Elaborated Feedback: Learners' Preferences, Use, and Actual Effect

Elaborated feedback (EF) is recognized as a superior form of feedback, in terms of its impact on learning, over Simple Feedback (SF) which simply tells the student whether they are correct or not. However, the design of effective EF is seldom studied. Our research focuses on the optimal level of elaboration of feedback in digital learning environments in Mathematics. We took a quantitative approach to closely measure feedback effect on learning, and a qualitative approach to better understand student preferences and motivation in using it. Our results suggest a distinction based on the stage in which feedback is provided: elaboration should be minimal when feedback is provided while students still work on the task; more elaboration should be encouraged for feedback provided once the work is complete.