Feedback loops as purposeful, bidirectional, transformative interactions in education innovation¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 3 studies (3 design), q1 · 0 of 3 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The report defines feedback loops, citing Baker, Weisgrau, and Bristal Philyaw (2022), as "an interaction between two or more parties that is purposeful, bidirectional, and interactive and transforms the knowledge, actions, or goals of the engaged parties." They are purposeful because they address problems of practice important to practitioners; bidirectional and transformative because information moves among all involved, creating new knowledge, actions, or goals; and iterative because interactions shape the loops themselves. The report positions feedback loops as a building block for more comprehensive partnership models.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Interactions must be purposeful, bidirectional, and interactive so that knowledge, actions, or goals of the engaged parties are transformed

Constraints¶

• Research on approaches to creating feedback loops is described as still emerging, with current analysis descriptive

Target Learners¶

• Practitioners and researchers engaged in education innovation partnerships

Target Learning Objectives¶

• Creating new knowledge, actions, and goals through bidirectional exchange between researchers and practitioners

Claims¶

• Some initiatives fit no single generalized structure: the OER for Racial Justice project required a novel generator-plus-catalyzer combination [+W]
• In the Maker Learning @ Home cohort, feedback loops with cohort members redefined the initiative's outputs and goals [+W]
• In the Learner Variability Navigator case, feedback loops across multiple partners generated an output of need that the authors say simple surveys may not have produced [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Research-Practice-Industry Partnerships (RPIPs) integrating problems of practice, learning sciences, and edtech development
• Research-Practice-Industry Partnership (RPIP) model

Examples¶

• Identify feedback loops in your organization by sourcing, evaluating, and validating case studies
• Integrate co-design and continuous feedback loops into AI evaluation processes

Key Sources¶

• Pautz Stephenson, S., Banks, R., & Pakhira D. (2022, December). Practitioners at the center: Catalyzing research on problems of practice in realistic settings. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/164