Module 10: General Principles of Evaluation

Tips for Giving Feedback

• Before you begin, spend a few minutes preparing for the feedback session.
• Give feedback as frequently as possible and as close to the event as practical.
• Make feedback a part of "normal educational activities." Acknowledge the learner's efforts and achievements no matter how small.
• Make a point of providing positive feedback for improvements made since the last feedback session.
• Involve the learner in a two way dialogue prompted by questions like "what is your assessment, or how do you think things went?"
• Describe the behavior you observed without attributing value to it.
• Avoid undue emotion or generalities
• Be precise in describing the event to be discussed.
• Be clear and specific on what should be changed.
• Focus on 1-2 things that the learner can change
• Highlight the behaviors and learning issues that the learner can control.
• Describe the impact the behavior has on others (patient, other learners, evaluator).
• Sandwich the feedback describing what was done right, what was done wrong, what to do next time.
• Limit the feedback provided during any one session to one or two memorable messages.
• Use notes to help you remember specifics.

Remember to allow time for the learner to participate in the feedback session. Teachers influence the quantity and quality of the learner's speech by pausing, asking questions, or asking open-ended questions. This promotes "two-way" communication and helps the learner to address his/her learning goals. Salzman and Grasha (1991) use the term "psychological size" to describe the impact one person has on another during a dialogue exchange. Teachers may use three strategies to equalize psychological size during feedback sessions:

• Making empathetic statements. Self disclosures that a particular concept was also difficult for the teacher to master
• Use of I and we versus you in the dialogue
• Sharing the amount of time spent talking between the learner and the teacher.

During your next feedback session with a student, count the number of times the word "you" is used. Consider the amount of time each person spends talking OR count how many statements the learner contributes to the discussion. What conclusions would you propose based on these observations?