These types of feedback describe in vague, general terms the teacher s reaction to a skill attempt. This type of feedback is somewhat social reinforcing. On the other hand, prescriptive, or specific feedback is the type of feedback that most students need. Statements that are specifically skill-related are the types of feedback student s need as they learn motor skills. An analogy to the teacher giving specific, skill-related feedback would be that of a doctor diagnosing an illness, and then giving you a prescription to fix it.
Prescriptive feedback guides the student in fixing the problem or improving the skill performance.
For instance, in a skill for which a demonstration is provided that easily allows the student to see how to perform the skill correctly, there may be less need for the teacher to give feedback. This need for feedback may be directly related to the level of the learner. This is where the importance of effective teaching comes in. Teachers who provide specific, skill related feedback to students assist them in learning the skill at a faster rate. These teachers structure the class in a way that provides necessary practice opportunities, as well as give skill-related feedback at appropriate times.