Feedback

Giving Feedback

Bad Feedback

• Criticise the writer, rather than the writing

• Use a superior tone of voice

• Use words like “you need to” and “you should”

• Deliver the feedback as “fact”

• Be vague, general, negative, and leave the writer with nowhere to go – “this chapter is not good enough”

• Be vague, general, positive, and leave the writer with nowhere to go –– “it’s fine”

• Assume you have no “legitimacy” to give feedback –– “I don’t know enough about your work to comment”

• Assume the writer is dependent on your feedback

• Pedantically pick on every small grammatical error

Effective Feedback

• Criticises the writing, not the writer

• Avoids phrases like “you need to” or “you should”

• Is offered as a point of view

• Is specific, concrete, constructive and offers alternatives and solutions

• Involves both negative and positive points

• Appreciates that the writer will weigh up the comments and make up their own mind

• Provides corrections for the first few minor errors and leaves the writer to correct the rest

• Focuses upon substantive issues in the writing

• Offers solutions or alternatives as suggestions

• Provide constructive criticism & positive comments

• Share neutral comments

  • General reactions

  • First impressions

  • Thoughts about how the draft has changed from a previous draft

  • Areas of agreement and disagreement with other feedback and your reasons for this

• Not just about pointing out what is wrong with the writing

  • Also provide positive feedback

  • builds confidence

  • provides encouragement

  • helps the writer to see what they did right, so they don’t change it

  • helps other group members to identify and model good examples

Phrases for Giving Feedback

• I really liked … but you might consider

• I loved the section on … XXX writes about that, would you like the reference?

• I was impressed by … How are you going to deal with …?

• You may want to think about …

• I felt really persuaded by … but in the second paragraph of the second section I found …

• I think it would make it even better if you …

• Could you try …?

Receiving Feedback

Tips for processing feedback:

• Make the most of it

• Be open: resist the temptation to defend your work

• Resist the urge to explain

• Respect others opinions: all feedback is useful even if you don’t agree with it.

• Prompt for constructive suggestions

• One comment at a time

Phrases for receiving feedback:

• That’s a good idea, thanks.

• So you’re saying …?

• Can you give me an example?

• Can you be more specific?

• Could you suggest a word/phrase/sentence I could use instead?

• Where do you think it would be good to insert that?

• How did you find the section on …?

• Do you think it would work if I …?