Providing feedback is one of the most important parts of teaching, but also one of the most difficult parts of what we do. Splitting the difference between completely critical feedback and “great job, keep it up!” is a skill that even experienced practitioners struggle with. WISE feedback is an evidence-based framework that can help structure your comments to students and provide you with scaffolding to prepare stronger feedback faster.
- WISE feedback conveys to students that there are high expectations for their learning in a class, and that they can meet those expectations. WISE feedback communicates our faith in our students that they can learn and perform at high levels.
- WISE feedback conveys specific, actionable comments. You can redirect to the assignment rubric and/or make comments on what specifically needs to be corrected, but students need actionable feedback aligned with the assignment, course goals, and course outcomes to be able to improve.
- We should also convey what those goals and outcomes are; the more transparent we are with students about why they are completing specific assignments and how those assignment tie into their learning outcomes, the more buy-in from students we will have (and often, the better the work will be).
Providing feedback that expresses confidence in students and provides specific, actionable items for them to improve on allows us to build trust and relationships with students which ultimately leads to stronger learning and growth for students. Also, developing a framework for feedback allows you to deliver stronger feedback more quickly.