Incorporating Feedback into Teaching

7 Techniques for Giving Constructive Feedback (+ tips on exactly what to say) Giving feedback is about helping others grow and achieve better outcomes. Master these techniques to build trust and inspire positive results: Ask Questions to Clarify Context ↳ Start by understanding their approach before offering input. → “What was your goal with this approach?” Focus on the Task, Not the Person ↳ Keep the feedback objective to avoid it feeling personal. → Instead of, “You didn’t do this right,” try, “This approach might align better with the brief.” Use Specific Examples to Make Points Clear ↳ Illustrate your feedback with concrete examples to avoid vagueness. → “Including a graph here could visually explain the data more effectively.” Recognise Strengths Before Addressing Areas to Improve ↳ Highlight what’s working well to keep the conversation positive. → “Your analysis is very detailed. Adding a short summary would make it even more accessible.” Explain the Purpose Behind Your Feedback ↳ Clarify why your suggestions matter to the overall goal. → “Simplifying this chart will help stakeholders understand the data more quickly.” Offer Practical Steps for Improvement ↳ Go beyond identifying issues and suggest actionable fixes. → “Reorganising this section into bullet points could make it much clearer and easier to follow.” Follow Up to Track Progress ↳ Ensure the feedback is applied and review the results together. → “Let’s look over the revised version on Friday to ensure it’s heading in the right direction.” The goal? Feedback that’s clear, supportive, and action-oriented. Which of these techniques will you try first? - - - - - Share and repost if you liked this ♻️ And follow me, Jonny Tooze, for more.

All the scholarship on assessment and feedback means little if we cannot translate it into practice. This week I am teaching a course in the Graduate Certificate in University Teaching, where I introduce academics to some amazing scholars who help us think more expansively about how feedback and assessment supports learning goals for students. First, I translate scholarship into principles: 1. Feedback is relational practice Elizabeth Molloy shows how trust, dialogue and psychological safety shape whether feedback becomes usable. 2. Feedback is cultural practice David Boud and Joanna Tai highlight how assessment and program cultures build students’ capacity for future learning (sustainable assessment) and evaluative judgement. 3. Feedback is learning practice Naomi Winstone and David Carless demonstrate that students need structured opportunities to interpret and apply feedback (feedback literacies), not just receive it. 4. Feedback is emotional and identity practice Rebecca Olson and Rola Ajjawi show how belonging, vulnerability and identity shape how students respond to feedback (and how feedback shapes identities). Then I translate these principles into my teaching practice: – Embed dialogue and collaboration (professional learning communities model) across the course – Create feedback conversations in class before assessment is due – Add ‘changes I made because of peer feedback’ as part of the graded assessment task – Integrate self-assessment to build evaluative judgement and use this in marking and written feedback process – Dedicate class time to address all assessment questions throughout the semester – Link earlier feedback to later tasks so students can act on it (scaffold assessment tasks) In my Grad Cert class, academics then apply this work to a subject or supervision context they teach. They identify the explicit role feedback will play and design three or four feedback activities to embed across pedagogy and assessment. This is scholarly teaching: translating theory into practice. It is how we unlock the creativity and academic rigour of university teaching. And it is fun!

My go-to method for giving feedback to my students (it's NOT a "compliment sandwich" :) 👉 It's COIN! C - Context O - Observation I - Impact N - Next steps For example: "In our mock interview (C), I noticed that you kept circling back and repeating information when describing your design process (O). This repetition could potentially give the impression that you're unsure of your own methods (I). Let's work on creating a clear, linear narrative for each project and practice it until you can confidently deliver it within 2-3 minutes (N)." Why it works ↴ - It's clear and direct. No sugar-coating! - It focuses on specific actions and their effects. - It provides actionable next steps. - It avoids confusion (the feedback receiver knows exactly what to work on) What's your go-to feedback method? Share your thoughts below! 👇 #ux #uxcareers #UXLeadership #FeedbackTips

Good feedback builds trust. Bad feedback shatters it. Learn how to give feedback that works: 1. Be specific Vague words change nothing. Details drive action. ↳ Do: "The report had 3 errors on page 4" ↳ Don't: "Your work needs to be better" 2. Talk about actions, not personality Talk about what happened, not who they are. ↳ Do: "You've missed three deadlines" ↳ Don't: "You're so disorganised" 3. Show the impact Make the impact crystal clear: ↳ Do: "That delay pushed back the whole project" ↳ Don't: "You need to be more careful" 4. Give clear next steps Feedback without next steps is just criticism. ↳ Do: Suggest one clear improvement ↳ Don't: Leave them guessing what to do 5. Pick the right moment Pick moments when feedback can actually help. ↳ Do: Find a quiet time when you're both calm ↳ Don't: Give feedback in front of others 6. Check in after ↳ Do: "How's that new system working?" ↳ Don't: Drop feedback and disappear 7. Keep praise separate Don't mix praise with criticism. It just confuses. ↳ Do: Give praise when it's earned ↳ Don't: Mix criticism with compliments 8. Focus on one thing ↳ Do: Start with the biggest issue ↳ Don't: List every problem at once 9. Come prepared ↳ Do: Bring specific examples ↳ Don't: Wing it with vague comments 10. Keep it simple Not every slip up needs a sit-down. ↳ Do: Quick chats for small fixes ↳ Don't: Schedule meetings for every issue What's your best tip for giving feedback? Let me know in the comments below👇 ♻️ Repost to help others. And follow Owain Lewis for more.

No feedback = making others mediocre. Yet, people fear giving it. And people dread receiving it. Nobody was taught how to give feedback. Feedback isn’t a confrontation. It’s a leadership skill. If you want a high-trust, high-performance culture,  You have to master it. Here’s a simple framework you can use today. 1️⃣ The 3Ps: Praise → Problem → Potential ↳ Start with praise to anchor the conversation in recognition. ↳ Then name the problem, clearly, objectively. ↳ End with showing a path forward. 💡 “Your presentation was well-researched.” 💡 “But it ran 15 minutes over and we lost Q&A time.” 💡 “Let’s aim for tighter timing next round.” 2️⃣ Use the SBI Model: Situation → Behavior → Impact ↳ Be specific and avoid generalizations.  ↳ Describe what you saw to anchor the feedback in context. 💬 “During yesterday’s briefing, I noticed you checked your phone often.” 💬 “It seemed to disengage some of the team.” 3️⃣ Use Harvard’s HEAR Method to defuse defensiveness: ↳ H: Hedge your claims: “From what I noticed…” ↳ E: Emphasize agreement: “We both want this project to succeed.” ↳ A: Acknowledge their side: “I hadn’t thought of that.” ↳ R: Reframe positively: “One idea could be…” Feedback isn’t a monologue. It’s a dialogue. 4️⃣ Stick to the 5:1 Ratio. ↳ For every 1 piece of critique… ↳ Offer 5 genuine observations of what’s working. ↳ It keeps the feedback motivating, not demoralizing. 5️⃣ Follow these tactical tips: ↳ Be timely ↳ Be specific ↳ Balance critique with praise ↳ Ask questions ↳ Use “I” statements, not blame People don’t grow from vague suggestions. They grow from clarity. From specificity. From care. Next time you give feedback? Don’t hold back. But don’t lash out either. Be the kind of leader who gives feedback people can actually use. What’s the best feedback you ever received and what did it change? ♻️ Repost to help others give feedback that transforms people ➕ Follow Youssef El Allame for more insights

On to telling a PhD student their paper needs work (Without causing a career crisis) Tough feedback is part of earning a PhD. But. There's a trick to it. You can't coddle the student. Or they miss the feedback. BUT. You can't be so mean that you trigger an existential spiral that ends with, “Maybe I should go to law school.” So how to do it? Without being a destroyer of dreams. 1. Sandwich tough feedback—with compliments. “Great lit review framing. The hypotheses need work. But your voice is strong and the argument has promise.” Translation: I’m about to crush a section, but you have something to build on. Do not offer stale overused praise like “Good effort.” Use real compliments that are directly relevant to the paper. 2. Use the phrase: “This is common at this stage” It moves the comment from “You’re a disaster” to “You’re right on schedule.” “This is a common issue in early drafts. The contribution just needs sharper positioning.” Magic. Seriously. It lets the student know they are normal. 3. Blame the paper, not the person Say: “The discussion meanders a bit.” Not: “You don’t seem to know what you’re talking about.” If you depersonalize it, the student will fix it. If you personalize it, the student will take a LOOONG time to get to it. 4. Offer a way forward Don’t just say “this doesn’t work.” Say: “This doesn’t land yet—have you looked at how [X paper] frames a similar argument?” Now it’s not a failure. It’s a useful feedback. 5. End with: “This is fixable.” No matter how rough it is, always end with hope. “This is fixable” means: I’m not giving up on you—and neither should you. And. When you say it is fixable. Give direction on how. Say: “Let’s break this into 3 chunks.” Then. Schedule times to follow up on each chunk. So the student doesn't feel alone. You’re coaching, not assigning miracles. Feedback doesn’t have to break a student to make them better. You can be honest, and direct and motivate a student to revise their paper —not to rewrite their career plan. To do it, you need to take a little time, show a little compassion, and offer support. And. When you do, you win, bc your student will grow! Best of luck! #academicjourney

Are you worried that the feedback you’re giving might be hitting a little too hard? If you’re feeling that way, it might be true!   Here are some tips to help your feedback land better:  1️⃣ Be Specific; Provide Concrete Examples:     ↳ Focus on specific circumstances or outcomes instead of giving general feedback or vague directives (e.g., statements like “do better” or “try harder” don’t help).  2️⃣ Focus on Behavior, Not the Person: ↳ Use “I” statements, not “you” statements. For example, say, “I observed X action,” instead of “You always.”   ↳ Remember, it’s the behavior you’re addressing, not the whole person.  3️⃣ Use the “Feedback Sandwich” Sparingly:    ↳ Share areas for improvement, but don’t dilute your message by sandwiching it too much. Deliver constructive feedback separately for maximum impact.  4️⃣ Real-Time, In-the-Moment Feedback Is KING: ↳ The sooner you address behavior, the better.   ↳ Waiting too long to provide feedback can be counterproductive.  5️⃣ Ask How They Feel Things Are Going: ↳ Start with a question like, “How do you feel that went?” to encourage dialogue.   ↳ Self-awareness is key to changing behavior—if someone doesn’t know there’s an issue, they can’t address it.  6️⃣ Give Tangible Suggestions for Improvement: ↳ Follow up constructive feedback with one or two actionable suggestions for improvement.   ↳ Ensure they understand why the change is important and how it benefits them.  7️⃣ Inspect What You Expect: ↳ Set a time to check in or schedule a follow-up conversation.   ↳ Track improvement and offer additional guidance as needed.   ↳ Don’t forget to praise good behavior—change is hard, and positive reinforcement helps!  📌 Effective feedback can transform performance, relationships, and results. Often, those who push us the hardest are the ones who help us grow the most.  P.S. - Enjoyed reading this? Repost ♻️ it and follow me (Frederick Churbuck) for more insightful content. #feedback #sales #teams #leader #linkedin

Many of us remember receiving feedback that focused entirely on what was wrong. It was likely in red pen, too. Even when well-intentioned, deficit-based feedback can undermine students’ confidence and their identity as learners. Over time, I realized that how we frame feedback matters just as much as what we say (and what color ink we use). An asset-based approach shifts feedback from critique to coaching. Instead of focusing only on gaps, it highlights strengths while guiding students toward growth. For example: Instead of: “Your claim is unclear.” Try: “You’re beginning to develop a claim. Let’s make it more specific to strengthen your argument.” I share strategies for giving asset-based feedback and designing growth-oriented rubrics in this post: https://lnkd.in/gK7RDRNi #Feedback #GrowthMindset #StudentCenteredLearning #K12Education

An important mini-lesson that more teachers should teach: Here’s how to use the feedback I just gave you. Too often, we mistake a lack of uptake on feedback as a lack of effort. But for most kids, it's not that they don't want to do better. It's that they don't understand what to do. We assume students know what our feedback means and what to do with it. Before giving feedback, I’d always teach: Here’s how you use feedback to make your work better. Research by Jennifer Meyer et al. shows that explicitly modeling how to incorporate feedback is a superpower. It dramatically increases the odds that feedback leads to real improvement in written work, especially for boys and students who struggle. So try this: - Show what excellent revision looks like based on feedback. - Model how to go from “draft” to “stronger version” based on feedback comments from a peer or the teacher - Or use an example/non-example to make it crystal clear. And then watch as student writing, and engagement, improve.