The Fast Feedback method: a quasi-experimental study of the use of formative assessment for primary students’ writing

ABSTRACT

“Fast Feedback” is a feedback system for primary student writing. Developed in line with a Writer(s)-Within-Community model, and empirical research in the fields of writing instruction, feedback and self-regulation, this system uses individualized goals and focused feedback in the expectation that it will accelerate student progress. In 2015 nine teachers were asked to trial Fast Feedback, in seven classrooms, across three Wellington schools. Achievement data were collected for 136 student participants, and compared with equivalent data from students at a control school. A student survey and teacher interviews were also used. Data analysis revealed that the treatment group made significantly more progress than the control group (ES 0.5). It also revealed variability across classrooms. Data analysis suggests that process-oriented goals were most effective, and that the addressing of transcription skills was critical. Teachers observed that Fast Feedback was motivating for students, and encouraged student independence.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. This intervention took place as part of the regular class programmes. We were therefore, professionally bound to provide students with learning experiences in line with the New Zealand Curriculum.

2. In most cases, an appropriate learning step was fairly obvious. For example, for children who were able to write some words and write meaningfully, but were not using sentence punctuation correctly, the perfect sentences goal was often selected; for students who were controlling the technical aspects of the writing, a genre-oriented goal was often selected (for example, “to write stories, including a setting, character and story-problem).

3. The use of teacher judgement – without reference to external tools (aside from the fast feedback manual and assessment guide) may be justified as a highly practical way to include formative assessment as a key aspect of the daily programme. In addition, it invites teachers to engage personally in their observations of student needs and reflections on student progress.

4. Julie was one of the teachers who selected all of her students to participate in this intervention, and it was by chance that three such high needs boys were class members. While the effectiveness of Fast Feedback for these students had not been a pre-determined area of interest, the remarkable results achieved seem worthy of note. The effectiveness of Fast Feedback for students with learning difficulties, investigated in a larger-scale trial, may be an interesting area for future research.

5. Teaching methods may be another important consideration here, as discussion of the goal, and teacher modelling, were aspects of the Fast Feedback lessons – strategies which have been demonstrated to be effective in a number of large-scale studies (see, for example, Graham, 2006). While the same strategies were used for the teaching of all Fast Feedback goals, the wording of the perfect sentences goal makes the process explicit in itself. A further point is that this goal was highly relevant for a range of needs – encouraging re-reading, as well as correct punctuation use. This point may explain its wide adoption by teachers, as well as its usefulness in lifting the quality of writing of a range of students.