What is instant feedback?

Give feedback during or immediately after the task, not days later Focus comments on the learning objective and success criteria Use peer and self-assessment to increase the speed of feedback Ensure learners act on the feedback straight away

Instant Feedback | Rainbow Curriculum

How it works

Instant feedback means giving feedback as close to the moment of learning as possible. The shorter the gap between the task and the feedback, the more powerful the feedback becomes. A comment given three days later about a piece of writing the learner has already mentally moved on from has far less impact than a comment given while the learner is still engaged with the work.

Feedback should relate directly to the learning intention and any success criteria generated for the task. If the learning intention is about using persuasive techniques, the feedback should address persuasive techniques, not spelling or presentation (unless these are part of the success criteria). When feedback drifts away from the learning objective, learners get confused about what matters.

Peer and self-assessment are powerful tools for making feedback instant. A teacher cannot give individual feedback to thirty learners in real time, but peers can. Training learners to give focused feedback against success criteria multiplies the speed and frequency of formative feedback in the classroom.

Classroom example

A Year 4 class in a Wrexham primary school is writing instructions for making a Welsh cake. The success criteria include "clear sequence words" and "imperative verbs." During the writing, the teacher circulates and gives instant verbal feedback: "I can see you have used 'first' and 'then' - now try 'meanwhile' or 'after that' for your next step." The learner adds "Meanwhile, heat the griddle" immediately. By the end of the lesson, every learner has received at least one piece of targeted feedback and acted on it.

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Curriculum for Wales connection

Instant feedback develops the "Reflect" strand of thinking skills by helping learners evaluate and improve their work in real time. It works across all AoLEs and supports the development of "ambitious, capable learners" who use feedback actively to improve.

Rainbow Curriculum's Thinking Tools lens helps you ensure that feedback strategies are planned across your curriculum, making formative assessment a daily reality rather than an occasional event.

Tips

Verbal feedback during the task is often more effective than written feedback afterwards.
Train learners in peer feedback so the teacher is not the only source of instant feedback.
A common pitfall: giving feedback on everything at once. Focus only on the success criteria for this task.
Keep a clipboard with the class list to track who has received feedback each lesson.

Related tools

Allow Time

A feedback strategy where learners are given dedicated time to read, understand and act on written feedback straight away, turning marking into genuine learning.

Closing the Gap Comments

Focused written feedback that bridges the gap between what a learner has achieved and what they could achieve, using reminder, scaffolded or example prompts.

Feedback Using Comments Only

A marking approach where teachers provide written comments without grades, marks or levels, because research shows grades destroy the learning value of feedback.

Peer Marking

A structured assessment strategy where learners evaluate each other's work against clear success criteria, developing their ability to identify quality and give constructive feedback.

Self-Marking

A self-assessment strategy where learners evaluate their own work against clear criteria, developing the ability to judge quality and identify areas for improvement independently.