Use "wise feedback" to increase motivation

Repost from our first blog from Dec 2015. This simple, research-based strategy can have dramatic outcomes for students.

We are betting that you have often experienced this frustration:

Hours spent providing feedback on papers only to find them in the trash.

Here at Floop, we are digging into the research and best practices on providing feedback. We’ve stumbled on a few interesting ideas that are challenging the way we think about feedback.

This research paper from David Yeager et al is a gold mine. Think about this incredibly simple practice tried in one of their studies:

A post-it note that said, 'I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them' was placed on students’ essays along with detailed and rigorous criticism.

A simple note with dramatic effects. African American students in the control group (who received a control note instead) revised their essays at a rate of 17 percent. African American students who received the message above revised their essays at a rate of 71 percent.

How do you let students know you believe in their abilities?

Photo by Katrina Wright on Unsplash

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The Feedback Loop

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