Feedback within blended learning can take many forms and serve many purposes, occurring through a variety of mediums at different instances throughout the duration ofa course. At the heart of feedback is communication and social contact, which drives opportunities to refine and evaluate both learning experiences, instruction, and student performance from multiple perspectives. Feedback also plays the crucial role of developing student metacognition towards their self-regulated learning processes and individual performance.
The communication component (Kerres &, de Witt, 2003) is one of the most critical components of all blended learning and is especially pertinent when:
- Knowledge reaches a certain complexity;
- A deeper understanding of a theoretical framework is required;
- The knowledge consists of competing concepts;
- Students should learn to formulate, express, and discuss a personal point of view; and
- Students to learn to participate in discussions, to formulate and receive feedback in discursive settings.
Regardless of its specific purpose and particular setting (virtual or face-to-face), timeliness plays a significant purpose in determining the both impact and relevance of feedback.
Within face-to-face settings can also take on three distinct forms (Hwang et al., 2002) :
- Seeking feedback from instructors within class (InAsk);
- Seeking feedback from instructors outside of class (OutAsk);
- Seeking feedback from fellow students outside of class (OutCheck)