Your child talks about feedforward. Our teachers habitually reference feedforward. If you’ve been a part of the Living Faith community for some time, it’s likely that your child’s acceptance and response to feedforward has been addressed in his/her report card. Feedforward is a part of the Living Faith culture.

But what is feedforward?

To explain feedforward, we need to start by understanding feedback.

Feedback is like a post mortem. It focuses on the past. It’s when we make an assessment of something at the end; at a time when it’s too late to change the final result. We acknowledge what went well and what could have been done differently. Feedback is provided after the fact, and is a way we reflect on a situation where the outcome cannot be changed.

Feedforward, on the other hand, is like prescribing medicine. It focuses on the future. It’s when we make an assessment of something mid-journey; at a time when we can make a change in order to affect the final result. We acknowledge what is going well and what can be done differently. Feedforward is provided as part of a process that involves reflecting on the journey to date and recommending a changed trajectory if required. With feedforward the goal is improvement, in order to see maximum potential and to reach the best possible outcome.

When we are more invested in learning than assessing, feedforward becomes a crucial element of classroom culture.

At Living Faith, students receive feedforward from their teachers and their peers. Students use this feedforward to reflect on their progress and to consider their progress from different perspectives. Supported by a growth mindset, students use feedforward to dive deeper into their learning and to reach new heights of mastery.

• Read more about feedforward:
• Moving from Feedback to Feedforward
• Carbs Feedforward For All
• What’s the Difference Between Feedback and Feedforward?
• Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback

- Jane Mueller, Principal