Feedback plays a crucial role in bringing about learning gains. However, Lorrie Shepard (2001), in summarizing Kluger and De Nisi's meta-analysis on feedback research, points out that only in about one-third of the 131 studies examined did feedback improve learning. It turns out that it is not the "giving" of feedback that causes learning gains, it is the "acting" on feedback that determines how much students learn. Unless students know the answer to the question, "Where am I going?", feedback is just a series of instructions disconnected from a learning destination. In this article, the author discusses five characteristics of effective feedback: (1) Effective feedback directs attention to the intended learning, pointing out strengths and offering specific information to guide improvement; (2) Effective feedback occurs during the learning, while there is still time to act on it; (3) Effective feedback addresses partial understanding; (4) Effective feedback does not do the thinking for the student; and (5) Effective feedback limits corrective information to an amount the student can act on. (Contains 3 figures.)