Feedback is a very delicate and complicated process that requires complex knowledge of many areas for it to be affective. Feedback can come is many ways, from Intrinsic to Augmented feedback. Delving deeper, Intrinsic feedback can be again broken down into Visual, Auditory, Proprioceptive and Tactile. It is important to understand the difference between Intrinsic and Augmented feedback, because if you can differentiate the two, you will be able to effectively implement them successfully in practice, leading to greater results from the learner. Intrinsic feedback is established during, or immediately after the skill or action has been produced. For example, when performing a free throw in basketball, the player knows if the ball went into the hoop. The intrinsic part is about identifying what that successful or unsuccessful shot felt like, and adjusting accordingly. Extrinsic feedback relies heavily on an external source providing feedback that the learner can couple with the intrinsic feedback. For example, when shooting a free throw, a coach can comment on arm position, requiring the playing to use intrinsic feedback from the shot with the augmented feedback from the coach to adjust the technique suitably.
What type of feedback is best for different skill levels of the leaner?
The intricacies of feedback become important when you start dealing with different skill levels of the learners. Not only does each individual have their own way in which learning best occurs, they will also respond to different types of feedback accordingly. Therefore, tailored feedback is the most effectively approach. As stated by Newell (1991), feedback information is only useful when the appropriate movement has been developed by the learner. This means that providing Knowledge of Results (KR) to a low skilled performer is not beneficial to their understanding and progression, as KR only informs the learner of performance error, as it does not provide insight on how to form the action to better perform. For example, a coach telling a player that they scored 1 out of 5 attempts at a free throw is not going to assist in learning as the player has not developed or participated enough to be able to link KR with the intrinsic feedback they’re receiving. However, KR can be very effective in simple tasks' (Newell, 1991). Knowledge of Performance (KP) is generally suited to a lower skilled learner, as it provides information regarding the process of the skill that lead to the outcome (Spittle, 2013). For example, a coach telling a player to keep their elbow bent, and follow through, provides key information about reproducing the skill. Reinforcement within KP can also be effective, as it instructs the performer on what they did correctly, reducing the number of variables when executing the movement.
When is the right time to give feedback?
Providing feedback at the correct time is another factor that can positively or negatively influence the learning of a performer. Feedback provided too early in the learning period may not be understood, however, feedback provided too late in the learning period may be redundant and therefore, no longer helpful. As identified by Sigrist et al (2013), the frequency of feedback should decrease as the skill level of the performer increases. Therefore, it is important to tailor both your level of feedback and timing of feedback to the specific needs of the learner. Looking specifically at concurrent and terminal feedback, both can be beneficial to the learner, however, many believe that when the two are coupled together, the greatest results are attained. Supported by Sigrist et al (2013), the learning of a simple motor task may benefit from concurrent feedback if the training trials are combined with terminal feedback. This technique reduces the likelihood of the learner developing dependency for the concurrent feedback. Permanent feedback during acquisition leads to a dependency on the feedback (Sigrist et al 2013), which is fine if the learner is being constantly being provided with the feedback, however, once feedback is removed from input, the learners’ performance gains are lost in retention tests. For example, a coach calling out to a group or rowers will involve feedback on every stroke to keep them in time. Once the coach is removed however, if concurrent feedback was the only feedback being provided, performance gains will suffer. In the case of simple task learning, concurrent feedback has been found to be detrimental, as this process generally leads to dependency.
Can too much feedback be detrimental to the learner?
When learning a new skill, it is important to keep external variables to a minimum. Focussing on the critical elements of the task will ultimately lead to optimal performance (Spittle, 2013). In general, for complex tasks, it is favourable to decrease cognitive demands to prevent cognitive overload (Sigrist et al (2013), For example, when in the early stages of learning a basketball shot, there are many different techniques that need to be mastered for it to be successful. If a student is being told to adapt or focus on several different elements, it will lead to cognitive overload. According to Hemayattalab & Rostami (2010), in the cognitive stage of learning, too much feedback was found to interfere with leaning, moreover, participants which received 50% feedback had better performance in a retention phase. This can be interpreted as dependency, or lack of; however, I believe that this process is allowing intrinsic feedback to play a larger role in the learning process. Ultimately leading to greater performance gains for the future, as the learner has greater understanding of what the skill is meant to feel like, and has linked this to the augmented feedback provided (Anderson, 1994).
Questioning as Feedback Questioning as a feedback technique has increasingly been included in multiple learning theories of teaching (Spittle, 2013). It has been said that questioning can boost cognitive effort in learning, emphasising thinking about the specific skill process. Another positive of questioning is it allows the teacher to identify whether their feedback or teaching is being interpreted in the way they intend. Proper questioning allows the teacher to check if the students are understanding what is being taught (Johnson, 1997). A useful tool for teachers to tailor their questions is Blooms taxonomy (Bloom et al, 1956). Bloom suggests that lower order questions should be use for learners of a lower skill level, as they focus on knowledge and understanding. Whereas, higher order questions should be used on learners who have a greater understanding, or skill level, as it results in building and creating more knowledge.