Austin's Butterfly - The power of feedback and practice - Ian Stonnell

Are you aware of the story of Austin's butterfly? If you are not you should spend 5 minutes taking a look at this video featuring Ron Berger and his feedback method to support student progress. 

Right, now you have watched it, have a think - what strategies helped Austin improve? I see two significant ones (I know there are more) - firstly the feedback that is given from peers and secondly, the opportunity to act upon it multiple times (practice). Through these two strategies Austin, it could be argued, is attaining mastery at this particularly skill - drawing a butterfly.

Now reflect, how often do we give students regular feedback and then give them the immediate opportunity to act upon it? I would argue, in the way that Austin has recieved it, not very. This video is daunting isn't it? The practicalities of every day secondary school teaching make it nigh on impossible to give every student in our classes the kind of intesive experiece that Austin has recieved. 

Consider:

• How often do we ask students to complete a complex task (e.g. draw a butterfly, write an essay, make a translation, verbally explain a challenging concept or idea, complete a complex mathematical problem).
• When we ask students to perform these tasks, how quickly do students recieve feedback?
• When students recieve feedback, how soon, if at all, do students get the opportunity to act upon the feedback, practice and improve?

No doubt we may all feel that sometimes the frequency of feedback we give and the opportunity we give to students to practice may sometimes be limited. If this is the case how can we integrate a culture of feedback and student response to it in the classroom that mirrors the principles of Austin's butterfly? 

Marginal Gains Pedagogy

Well one way (amongst many) is to look at our marginal gains pedagogy of questioning and feedback that we have been focussing on as a school and realise how powerful it can be.

A simple way to apply the principles of Austin's butterfly.

Consider, in a 'think, pair, share' activity students in the think stage, can recall and practice a skill or piece of knowledge; in the pair stage they can recieve feedback from a peer immediately based on their response (verbal or written). Finally, through the share stage, coupled with cold calling questioning (to ensure all students are held to account), a student's verbal answer can then be given immediate feedback from the teacher. Then by moving on to 'say it again better' the student can have the chance to practice and improve (as could the whole class). Is this not Austin's buterfly in action? I would argue it is.

Further reading:

• Adam Porter - Did Austin actually learn anything? An interesting take on the use of feedback.
• David Didau - The feedback Continuum: Why reducing feedback helps student learn. - A good blog cosidering how much feedback we should give and when.