Three Guiding Questions for Providing Effective Feedback
Feedback is a critical tool for reducing the gap between a student's current understanding and their learning goals. This article outlines a proven model for providing feedback that is objective, manageable, and actionable.
Before You Start
- Effective feedback is most successful when it is directly aligned with specific learning objectives or goals.
- Consider the student's current progress before providing feedback to ensure it is appropriately challenging but achievable.
The Feedback Model
In The Power of Feedback, John Hattie and Helen Timperley provide a model based on three essential questions. Keeping these questions at the forefront ensures that feedback remains focused and provides clear direction for the student.
Question | Focus | Description |
|---|---|---|
Where am I going? | Goals | What are the specific learning objectives or goals the student is working toward? |
How am I going? | Progress | What progress is currently being made toward those goals? |
What is my next step? | Action | What specific activities or adjustments are needed to make better progress? |
While it may be tempting to provide feedback on a wide range of topics at once, focusing on these three questions keeps the amount of information manageable for the student while providing a clear roadmap for growth.
Good to Know
- Manageability: Providing too much feedback at once can be overwhelming. Focus on the most impactful next steps to keep the student engaged.
- Objective-Driven: Using these questions helps maintain a measurable objective, making it easier for both the teacher and student to track improvement.
- SpacesEDU Tools: You can provide this feedback through text, audio, or video comments. For more details, see How can I provide feedback on student posts?.
Updated on: 06/08/2026
Thank you!