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Learning Online: 22. Using Feedback to Move Forward

Learning Online
22. Using Feedback to Move Forward

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table of contents
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. Welcome to Learning Online
  7. Part 1. Who Am I as an Online Learner?
    1. 1. Identifying Skills for Self-Directed Learning
    2. 2. Applying the Plan-Monitor-Evaluate Model for Assessing Your Learning Progress
    3. 3. Using Critical Questioning to Support Your Learning
    4. 4. Managing Information for Online Learning
  8. Part 2. Who Am I with on My Learning Journey?
    1. 5. Defining Your Learning Community
    2. 6. Understanding the Principles of Effective Teamwork
    3. 7. Planning for Successful Teamwork
    4. 8. Progressing Through the Stages of Team Development
    5. 9. Making Commitments That Support Teamwork
  9. Part 3. Who Are My Instructors? What Is Their Role?
    1. 10. Describing the Role of an Online Instructor
    2. 11. Developing an Effective Student-Instructor Connection
  10. Part 4. Learning to Manage Your Time
    1. 12. Using Your Course Schedules to Organize Your Learning
    2. 13. Developing a Weekly Schedule That Works for You
    3. 14. Managing Daily Tasks
    4. 15. Making Use of Small Blocks of Time
  11. Part 5. Professional Communication
    1. 16. Communicating by Email in the Online Learning Environment
    2. 17. Communicating in Online Discussion Forums
    3. 18. Giving and Receiving Feedback
  12. Part 6. Analyzing Online Assignments
    1. 19. Identifying Learning Goals for Assignments
    2. 20. Using a Rubric / Marking Guide to Structure Your Work
    3. 21. Creating an Assignment Plan
    4. 22. Using Feedback to Move Forward
  13. Part 7. Strategic Reading
    1. 23. Understanding the Emphasis of Reading in Your Online Learning Journey
    2. 24. Evaluating Your Reading Skills
    3. 25. Strategic Reading with the SQ3R Method
    4. 26. Identifying the Purpose of SQ3R Steps
    5. 27. Applying the SQ3R Method
    6. 28. Reading Journal Articles Strategically
    7. 29. Taking Effective Notes
    8. 30. Reviewing Your Learning
  14. Downloadable Resources
    1. Resource 2.1: Key Questions to Improve Your Learning
    2. Resource 2.2: Planning-Monitoring-Evaluation Cycle Activity
    3. Resource 3.1: Create Study Questions Using Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy
    4. Resource 11.1: Developing Instructor Relationships Online
    5. Resource 12.1: Master Schedule Template
    6. Resource 13.1: Weekly Schedule Template
    7. Resource 20.1: Use a Rubric / Marking Guide
    8. Resource 21.1: Create an Assignment Planner
    9. Resource 22.1: Use Evaluation to Support Planning
  15. References
  16. Congratulations

22 Using Feedback to Move Forward

We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.

—Bill Gates

During the learning process, we have many opportunities to receive feedback about the quality of our learning and work. In the university environment, this often comes in the form of grades and instructor comments on assignments and exams. By using this feedback to evaluate your learning strategies in light of your goals, you will be able to make adjustments to move you toward your goals in current and future courses.

Consider the Purpose of Feedback

Many people find feedback difficult to receive, particularly when it indicates areas for improvement. Shifting your mindset as you receive feedback can be a catalyst for personal growth. View feedback as a gift that is intended to allow personal growth, stronger future academic performance, and professional development. When you receive feedback, take time to reflect on the comments given. Direct the feedback toward future assignments; rather than considering what you might do differently on the current assignment, use the feedback to inform your future goals and work on subsequent projects.

Reflecting Midcourse

An excellent time for self-evaluation is after you have received feedback on your first major assignment or exam. Consider the following reflection questions at this stage in your course:

  • • What grade do I hope to achieve in this course?
  • • To what extent am I meeting my goal for the course at this point?
  • • What about my exam/assignment preparation worked well?
  • • What about my exam/assignment preparation did not work well? What do I want to change?
  • • How will what I have learned help me in the second half of the course?

If you have identified an area for growth that requires change, consider new learning strategies and the resources available to you. At AU, these include the AU Write Site, AU Learning Support and Accessibility Services, tutoring, support from classmates, and support from your instructor. Identify the people on your “team” that can help you respond to feedback and move toward your new goals.

Reflecting at the End of a Course

The completion of a course is also an excellent time for reflection and evaluation. Consider the following:

  1. 1. How will what I have learned help me in my next courses?
  2. 2. How will I use what I have learned in my future career and other aspects of my life?

By reflecting on feedback and evaluating your learning regularly, you will avoid getting stuck in unproductive patterns. You will contribute to your own ongoing personal growth and development, supporting your success in future courses and other life endeavours.1,2 One key strategy to consider is the Start-Stop-Continue method as a means of reflecting on and integrating feedback. The Start-Stop-Continue method simply asks you to reflect on (1) what you can start doing to help you learn, (2) what you can stop doing that is getting in the way of learning, and (3) what you should continue doing that is already working well. See this quick review by K. Brillinger that introduces the technique.3 A work plan to use the Start-Stop-Continue method is provided in the following exercise.

Use Evaluation to Support Planning

Consider your use of learning resources. Use the Start-Stop-Continue method to make your plan. If any of your current strategies are ineffective, you may wish to stop them and replace them with other study methods. Continue strategies that are currently effective and start new strategies that you feel will support your success. Download the evaluation template to support you in the process of reflecting and moving ahead (https://oer.aupress.ca/oer-202504/dr22.1).

  1. 1 P. Chen, O. Chavez, D. C. Ong, and B. Gunderson, “Strategic Resource Use for Learning: A Self-Administered Intervention That Guides Self-Reflection on Effective Resource Use Enhances Academic Performance,” Psychological Science 28, no. 6 (2017): 774–85, https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617696456.

  2. 2 K. D. Tanner, “Promoting Student Metacognition,” Cell Biology Education 11, no. 2 (2012): 113–20, https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.12-03-0033.

  3. 3 K. Brillinger, “Start, Stop, Continue,” Faculty Learning Hub, accessed May 5, 2025, https://tlconestoga.ca/start-stop-continue/.

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