Effect of Verbal Feedback of Test Results upon Learning

The learning effects of providing teacher verbal feedback of quiz results were studied using two classes of college students. The relationship between amount of learning as a result of feedback and certain characteristics of the students was also studied. After each quiz, students were given feedback on half of the test questions. Their final examination contained an equal number of feedback and nonfeedback items repeated from the previous quizzes. Students did significantly better on those items on which they had originally received feedback, even in the case where the feedback had been given 9 weeks prior to the final examination. These learning gains were found to be unrelated to students’ age, grade point average, number of hours employed, and number of college credits accumulated. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.