Giving Effective Feedback in an Intercultural Class
Audio Podcast of Transcript
[Coming soon]
Text Transcript
Working definitions of “intercultural class” and “intercultural students”:
An intercultural class is comprised of students who are “linguistically, culturally, socially and in other ways, different from the instructor or from each other” (Dimitrov, Dawson, Olsen, & Meadows, 2014). Coming from other countries, intercultural students have limited to no exposure to Canadian academia and are working on adjusting to the higher education system in Canada.
How do you give feedback to your students? What do you consider to be important characteristics when giving feedback? Have you observed students making progress after receiving feedback from you? In this video, we are going to discuss why feedback is essential to help students improve their learning and share with you crucial factors contributing to effective feedback.
Why is feedback a crucial part of teaching and learning?
- Feedback helps students identify their successes, as well as their knowledge gaps (Al-Hattami, 2019).
- Effective feedback guides students to reach the Course Learning Requirements (CLRs).
- Giving thoughtful and detailed feedback helps students realize the care professors have invested in their studies.
- Students feel encouraged, supported and are more likely to engage in class activities when given feedback.
- Feedback contribute to ensuring the quality of higher education (Al-Hattami, 2019, p. 893).
Incorporating the principles of Universal Design for Learning, here are some factors contributing to effective feedback:
- Feedback should be timely. Feedback is most effective when the subject matter is still fresh to the students, and when they have time to reflect on what to do differently next time.
- Feedback should be descriptive and specific. Clearly state where students did well and where improvements are needed, accompanied by examples from students’ work will maximize the effectiveness of feedback. Pointing students to the next steps so they can avoid making the mistakes as much as possible. Give examples when pointing to next steps can help your students register information at the moment and recall information later on.
- Feedback should be conveyed positively and non-judgmentally. It is essential for students to feel encouraged and supported if the goal of feedback is to improve their learning outcome.
- Feedback should be given in different formats or more than one format at a time. You may give feedback verbally and in written format on the rubric after students gave presentations in class, for example, in order to clarify potential misunderstandings or misinterpretations. Encourage students to ask for clarification after receiving written feedback on their essays is another effective way to encourage communication.
- Feedback is best offered in conjunction with a detailed rubric-this way, students can visualize where they stand in relation to the mastery of knowledge, content, or skill.
- Feedback should be constructive. Not only should you point out errors and give directions to correct them (Eller, 2018), it is also essential to include the merits of the students’ work. Intentionally make statements such as, “This is a great introduction because you got my attention right away”.
- Feedback should be given in plain language. This is especially true when working with intercultural students. Use the same wording as in the assignment instruction and the rubric will help maintain the consistency of your expectations. Clarifying your message and paraphrasing your feedback can effectively help students understand you better.
- Respond as a reader-it’s easier to relate to students if you engage with the assignment intellectually and emotionally, especially if you are giving constructive feedback. For example, you can use “I-statements” such as “I enjoyed this analogy” or “I don’t understand what this paragraph means”, etc. (Eller, 2018).
References
Al-Hattami, A. A. (2019). The Perception of Students and Faculty Staff on the Role of Constructive Feedback. International Journal of Instruction, 12(1), 885–894. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspxdirect=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1201365&site=edslive&scope=site
Dimitrov, N., Dawson, D. L., Olsen, K. C., & Meadows, K. N. (2014). Developing the Intercultural Competence of Graduate Students. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 44(3), 86-103. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1049386&site=ed-live&scope=site
Eller, C. (2018, August 06). Strategies for giving effective written feedback to international students. Retrieved from https://learningandteaching-navitas.com/strategies-giving-effective-written-feedback-international-students/