Module 2: Written Assignment

Feedback in the String Classroom

Buffy Andrews Flick

University of Windsor

Instrumental Music AQ: Part 3

October 20, 2024

 Module 2: Written Assignment

Feedback in the String Classroom

The ultimate goal of educators should be to guide students in recognizing clear learning

goals throughout the learning process so they can gradually become self-aware learners who are

activators in their own learning. The Ontario Growing Success document outlines three main

areas of feedback that are essential for students in learning from mistakes and narrowing the gap

between developing good work and great work. Self feedback, peer feedback, and descriptive

feedback are three areas that will be discussed in relation to learning in the string classroom.

When any classroom engages students in taking ownership of their learning, students become

excited to learn and can participate in creating learning goals for their subjects. The string

classroom must implement regular learning goals during rehearsals and teach students what

success criteria looks like. Furthermore, educators need to model and teach students how to give

positive and meaningful feedback to their peers in order to maintain passionate and energetic

students who are excited to raise expectations of excellence in their craft, and contribute to a

positive learning environment that benefits their school community.

The Ontario Growing Success document says that “assessment for the purpose of

improving student learning is seen as both ‘assessment for learning’ and ‘assessment as

learning.’1 In assessment for learning, descriptive feedback through use of a rubric and teacher

modeling is often the foundation of preparing students to be independent and critical learners. A

detailed learning target, or rubric, is provided for students to recognize what a weak example, an

improving example, and a strong example looks like. After students begin presenting their

learning, a teacher can model positive feedback by giving examples of 3 things the student did
1
Growing Success, p. 28.
well, 2 things that can be improved, and some practical steps that can be taken to get closer to the

learning target. Below is an example of descriptive feedback and success criteria for a beginner

string student (group) learning Allegro from Suzuki Book 1 Violin:

Allegro Criteria Proficient Emerging Developing

Bowing The student plays a The student plays a The student can
bow circle at the end of bow circle at the end of sometimes play a bow
each phrase and can each phrase but circle at the end of each
play in tempo. struggles to play in phrase.
tempo.

Intonation The student confidently The student usually The student sometimes
plays in tune alone and plays in tune. plays in tune.
with accompaniment.

Tempo The student can play The student can play in The student can play
the piece at a tempo at a slow the piece, but not at a
recommended temp metronome pace. consistent tempo.
and include a
ritardando as written in
the music.

Articulation/Dynamics/ The student plays The student sometimes The student plays with
Presentation martelé bows with plays martelé bowings minimal articulation or
staccato and during lines 1/2/4 and is dynamic contrast.
expression during lines beginning to show
1/2/4, and can contrast in line 3.
demonstrate legato and
dynamic contrast in line
3.
Once a class is familiar with what makes a good performance of Allegro, they can begin to work

towards meeting the “proficient” category in their practice. If the learning target is posted in a

visible space in the classroom, students can refer to it often and begin to recognize where their

own playing, and the playing of their peers fits into the rubric. Descriptive feedback is outlined

as “feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and

achievement.”2 Once students feel ready to give an initial performance of their learning, the

teacher must model positive feedback by giving positive feedback, areas to work on, and

practical steps to improve:

“I love the way you stood so confidently as you played. Your intonation was really strong

on the E string, and you played in a tempo that I could easily march to. Once you moved

your left hand to the A string, it felt like you could practice that section at a slower pace

to make each note sound clearer. How about we practice that section as a group, and try

playing it at different tempos and with different types of bow sounds: legato, martelé,

ponticello, and pizzicato?”

In this case, the teacher involves the whole class in the learning and supports the performer in

learning a difficult passage more thoroughly.

Once students are familiar with this assessment for learning feedback model, the teacher

can begin to include students in creating success criteria for new pieces they will learn as a group

and assessment as learning can begin. Students can listen to multiple recordings of a new piece

while following along with the sheet music and decide what the learning targets should be. The

Growing Success document says, “Once students, with the ongoing support of the teacher, have

learned to recognize, describe, and apply success criteria related to particular learning goals, they

2
Ibid, p. 6.
can use this information to assess their own and others’ learning.”3 After a positive feedback

environment is modeled by the teacher, and the learning targets and rubric are created as a class,

peer feedback becomes more accepted and meaningful for students. The teacher can begin by

asking general questions during rehearsal such as, “What are some things you think went well

during bars 1-8?” and “What do you think are some areas we need to work on in bars 1-8?” The

students can refer to their decided success criteria and begin to offer things that their instrument

sections did well and can also improve on. It is also important that students are given visual lists

of positive and constructive feedback words to use when sharing their thoughts with their peers

in order to avoid comments that may take away from the positive learning environment. Using

these models will naturally lead to students feeling more comfortable when giving solo

performances or when demonstrating sections of ensemble works.

Self feedback is defined as “(developing) students’ self-assessment skills to enable them

to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.”4 This is a

natural progression for students after experiencing successful feedback environments with their

teacher and their peers. Ideally, a student should have time to discuss their learning goals with

the teacher in a private lesson. Time does not always allow for this in a public school

environment, but the teacher should prioritize taking time out of rehearsal at regular intervals for

conferences with individual students, or small groups of students. During this time, other

students could be working in sectionals, listening to recordings, researching composers, or

working on music theory. Some questions that could guide individual conferences could be,

“What are some of your greatest strengths in your playing?” and “What areas in your playing do

you want to improve?” The student should be encouraged to take time to reflect on their own

3
Ibid, p. 35.
4
Ibid, p. 6.
learning goals for an upcoming project or technical skill, and make a list of what success criteria

looks like for them. The student can confer with the teacher on creating a plan to reach their

goals by making a step by step process. This could include a discussion on how much time is

needed in practicing at home, how many repetitions of a particular phrase is needed, what tempo

to practice at and when to present what is practiced. If using the example of the piece Allegro

above, a list could include things such as

● Practice the A major scale using a “pepperoni pizza” rhythm for each note.

● Play the entire piece (rhythms only) on open A only, then open E string only, to focus on

a strong martelé/staccato bow stroke.

● Spend time practicing the finger pattern in bar 4 by playing it with a slow metronome

tempo, gradually increasing it to the suggested tempo.

● Practice quick bow circles and landing softly on the string by playing the A major scale

with two down bows/bow circles per note.

Guided self-feedback will allow the student to eventually create a structured and goal-driven

practice time on their own by using the models they’ve become so accustomed to.

Some of the challenges of implementing a positive feedback routine is available time, and

the pressure of producing repertoire in time for scheduled concerts. If a string class only meets

once or twice a week, time is spent on tuning instruments, playing warm up games, rehearsing

repertoire and communicating with parents. Positive assessment may often feel like an after-

thought and students become used to being told what to do. This can lead to discouragement in

their learning and enrollment may start to dwindle. Despite the demands on a string teacher, it is

crucial that they create a regular routine of sharing the learning target, teaching students to

develop their own success criteria, and developing self-aware learners who feel pride in their
learning and can achieve their own goals as musicians. Each rehearsal should start by spending a

few minutes reviewing the learning target, discussing what success criteria looks like and during

each break, spend time modeling positive feedback by sharing what is going well, what needs to

improve, and how to get there. The teacher could consider choosing specific days each month to

focus on reviewing what positive feedback looks like, and giving time to assessments. When

students are aware that these days are part of routines, they can prepare their own playing for

assessment, and come up with their own ideas of their strengths and areas to work on, instead of

dreading a performance and fearing negative comments and “failure.”

Dylan Wiliam, educator and advocate for assessment reforms in schools said, “feedback

should cause thinking. It should be focused; it should relate to the learning goals that have been

shared with the students; and it should be more work for the recipient than the donor. Indeed, the

whole purpose of feedback should be to increase the extent to which students are owners of their

own learning.”5 By weaving the feedback models into string rehearsals, it will become natural

and less formal, yet it will become the thing that ties all learning together and creates an

engaging learning environment for string learners. As these learners become more self-aware,

they will take their confidence into their other classrooms and be able to demonstrate peer and

self feedback in other learning areas. This leads to a unified school environment and prepares

students to be confident and encouraging adults who can contribute positive feedback to their

workplaces, families, and beyond.

5
Dylan Wiliam, Embedded Formative Assessment.
 References

Educagains. (TCDSB 21C). February 18, 2015. [Video]. YouTube.

https://youtu.be/AHt_6wp0x6s?si=WRyIpvn4jC7-oAdr

Education Scotland. (Dylan Wiliam). Self and peer assessment - Dylan Wiliam. July 27, 2016.
[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/YtP4X5Vls9Y?si=Qo3hDsbymD2AAGHl.

El Education. Descriptive Feedback Helps All Students Reach Proficiency. January 19, 2018.
[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/epJs3PZkTU4?si=KjT7yGiYr_qkdEQa.

Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, First Edition,
Covering Grades 1-12, 2010.
https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growsuccess.pdf.

LSI:Learning Sciences International. (Dylan Wiliam). Dylan Wiliam: What do we Mean by

Assessment for Learning? September 11, 2018. [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/q-myBw36_DA?si=Z8x4Sk59yxOMKLRu.

NWEA Videos. (Dylan Wiliam). Dylan William unpacks formative assessment. December 14,
2012. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/kPf0nQFfv50?si=ilMhbY7Uyzn7iSf5.

Spencer, John. (John Spencer). Empowering Students to Own the Assessment Process. March 3,
2020. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/8WxvVgXC_NY?si=skCRBm-0CD7I03XX.

TCDSB 21C. Video 2 Developing Learning Goals. February 18, 2015. [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/wLUQ2phoqtU?si=mOawpeKjJZII6Qhi.

VBSchools. Assess: Descriptive Feedback. March 17, 2017. [Video]. YouTube.

https://youtu.be/NlXTvVml0xk?si=b_Khfr_Y3eHP9BQq.

Wiliam, Dylan. Embedded Formative Assessment. Quote found at

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/16958767-embedded-formative-assessment.