Welcome to Feedback project Digital Toolkit!
This is a tool to support the development of best practices and greater results from learning programmes that will include the practice of Feedback using arts based learning approaches to enhance learning and nurture more self-effective learners.
This toolkit is part of FEEDBACK international project, supported by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme. FEEDBACK project aims to set the foundations to define a clearer model of feedback to enhance learning and therefore act as leverage for the design of new learning programmes.
Guidelines
To apply the advices suggested by the digital Toolkit there are some important concepts and guidelines that you should feel comfortable with.
What is feedback?
Feedback is a gift. An energy to go on. It leads to a process of transformation that arts based learning can enable through the facilitation of moments of reflection and, consequently, self-assessment which can support individuals to improve, change and develop.
What is arts-based learning?
The goal of arts-based learning is not to teach people to be artists, but to create intense immersive learning experiences through artistic processes that facilitate new insights and perspectives.
Nissley, 2010
Framework for the art-based approach to learning
The digital toolkit is structured following the Artful framework conceptualised and designed by the FEEDBACK Project partners. This framework links the three identified steps of Feedback with three degrees of arts based initiatives: sustainability; inspiration and transformation.
Step 1
Feedback delivery
Linked to specific goals and being appropriate for context/recipients
Arts based initiatives for sustainability
Step 2
Reflection
Recipients are ready to receive feedback and to reflect on it
Arts based initiatives for inspiration
Step 3
Refocus
Recipients act on it to improve their future work and learning
Arts based initiatives for transformation
ABI for sustainability
Arts based initiatives foresee a sustainable impact and benefits at individual and group levels, but it has to be seen as a continuous project itself. It is not meant that learners produce art work, but that the use of already existing art work (films, poems, paintings – products and processes) catalyses the motivation to reflect and refocus. Thus, depending on the specific goals of the learning and for the learner(s), arts based initiatives can be planned considering time, intensity and nature to directly guide learners in the learning path.
ABI for inspiration
Arts based initiatives allow learners to have the time and space to step back from action and provides them with inspirational resources to help them think through feedback and identify what they have to relearn, improve and refocus on. Arts based initiatives act as a trigger, provoking “people to question the way they act.
ABI for transformation
Change can be understood as a disruptive moment for growth in knowledge, behaviour and/or attitude. Once understanding what can be improved (Step 2), learners can take a step with the gift of feedback to transform themselves, the learning, the professional practice, etc. Arts based initiatives support learners taking quicker decisions on which next step they can take; seeing things in different ways opens the possibilities of paths in order to refocus on the initial learning goals and move towards the future work and learning.
Arts based
With this toolkit don’t pretend to deliver a magical pill to transform educators and learners into feedback experts, rather we aim to deliver the inspiration and the resources to help them understand and explore the practice of feedback to improve learning experiences, engaging both educators and learners in the learning experience and grow as global citizens.
Let’s use it… and enjoy your teaching process!