Effective feedback, Criticism, and Tone
What characterizes effective feedback
- Specific and timely
- Focused on both what went wrong and what is going right (and why)
- Pointing toward options/strategies vs. just end states
- Appreciation of the learner's effort
- Convey attitude that learner will get it
- Growth mindset
- Be careful with "this is easy"
- Be careful with "I struggled with X"
- Be careful with "I'm worried about you"
Written vs. Spoken
- Written feedback has no cues / received privately
- Has a big impact on inclusiveness
- What is needed to help learner to listen into message?
- What trust will be established before?
- How have you received written feedback positively / negatively?
What is buffered feedback?
- Buffered feedback can neutralize ambiguity about the intention
of the feedback -- clear reason
- Example:
- Not buffered:
- You got all of the syntax wrong in this for loop
- Buffered:
- It sounds like you understand the concept of a for loop,
but I can see that you're struggling with the syntax.
Here is an example of a working for loop,
and here are some strategies that might help for remembering it.
I am confident that you can do this.
- Buffered feedback does not mean empty praise or "glossing over"
- Example: empty praise / glossing over
- Well, don't worry about it. This is not really that important
- Hey great job on typing your name at the top. That was great
- Example: direct, but supportive
- This is important and it will require more practice.
Here are a few more samples.
I know you can do this if you keep practicing
- Tell me more about what you did and what you think went wrong.
[I appreciate how much effort you put in and it must be so frustrating
to have that effort not pan out for you.]
Are you willing to try a different strategy?
Activity: Effective Feedback
Objective:
- Connect concepts to personal experiences
- Think critically about influence over the learning experiences others will have
Instructions:
Team with your neighbors. Consider the following questions. Discuss in your team.
- Can you think of any moment when someone gave you very "unbuffered" feedback?
How did it make you feel?
What impact did it have on you going forward?
(If no one jumps at the chance to tell a personal story,
try sharing one of your own)
- Can you think of any moments when it was easy for you to receive criticism?
Why do you think it was easy?
- What kind of feedback from instructors do you find most helpful?
Is there a particular format that works better for you?
References:
Megas and Gigas Educate (MaGE) program at Mount Holyoke College
https://sites.google.com/a/mtholyoke.edu/mage-training/home
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