Feedback

A number of educators assert that it is important to make the learners aware

of their results in the examinations and in all tasks and homework that they are

assigned to perform inside and outside the school, whether these results are right

or wrong, positive or negative. This is what is meant by feedback.

Feedback is an opportunity for the learner to know whether his answer to the

question or the problem that he or she is required to address is right or wrong.

Some researchers assert that feedback is not confined to inform the learner with

his or her results of what he or she has learned. The teacher should show the

learner to what extent his or her answer was right or wrong.

The importance of the use of feedback in the learning process can be summed up in

the following points:

1. Feedback is to inform the learner what he or she has learned. This reduces anxiety

and stress, which may result in the case of not knowing the results of his or her

learning.

2. It reinforces the learner and encourages him to continue in the learning process,

especially when he or she knows that the answer to the question was correct. 3. The learner's knowledge that his answer was wrong, and knowing the reason for

his wrong answer may make him or her get convinced that the result or the marks

he got he himself was responsible for them. Then he or she doubles the effort and

studies harder in the coming times. 4. Correcting the learner’s wrong answer would result in weakening the links of

errors that occurred in his memory between the questions and the wrong answer,

and would replace them with correct links. 5. Giving feedback will stimulate the learning process, and increase the level of

motivation to learn. 6. It tells the teacher where he stands of the desired goal, and whether he needs more

time to achieve his goal, or is it close to him. 7. The learner becomes familiar where he stands from the achieved behavioral

objectives of his class mates as well as the ones they have not yet achieved. 8. It strengthens, supports and enriches the learning process.

The Concept of Feedback:

It is "the process of providing the learner with information about his responses,

systematically and continuously, in order to help him to modify the responses that

need to be changed and to strengthen the correct responses". Providing the learner with

his level of performance aims at helping him correct his wrong responses and

strengthens his correct responses is called feedback. It takes many forms and types,

and different patterns and styles.

Types of Feedback