Asking Students to Give Feedback:
Prior to asking students to evaluate their peers for a group presentation, it is important to scaffold this process by providing students with strategies on providing good feedback. You may choose to simply give students a list of strategies to be mindful of (use inclusive language, don’t present accusatory statements…etc.), or you may break up students into groups for a brainstorming session. (Example: You may ask students to brainstorm on chart paper what constructive feedback Looks Like, Sounds Like, and Feels Like). The second method works well because you are engaging students when creating the “success criteria” for a good presentation, and that way all students can take ownership of the evaluation process.
Some tips from my classmates:
When asking questions about overall impressions of the workshop, present the “Yes/No” answers on a spectrum.
Were facilitators prepared? YES ____X_________________NO
Was there a clear structure? YES ______________X_______NO
Were the written and verbal instructions useful? YES ____X_________________NO
Did the learning activities support your learning? YES X_____________________NO
When providing individual comments for each group member, instead of using “Start/Stop/Continue,” which may sound harsh, we can ask students to use this alternative format:
TRY: Describe something in the presentation that the facilitator can work on next time (e.g. pace, body language, volume…etc.)
EX. Next time, try to make more eye contact to students sitting in the back of the room.
CONTINUE: Describe aspects of the facilitator’s role in the presentation that worked well.
EX. Anne did a good job paraphrasing student’s responses during the question and answer period.
