Decoding Feedback in Online Learning: Five Theoretical Analogies and Their Implications Focusing on Technology-Enhanced Learning

Feedback is crucial in learning, helping learners recognize knowledge gaps and evaluate their progress. This review explored how feedback improves education by motivating students to enhance their learning outcomes and encouraging instructors to refine their teaching practices via PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ERIC databases from 2010 to 2024. Feedback can be seen through various lenses: as a treatment, an expense, mentoring, instruction, and a learning tool. Viewing feedback as a treatment emphasizes timely and targeted responses to boost student performance5. Considering feedback as an expense highlights the strategic allocation of resources for effective support. Mentoring, fosters supportive relationships promoting student growth, while instruction, clarifies concepts and reinforces learning objectives. Feedback encourages collaboration and active engagement between students and instructors. By integrating digital tools and ensuring timely, specific, and actionable feedback, educators can create an engaging learning environment, supporting academic success and fostering a lifelong love of learning.