Seven Principles at WPI: Technology as a Lever Principle Four: Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback
December 4, 2006
In 1987, Chickering and Gamson first published their “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.” In 1996, Chickering and Erhmann published a follow-up to this original essay taking into consideration the new and innovative technologies available at that time that would enable the implementation of these principles in the classroom entitled “Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as a Lever.”
During the next three newsletters, we will explore ways faculty at WPI can implement the remaining seven principles into their undergraduate and graduate courses using many of the technologies and resources supported by the Academic Technology Center.
Last month, we explored the third principle, “Good Practice Uses Active Learning Techniques.” This month, we explore the fourth principle, “Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback.”
Chickering and Ehrmann wrote: "Students need help in assessing their existing knowledge and competence. Then, in classes, students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive feedback on their performance. Students need chances to reflect on what they have learned, what they still need to know, and how they might assess themselves.” (1996). There are many ways in which technology can be used to give feedback to students in and out of the classroom.
For ideas and tips on feedback techniques, visit the following:
- Providing Feedback in Your Distance Learning Course - This resource provides a summary of many of the technologies available to you at WPI that can be used to give feedback to your students outside of class.
- Classroom Performance (clicker) System - Through the use of clickers in your class, you can obtain feedback on whether or not your students are understanding the material and they can also see whether or not they understand.
- Posting Grades to the Online Gradebook - Posting grades in myWPI keeps students informed of how they are doing in your course.
- Improving the Use of Discussion Boards - Encourage student collaboration and discussion through the use of Discussion Boards. This interaction not only allows the opportunity for student-to-student feedback, but it also enables peer learning. At the end of each week, take a few moments in class to summarize your thoughts on the online discussions taking place in your myWPI course site.
- myWPI Survey Tool - Allow your students the opportunity to provide you with their own feedback anonymously prior to end-of-course evaluations.
Next month we will explore the fifth principle, “Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task.”
References
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39(7), 3-7.