By Dr. Harry Tennant
Saturday, October 29, 2011 Easy feedbackIt's true for students and it's true for organizations: the better the feedback, the better the learning. Feedback is becoming increasingly effortless. For example, I use software called RescueTime that tracks what I do on my computer and shows how I've spent my time each day. I also carry a device called Fitbit that tracks physical movement and wirelessly uploads the results to a database in the cloud. That database also pulls in measurements from my scale which records daily weight measurements. Lots of financial data is being recorded with no effort from me. Banking and credit card activity is being tracked. With a little bit of effort I pull that info into my accounting software making a lot of my accounting information simultaneously more extensive and effortless. I used to have to do this by entering each transaction into financial software. It's waaaay easier this way! Do these things make a difference? If you want to control a parameter like weight, activity or making good use of work time, the first step is to measure it. The more effortless that can be, the more likely it will get done. Of course, it needs to be used with care, not coercion. But when used correctly it is a strong motivator. Data and education Lots of data has come available through assessment testing. That's great, but the more valuable data is formative. However, formative assessments are often non-electronic. So, like requiring hand entry of financial data, it's less likely to get used. What to do? Take every opportunity to go electronic.
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