Extend Your Feedback and Link it to Resources
If learners respond incorrectly to test questions or activities, you can simply redirect them to the relevant parts of the e-learning module. This encourages them to engage with conceptual knowledge and gain the desired skills. To facilitate learning, allow users to retry the question after they’ve read the feedback.
Show the Real-World Implications
Always create activities that mirror real-world situations learners are likely to encounter. The same applies when giving feedback and showing learners how their choices/decisions (i.e. actions) lead to certain consequences. This simulated reality allows people to learn from their mistakes and effectively reinforces change.
Ask Learners for Their Feedback
Feedback is a two-way medium and a means for learners to interact with course authors. To facilitate this interaction, provide an opportunity for learners to voice their own questions, thoughts, comments or feedback.
Go Beyond “Good Job!”
Just saying “good job” puts too much emphasis on the end result rather than the process. It doesn’t give the kind of constructive, qualitative feedback learners need to improve. Positive feedback should indicate the learner’s progress, reinforce key concepts and connect the dots between the overall goal and the learner’s current level of knowledge. A quick note of affirmation is fine, but let’s look at a few examples of how to get even more out of positive feedback:
- You’re on the right track now and have enough expertise on XYZ topic.
- You’re really working hard today! You just made the right choices to resolve the XYZ situation.
- Things are looking good. By choosing option A, you could emphasize the importance of XYZ for resolving ABC.
- Impressive memory! It helps to remember the fundamental specs of XYZ because we never know when the situation arises with this component.
Check out our feedback training template.
Read the next article as part of the e-learning best practices blog series: “Gather learner input with the Easygenerator NPS feature“