Effort: Medium
What to notice
Explain why an answer needs correction and give the next step nearby.
Where it fits
- Fits
- Users with complex errors not resolved by format validation.
- Use it when
- When causes and valid corrections can be explained accurately.
- Avoid it when
- When correctness cannot be verified but feedback would claim certainty.
How to build it
- Show the issue and reason alongside the user’s input.
- Give a valid example and one specific change.
- Show the retry result and allow guidance to be dismissed.
Measure
- Main metric
- Share of eligible users completing correctly after feedback
- Guardrail
- Repeated errors and dropout after feedback
- How to measure
- Allocate comparison groups before exposure and use equal follow-up and eligibility. Track Share of eligible users completing correctly after feedback alongside Repeated errors and dropout after feedback.
When it backfires
Give task information rather than judgments of the person.
Alternatives
Theory behind it
Informational feedback
Explain the gap to a goal and what to change, rather than offering praise alone.
Practitioner framework
Error management training
Learn to detect and recover from errors in a practice environment without real consequences.
Well supported
Evidence limits: An editorial web application; conversion effects on this interface are unmeasured. Effects depend on feedback type and prior knowledge in educational research. Lengthy advice after every action can add burden.