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Designing evaluations and providing feedback is a waste of time if it doesn't ultimately improve instruction and provide concrete ways for educators to improve. To be as effective as possible, feedback must be actionable, targeted, timely, and trustworthy.

  • Actionable - The most effective feedback is actionable and user-friendly. This means that, "Great job!" or "That really didn't work," are not productive types of feedback. Actionable feedback offers suggestions for how to improve tasks and instruction. Those giving actionable feedback will outline their expectations, establish measurable goals, and provide examples of practical steps to reach those goals.

  • Targeted - Targeted feedback is a specific brand of feedback that was developed at the University of Washington. This starts with a dialogue between the instructor and the administrator that includes classroom patterns and student data before any type of observation takes place. A particular learning goal is then defined. A series of observations would focus on this goal, creating a cycle of continued observation and specific feedback.

The article below details how feedback impacts learning outcomes.

Targeted feedback can be used to pinpoint specific classroom goals. It's important to point out particular types of evaluation programs that have been designed with feedback in mind.

  • Timely - Effective feedback must be presented in a timely manner to have the greatest impact. Feedback should be given to the instructor within 48 hours after an observation. Even if notes were taken and the observation was videotaped, specific ideas for improvement may be forgotten if too much time has passed.

  • Trustworthy - Good feedback is cultivated in an environment of trust for those who are receiving it as well as those who are giving it. This means communication must go both ways. The individual giving the feedback should allow time for the instructor to respond and ask questions during the process. For the receiver to trust the feedback it must also be user-friendly. It should be easy to understand and not too technical.