providing constructive feedback

PROVIDING

CONSTRUCTIV

E

FEEDBACK

RU B R I C

• Assessment support program• Collect confidential data from students

to give instructors a better idea of how their classes are going

• Opportunity to tune in instruction based on student perspective (learner centered) to enhance learning environments

STUDENTS ASSESSING TEACHING AND LEARNING

WHAT ARE SOME SITUATIONS WHEN GIVING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK IS NECESSARY?

• Someone asks for your opinion about how they are doing• Peer review

• Ongoing performance discussions•Course evaluations

• Providing specific performance pointers•Group work feedback

• Concern about a peer’s work habits• Peer conversation

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PEER REVIEW?• It is always good to have another student’s

perspective

• We can learn by explaining things to other people

• It makes you critically think about your work

• Discussion helps you organize your argument

ACTIVITY: PEER REVIEW

Review Chris Piper’s essayInclude at least 3 comments.Mark comments in the left column (#1) on the back of the handout.

*Do not write in the second column

YOUR TURN!Will 3 students please come up and

write one of their comments on the board.

Now pass the marker to a friend so that they can write an example as well.

THE PURPOSE OF A RUBRIC IS…• To describe expected product

• To provide criteria for levels of performance

• To outline how to reach goals of the task

RUBRIC FOR GIVING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK• This rubric is designed to help peers

and faculty give valuable feedback to each other

• We hope that by the end of this presentation you will be able to give constructive feedback

Feedback is valuable and useful when…

WHOSomeone provides it with the

appropriate audience in mind.  

Who is going to receive this information: a peer, an instructor, the program director?

WHENIt is given as soon as possible

after performance and it allows for response and interaction.

Will the feedback still be relevant to the audience?

WHYThere is purpose awareness.

What is my audience going to do with this information: make changes in the draft, adjust teaching strategies, add a class to the program?

WHATIt is focused and provides specific

information with clear evidence of appropriate content.

What are the goals?What progress is being made towards

that goal?What activities need to be undertaken to

make better progress?

HOWIt is perceived as well-

intentioned, respectful, and knowledgeable.

Is what I am saying specific and useful to the audience?

Am I addressing the content in a focused, constructive, and respectful manner?

PERSONAL EXAMPLESWhat experiences have you had with

giving or receiving feedback??Did it have a positive or negative effect?

TIP # 1Include accurate and specific data

that is clear about irrefutable evidence.

Example“Adding expert evidence, like data from

research articles, would make your argument much stronger.”

TIP # 2Focus on content rather than on the

person.Content vs Person

“The conclusion is…” “Your conclusion is..”“I had questions about

this section…”“You lost me in this

section…”“The class could be a

little more organized…”

“You need to organize your class…”

TIP # 3Comments should focus on

description rather than judgment.Comments should be:

•Non-judgmental•Descriptive•Specific

*Be honest, but be respectful in how you say it and remember the purpose is to help the person improve

TIP # 4There should a balance between

positive and negative feedback.

One way to do this is to sandwich negative data between positive data.

TIP # 5Positive feedback is attributed to

internal causes and is given in the second person.

Start sentences with:“You…”“You used very supportive examples …”

TIP # 6Negative information should be given in

first person and then to the third.

Start sentences with “I had a lot of questions when reading the introduction…”“I was unsure what you meant here because…”

TIP # 7Offer specific suggestions that

model appropriate behavior.

“This type of example may support your argument …”

“Have you considered introducing this concept first?...”

ACTIVITY: PEER REVIEW CONTINUED…

In second column of the second paper, modify your feedback based on the rubric

Three people come up and modify these comments based on what we learned from the rubric.

What was good about that example?What needed to be improved?

MINUTE PAPER: USE RUBRIC TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. What are three of the most important ideas you learned from this presentation?

2. What unanswered questions do you still have?

3. Do you have any suggestions for the rubric or the presentation?