this year, supporters have surfaced here, on Twitter, Google+ and other social networks. One issue that continues to crop up is with people who want to stop grading but say their administrators mandate weekly grades.

Administrative mandates like the one Allison mentions in her tweet are exactly the sort of misguided approaches to assessment that inhibit learning. Typically, they exist only to placate parents, who see the grades as a measurement of weekly progress -- another fallacy.

Use two-pronged approach to solving this problem

One: begin a conversation with upper administrators about why weekly grades hinder teaching and learning. Explain that you want to eliminate grading your students with numbers and letters, because these false measurements do not provide effective feedback to all stakeholders.

Instead of weekly grades, come up with an alternative that will satisfy administrators. Some sort of narrative feedback -- even brief comments about progress -- should suffice.

Two: If administrators are slow to react to your suggestions (sometimes congress moves faster than education), at the very minimum, bring students into the conversation about weekly grades.

If a number or letter measurement has to be uploaded into an electronic grade book, why not allow your students to decide on the grade. They will be very good at it, if they are coached properly on self-evaluation.

At least this is a start.

Read the second post in this series here. Meanwhile, please keep the conversation going.

Friday, January 3, 2014

War on grades begins and readers are curious

My New Year's resolution, launching a war on traditional grades in all schools, is sparking plenty of attention here at Brilliant or Insane and on social media. Good questions are cropping up -- encouraging me to believe that this resolution is gaining traction, rather than ridicule.

~~A 75/100 55%~~

I'm running into people like Anneke Radin-Snaith here, at workshops and on numerous social networks; most are inspired and asking questions like Anneke, who posted the ones below here:

Anneke Radin-SnaithJanuary 2, 2014 at 8:05 PM

First of all, I love the idea of feedback instead of grades and have slowly been moving in that direction for a while now. Reading your piece brought up a few questions for me. What age do you work with and do you see this method as applicable across the board? How much time does this take? Do you use this method with every assignment, or only some? When you involve students in grading themselves (for report cards) do use some type of process whereby they look back at their work/progress?

Let me fire the first salvo at grades by addressing these issues in order.

Narrative feedback, using the SE2R system, is effective in any grade or subject. Meaningful two-way feedback creates a conversation about learning, which should start at a young age and continue throughout adulthood.
The SE2R system is time-consuming. When learning is done right, though, teachers should spend most of their time providing feedback, using a variety of tools. Remember, all feedback does not have to be written. Much of it can be part of verbal conversations.
Narrative feedback should be the evaluation system used for all activities, projects or assessments. It frames learning far more effectively than numbers and letters ever can.
For report cards, the student must be involved in deciding the final grade. At the end of a marking period, I sit down with every student and reflect on all activities, projects and feedback. Then, I ask a simple question: "What grade should you receive?" Students are our most important stakeholders. Leaving them out of any final report card grade is poor practice and a true injustice.

It is this kind of dialogue that will help us win the war on traditional grades. Please keep the questions and comments coming.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

This year I'm serious about my New Year's resolution: Eliminate traditional grades in every school

In the last few years, I've been pretty good with New Year's resolutions. One year, I promised to have a golf handicap in the mid teens. With plenty of practice and a little coaching, I made it happen. Another year, I lost 10 pounds.

My 2014 resolution is far more daunting than shaving a few golf strokes or cutting out fast food. This year, I'm promising to change education forever.

I'm going to encourage teachers everywhere to stop grading their students, using points, percentages and letters.

It may be crazy, but. . .

Sure, this may seem like an inconceivable, ridiculous, completely crazy idea.

After all, wasn't flying a plane inconceivable? Wasn't the microwave a ridiculous idea? I mean who in his right mind would eat something exposed to radiation? Wasn't the Smartphone a completely crazy thought? Could an internet-ready computer and high-functioning video camera really be placed inside a four-inch mobile device?

If these outrageous inventions could become realities, revolutionizing travel, eating and communication, why can't assessment be changed?

The plan

Any successful resolution or goal needs a plan. Here's how I intend to stop traditional grading in its tracks in 2014:

Share this 5-step blueprint for eliminating grades with teachers nationwide often.
Enlist the help of educators in my Personal Learning Network. This must be a widespread grassroots effort.
Create open forums with parents and school leaders about the value of SE2R feedback over traditional grades (more on this later).
Write about the power of feedback and the failure of grades. There's plenty of prose coming on this subject.
Get the publishing lobby to buy in. I've been hard on education publishers, like Pearson, who capitalize on education reforms, like the Common Core. What if a powerhouse publisher decided to put its resources behind narrative feedback? Imagine the possibilities.

So, in 2014, I'm going to war, and my enemy is traditional grades.

Are you ready to join the fight?

Friday, December 27, 2013

Eliminate grades: here's your 5-step blueprint

As 2014 approaches, it's time for teachers to commit to the kind of change that will truly transform education. The easiest place to start is with assessment.

The fix? Eliminate traditional grades.

via: navigatingbyjoy.com

When I speak at schools and conferences, most teachers I encounter love the idea of eliminating grades, especially when they see a viable alternative, like SE2R feedback.

What attracts educators to the SE2R model is the idea that students are redirected to prior learning, when they have not mastered a concept. Then, they are given the opportunity to resubmit their work for further evaluation and feedback. This process leads to mastery learning.

What discourages teachers from using meaningful narrative feedback over number and letter grades is fear of backlash from parents, administrators and college admissions boards.

5-step blueprint for success

Realize that you are accountable first, and foremost, to students. We owe students the best chance to learn, regardless of any mandates we receive from bureaucrats.
Tell parents exactly why you want to stop grading their children. When you explain that you want to provide detailed feedback on all activities and give kids a chance for real mastery learning, how can parents argue?
Team up with principals. Approach the principal with details about your plan to eliminate number and letter grades. Outline the benefits of meaningful narrative feedback. Emphasize that the SE2R model leads to mastery learning. Invite her to review the feedback and the results.
Bring students into the report card conversation. If your district mandates report cards, sit down with your students at the end of each marking period and discuss the grade. Talk about what work was completed and what skills were acquired over time. How did students handle your feedback? Then, simply ask them to grade themselves. You'll be amazed at the results.
Share your success with district and community leaders. The best way to turn this into a movement that will forever change education is to share the results of feedback over grades with the people who have the power to influence widespread change.

The only way to spark real change is to act. Sweep away your fears and use this blueprint. Stop grading your students, and witness the thrill of independent learning.

Mark Barnes is an education author and consultant and the publisher of Brilliant or Insane. Learn more about Mark on our Team page. Follow him on Twitter here.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Hey Orville and Wilbur, you can't fly!

Today is the 110-year anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic, first-ever powered flight.

Returning home from Philadelphia yesterday, where I delivered two workshops on results-only learning, the idea of jetting across America at 15,000 feet being impossible never occurred to me. After all, thousands of planes make similar flights daily.

via: eyewitness history.com

Reliving that century-old first flight vicariously through pictures and excerpts from Orville Wright's diary, I couldn't help but wonder about the skepticism the inventors faced. "Hey, Orville and Wilbur," dumbfounded friends most certainly warned, "you can't fly!"

The brothers must have been insane to even consider placing an engine in a mechanical bird and hoping that it would leave the ground and take flight, with one of them on board. How could it be possible? No one had ever done it, and it seemed completely illogical.

Neither worry of ridicule nor fear of failure, though, stopped Orville and Wilbur from changing history and vaulting society to a new technological plateau. Travel would never be the same, and distance could never impose insurmountable barriers to people living their dreams.

Hey Mark, you can't eliminate grades

During my recent workshops, I told more than 150 educators that if we are to improve teaching and learning, we must stop grading our students.

The idea that measuring achievement with numbers, percentages and letters is as archaic as the notion that Orville and Wilbur Wright couldn't fly. They knew that we could travel farther and faster, just as many teachers know that we can evaluate learning through observation, trial and error and two-way narrative feedback.

Sadly, most do not have the courage that the Wright brothers had. "Our administration demands grades," some workshop attendees said. "The colleges and parents expect grades," others added.

While some teachers seem open to alternative forms of assessment, the resounding notion that teachers can't eliminate grades remains intact.

If they were teachers rather than engineers, I wonder what Orville and Wilbur would have said about that.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Back to school: my visit to a 5th-grade math class

As a former middle school teacher, I try to stay connected to authentic teaching and learning as much as possible. Also, I like to observe results-only classrooms, so I can interact with students who are at the center of learning.

Recently, I visited a 5th-grade math class, where some amazing student-centered learning was taking place.

To the casual observer, this may look like a bunch of kids sort of doing their own thing and, to some degree, it is. Looking deeper, though, there is so much more.

What makes this class so powerful is just how much the students are driving the learning. After some brief instruction, the learners scurried off to three stations -- a student-directed review station, a computer station, where students reinforced the day's concept with a digital math game and a hands-on diagnostic station, where the students shared learning with the teacher and each other, using real objects to demonstrate how fractions work.

I was reminded of just how engaging results-only learning is. At the review station, one student facilitated discussion, using an interactive white board, selecting peers to go to the board and share their solutions to problems. "What if someone doesn't know the answer?" I inquired.

"We work through it together," was the response. The teacher, I was informed, was the last resort. Can you imagine this philosophy in a traditional classroom?

Although there were many noteworthy approaches to teaching and learning in the 60 minutes I spent as a 5th grader, what struck me most was how easily the teacher evaluated his students. No points, percentages or letter grades were assigned to anyone.

The student-centered classroom facilitator spoke to every individual student at some point, carefully observing if concepts were mastered. Two-way narrative feedback helped him assess learning, far more than a multiple choice quiz ever could.

My favorite part of the day. We all had fun!