How can technology provide effective feedback for students?

How can you use technology to promote effective feedback for students in your school?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on ICT Evangelist

Technology can help with learning in many ways. A successful starting point for seeing wins with technology in the classroom is by using technology to support feedback for learners. Here are five approaches, and many more tools, you can choose to use to help you promote effective feedback.

• Effective feedback should be quick, personalised and help learning move forward: using online formative tools can help check students’ understanding and provide immediate feedback.
• Use audio feedback: record your feedback for students so that they can both hear and see your comments on their work. 
• Incorporate peer feedback opportunities: use collaborative online tools to allow students to provide and receive constructive feedback from peers. 
• Create a digital portfolio: digital portfolios help to promote effective feedback as they create a consistently accesible place and space to provide timely feedback and track student progress. 
• Avoid automated grading tools: automated feedback can disconnect students from their learning – however, automated feedback on formative aspects can help provide students with real time feedback on their work.