Liftology 17: Choices and Feedback

Practice is necessary, but what makes practice a learning experience? It’s action and reflection, and the reflection matters. Not just any feedback, but specific feedback has been shown to make a difference. What are those specifics?

So, we are actually making choices all the time. Even in what seems like the unlimited freedom of open-field games (or real life for that matter), what we really have are a series of multiple choices. We can choose to keep working, or take a break. We can get in the car or stay at home. Etc. And, each of our choices have consequences. We feel better, but work doesn’t get done, or work gets done but we approach burnout. What matters is some mix between what we need and what we want. 

How do we learn? In certain cases we’re wired to learn. In other cases, we have to pay attention. What formal instruction does is provide an explanation for why things happen, and what and how to choose to achieve certain goals. As part of this, we simulate reality, creating constrained situations to act, and then provide feedback. 

What matters is showing the consequences, though that’s not always made explicit. Eventually we’ll not get the didactic feedback, and have to perceive the consequences, but for instruction, we should provide them. We also want to provide that didactic feedback. 

What matters for feedback? First, the tone matters. It shouldn’t be personal. That is, you should talk about the exhibited behavior. The reason why someone chose an answer may have many motivations, but our concern is with what they did. It should also be as brief as possible while addressing the outcome. In short, it should be merely informative. 

Then, explicitly use the model to guides the discussion. If they got it right, reinforce the model. If they get it wrong, you can point to the wrong model if that’s a likely reason. Then give them the right answer and why it’s right. Your alternatives should represent ways people do go wrong, so that the misunderstandings can be addressed before it matters. 

Feedback matters. To  be fair, you can consider the models and examples and feedback all as reflection, under the mantra learning is action and reflection. Then, instruction is designed action and guided reflection. How we guide is providing models to support action, examples to make the use of the models clear, and feedback to remedy and/or reinforce the choices made. That’s good learning, and it matters in LIFTs too.