The total effect of layered feedback on learning outcomes was significantly negative, with an unmediated negative direct effect¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr2·q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-17 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i? The total effect of layered feedback on post-test performance was significantly negative (B = −0.83, p = .02), while the total indirect effect was non-significant because opposing pathways cancelled out. → Jie Cao 2026
Evidence¶
Jie Cao 2026¶
Jie Cao, Chloe Qianhui Zhao, Christian Schunn, Elizabeth A. McLaughlin, Jionghao Lin, Kenneth R. Koedinger. (2026). Assessing the Impact and Underlying Pathways of Sequenced AI Feedback on Student Learning. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.07469 doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.07469
q3 · i? · causal · r2
Bootstrap mediation model (N=199); the total indirect effect was not significant (Total Ind = 0.07, p = 0.67), and there was a statistically significant negative direct effect (c′ = −0.90, p = .02) reflecting a cause not captured by the mediators.
"the total effect of the layered feedback on learning outcomes was statistically significant and negative (B=−0.83,SE= 0.36,z=−2.30, p=.02,[−1.545,−0.117])."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Feedback improves learning by a medium amount on average, but its effect varies widely with the information it carries, and a substantial share of feedback effects are negative — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
- A negative behavioral path through frequent resubmissions counteracted the affective benefit of layered feedback — related
- Non-layered AI feedback produced significantly higher post-test performance than layered AI feedback after controlling for pre-test — related
- Perceived independence did not mediate a significant indirect effect of layered AI feedback on learning performance — related
- Layered AI feedback led to significantly more tasks requiring three or more submissions, while total submissions, learning time and edit distance did not differ — related
- Layered AI feedback was perceived as more encouraging and independence-supporting but imposed higher mental effort — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
layered-feedback-negative-total-effect |
title |
The total effect of layered feedback on learning outcomes was significantly negative, with an unmediated negative direct effect |
description |
The total effect of layered feedback on learning outcomes was significantly negative, with an unmediated negative direct effect |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2026 |
source_checked |
2026-10-17 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-11 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — jie-cao-2026 |
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