---
title: "On Timely Feedback"
artifact: "summary"
resource_person: "Dylan Wiliam"
resource_person_role: "Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment, UCL"
vertical: "assessment"
module: "Feedback and Feedforward"
lesson: "On Timely Feedback"
lesson_key: "on-timely-feedback"
source: "curated"
source_channel: "Education Scotland"
---
# On Timely Feedback

**Resource person:** Dylan Wiliam - Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment, UCL

**Curated from:** Education Scotland

## Summary

Dylan Wiliam distinguishes feedback that directs attention to the learner's standing from feedback that directs attention to the work. Grades, rankings, and broad praise can pull attention toward self-evaluation. Task-involving feedback identifies where the work currently succeeds, what needs attention, and what move would improve it.

Timing is useful only in relation to an opportunity for action. Comments returned after a unit has ended may arrive quickly yet have little effect. A stronger sequence gives feedback while the learner still has time to revise, retry, or apply the advice to a closely related task. The next attempt is part of the feedback design.

Good feedback is selective. One or two high-value moves usually beat a page of corrections. It uses language the learner can understand, refers to shared criteria, and keeps improvement attainable. Teachers can then look at the next piece of work to see whether the feedback was used and whether further teaching is required.