L5 3 4

=Teaching staff are provided with support resources (including training, guidelines and examples) on how to use formative and summative assessment feedback.=

Evidence
Improving formative feedback has been shown to raise standards in assessment, a conclusion based on a review of over 250 papers from several countries by Black and Wiliam (1998). They have also shown that the giving of marks has a negative effect, as students ignore feedback comments when marks or grades are given.

The greatest effect of feedback comes when students receive information feedback about a task and how to do it more effectively. Lower effect sizes were related to praise, rewards, and punishment (Hattie & Timperley 2007). They also found that the most effective forms of feedback provide cues and reinforcement in the form of video, audio, or computer-assisted instructional feedback.

Resources
Milne & White (2005) collect together twenty-three sets of e-learning quality guidelines from an array of geographical regions. Such guidelines, or something like them, should be part of the support offered to staff by their organizations. Staff need guidelines, and examples of good practice.

This is a complex issue; see Rust (2002), Hattie & Timperley (2007). Policies are definitely needed. Providing and receiving feedback requires much skill by teachers and students.

Rust (2002) reviews the literature on feedback and provides a useful list (p. 152-153).

Various meta-analyses of kinds of feedback and their effect size can be found in Hattie & Timperley (2007).

JISC guidelines on good feedback: http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/effective-use-of-VLEs/e-assessment/assess-feedback

Further advice for good feedback http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/feedback.asp