Day 26: Learning Technique 13: Feedback

Today we discuss our learning technique #13, receiving feedback, which is typically an example of correct way to do the skill that you're trying to learn. In some cases, feedback may not be the correct version of the entire skill, but instead may zero in on a specific part that is incorrect helping you to identify what needs improvement. You will learn what this technique is, the science behind it, why you should use it, and finally how you can apply it to accelerate your learning.

Resources for this lesson:

• Transcripts
• Worksheet
• List of Scientific References

Summary

What is Feedback?

Feedback is typically an example of correct way to do the skill that you're trying to learn.

• In some cases, feedback may not be the correct version of the entire skill, but instead may zero in on a specific part that is incorrect helping you to identify what needs improvement.

Feedback [1] forces you to the correct way that the skill is applied and notice the difference between what you have done and what you should have done.

Why it matters: Feedback allows you to update how you think and apply a skill, which will affect your overall performance in the future.

What does the science say?

Feedback features prominently in the research [2] on deliberate practice by Anders Ericsson.

• Ericsson found that the ability to gain immediate feedback on one's performance is an essential ingredient in reaching expert levels of any skill.
• When you gain no feedback, this often results in stagnation for you, meaning long periods of time when you continue to use a skill, but don't get any better at it or decline in abilities.
• Without corrective feedback, it's not possible to determine whether your practice is effective or not.

When it comes to positive feedback versus negative feedback:

• Positive feedback can be great in the beginning when you're starting to learn a new skill, because it's giving you that motivation and confidence to keep learning.
• But after you've been learning a skill for awhile, it can actually be detrimental because it's not actually pointing out the parts that you need to learn in order to get better at that skill.
• Negative feedback tells you the specific aspect that you need to get better at, and somebody is helping the point that out.

What's very interesting in the research [3] about feedback is that more feedback isn't always better. What really matters is the type of feedback that's given.

Why should you use it?

Although feedback can be difficult to hear, getting feedback early and often can help you rapidly progress in your learning.

• Once you get into the habit of receiving it, it becomes easier to process feedback without overreacting emotionally.
• Feedback helps you know exactly where you need to get better. There's no confusion. You know exactly what you need to practice.

How do you use it?

There are 3 types of feedback to seek when practicing a skill:

1. Outcome: tells you how well you are doing overall and can be motivational, but does not tell you what parts you could improve.
2. Informational: tells you what parts you're doing wrong, but not how to fix them. Often comes from direct practice and receiving feedback in real-time.
3. Corrective: shows you not only what you're doing wrong, but also how you can fix it. This is often only available by having a coach, mentor, or teacher.

After receiving feedback on the parts of a skill you can improve, engage in deliberate practice of those parts and skill as a whole.

Research is mixed on how quickly you should be getting this feedback, whether it should be immediate or delayed:

• Anders Ericsson believes that it should be immediate in order to identify and correct mistakes and allow you to execute the corrected version very quickly.
• However, there's some laboratory studies [4] that tend to show that delaying the presentation Of the correct response along with the original task can be more effective.

Other tips for using feedback:

• Give your full effort in practice before seeking feedback.
• Separate the signal from the noise, with the signal being that one piece that's really going to help you identify the things that you could do to get better.
• Practicing receiving feedback is a skill that builds self confidence and resiliency and ability to make yourself better without letting your emotions get in the way of that.

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Activity

Demonstrate a skill that you're learning to someone else and solicit some feedback from them.

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Skill Lesson Mastered

Demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills presented in this lesson by applying it to the above activity. If, and only if, you have a full understanding and have mastered the knowledge and skills presented in this lesson, select the next lesson in the navigation.