Educators and students often assume that feedback is most effective when given immediately. However, that assumption is challenged by research. A growing body of evidence shows that delayed feedback enhances retention and learning.
The assumption about the benefit of immediate feedback derives from behavioral exercises, such as rats receiving pellets for traversing a maze or dogs receiving a biscuit for following a command. With operant conditioning, pairing the feedback quickly after the response is essential for the animal to perceive the connection and learn. Even a few-second delay in feedback decreases effectiveness.
Behaviorists, like B.F. Skinner, and educational psychologists applied this principle to the classroom. Although extrapolating from rats in a maze to human students is a giant leap, the idea that immediate feedback is best for classroom learning took root and grew to the level of myth. Perhaps this was in part because students overwhelmingly prefer immediate feedback. Essentially, no one prefers delayed feedback. In addition, students perceive immediate feedback as a big benefit to their learning, even in the face of results that show delayed feedback enhances retention and understanding. The metacognitive illusion of learning is powerful and more fun than the actual work of learning.
For students, review the exam feedback because it will improve your understanding but avoid an immediate post mortem of your work. Allow some time to pass so that you come back to the material fresh. For educators, if you take a few extra days to grade students’ work, they may not believe you, but it is for their own good.
