Feedback is one of the cornerstones of learning. Are you getting enough feedback? And does the feedback help you understand difficult matters and develop studying methods of your own? If you have experienced this, there is a good starting point for your learning. On the other hand, if you feel that you are not getting any feedback as such, it is worth seeking it in order to enhance your learning.

There are many ways for getting feedback. People often feel that feedback is primarily provided when they are, for instance, getting a grade for an examination, development suggestions for an exercise or thesis advisor's comments to a thesis. This kind of feedback is important and can be utilised in learning. However, feedback can also take much more mundane and continuous shapes.

• Bounce around some idea related to your studies with a fellow student and he or she will probably give you a new idea and an opportunity for understanding something better.
• Try to solve a mathematics assignment or program a piece of code. If you are not able to correctly solve the equation or the code does not work, you have gotten feedback that will make you do things differently.
• Read learning materials and perhaps you will notice that you have understood something differently that how it was in the material. This way, you are getting feedback of sorts from the material, which in turn makes it possible for you to learn new things.

A precondition for getting any feedback is trying to succeed, asking for feedback and being willing to accept feedback even though it does not always feel that great. When you notice that you have misunderstood something or do not have the necessary ability yet, you are forced to confront your incompleteness and inadequacy, which can be hurtful at times. On the other hand, learning about new things with the help of feedback can bring about inspiring learning experiences.

A key characteristic of good feedback is that it genuinely tries to help you develop. If it points out that there is still need for practice or learning in some area, it should also explain how it is possible to develop and what could be done differently. You may also ask about these things when receiving feedback. Ask:

• Where should I develop?
• What do I not understand yet or am I still unable to do?
• How or with what kind of a technique could I practise in order to learn new things?

In the ideal case, the person giving the feedback and the person getting it are wondering together, trying to understand each other in order to better understand something in collaboration.