The Effects of Feed-Forward Specificity on Students’ Self-Directed Learning Skills

Abstract

In modern education, a growing emphasis is put on the development of self-directed learning (SDL) skills of learners. SDL-skills concern learners’ ability to direct the conceptualization, design, conduct and evaluation of their learning. Feedback might support learners’ development of these skills, as receiving information on one’s own performance can lead to the internal processing of feedback by learners, that could result in adaptations of learning strategies. However, if feedback is too directive, learners might get fewer opportunities to develop SDL-skills. Therefore, feed-forward, a directive feedback element providing learners with directions on how to progress, might limit learners’ SDL-skill development. To examine this hypothesis, Dutch students (N = 60), writing a paper as part of a Master’s level course, were randomly assigned to two feed-forward conditions. In the improvement-oriented condition (IOC), students received information on actions that would improve their current work. In the progression-oriented condition (POC), students received information on actions for effectively progressing to subsequent tasks. Results showed no differences in SDL-skill development between conditions. Analyses of learner characteristics revealed that academic proficiency significantly correlated with SDL-skill development across conditions (τ = .25, p < .05). Implications of these findings are discussed using data from student and teacher interviews.