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Feedback & Revision

Key PBL Design Element:

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Purpose

  • When students receive frequent, constructive feedback on their work, they are more likely to see learning as an iterative process, rather than a collection of assignments to turn in.
  • The process of receiving input from peers and adults encourages students to revisit and improve upon their work.

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Guidelines for Receiving Feedback

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  • Set time limits, so students know how long they will be engaged in the process. This can ease some anxiety.
  • Consider de-identifying student work so that feedback can be given and received anonymously.
  • Practice individual active listening skills.
  • Co-create classroom norms to foster a classroom community of trust.

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Guidelines for Providing Feedback

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  • Feedback should be kind, specific, and helpful.
    • Kind: use a polite tone
    • Specific: focus on one area of improvement or excellence at a time
    • Helpful: advice is actionable
  • It may be useful to frame feedback sessions in terms of students giving advice. (This can avoid generic feedback, e.g., “Good job!”)
  • Formats
    • Anonymous
    • One-on-One
    • Small Group

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Guidelines for Providing Feedback

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  • If students are new to the process, consider providing statement starters to help them share their thoughts constructively:
    • “Have you considered…”
    • “What if you…”
    • “You could make this even better by…”

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Anonymous Feedback

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  • Allows distance between the designer and the person providing feedback.
  • Makes the process less personal.
  • Encourages more candid input from participants.

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One-on-One Feedback

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  • Allows for private feedback.
  • Can eliminate feeling vulnerable in front of a group.
  • Provides space for more conversation/discussion.

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Small Group Feedback

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  • Invites many different perspectives and backgrounds.
  • Gathers more input in a shorter amount of time.
  • If using post-it notes, feedback can be quickly synthesized for patterns and priorities, allowing students to focus on specific areas of improvement.

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