by Dr. Ivy Beringer, NVCC

It has been said that “the pen is mightier

than the sword.” When writing recommendations for continuous improvement we need to bear in mind that the pen is not the sword!Keep in mind that the point is to provide helpful feedback and motivate the faculty developer to make course changes. Recommendations written for the sole purpose of criticism or to

only point out mistakes will not be well-received and are not likely to result in course changes.

Writing effective recommendations is a critical responsibility of reviewers. The responsibility of providing useful recommendations should be taken seriously as it may be the only time the faculty developer receives feedback.

To ensure that the recommendations you are crafting are in fact helpful, the reviewer should be mindful of the 4 essential components and the 5 characteristics of an effective recommendation.

A well-crafted recommendation utilizes:

the Standard Statement

the Standard Annotation

Course Evidence

Characteristics of an Effective

Recommendation

A well-crafted recommendation is:

Constructive

Specific

Measurable

Sensitive

Balanced

When crafting a helpful recommendation be sure you write constructive comments. Constructive comments do not just point out the problem but offer solutions that can be applied for improvement.

When crafting a helpful recommendation be sure to make the statement specific. Specific comments give an explicit example of what is being recommended.

When crafting a helpful recommendation be sure you make measurable comments. Measurable comments suggest ways they will know when they have implemented the improvement requested.

When crafting a helpful recommendation be sure you write sensitive comments. Sensitive comments are upbeat and positive statements that avoid the use of negative statements.

When crafting a helpful recommendation be sure you write balanced comments. Balanced comments point out the areas of strength and identify the areas in need of strengthening or the opportunities for improvement.

Below is a list of unhelpful reviewer recommendations. Practice what you have learned by utilizing the characteristics of a helpful recommendation:

“Many of your objectives are not measurable.”

“You do not include your contact information in the Begin Here location.”

“while you are implementing a variety of resources, your identified resources that are out-of-date.”