Constructive feedback, in the form of comments or suggestions from instructors or peers, plays an important role in participants’ mastery of learning outcomes. Without feedback, participants are unsure if they have grasped a concept or are performing a task correctly. Instructor feedback can be informal, like clarifications after a class discussion, or formal, like notes on a checklist or rubric or final exam results. However, participants may not always perceive feedback positively, provide effective feedback to avoid damaging participants’ morale and negatively impacting their job performance.

Research has shown that to be effective, feedback must be:

• Specific and objective—The feedback must provide participants with exact details on what they have done correctly and the areas that still require improvement. It can also be useful to tell the participants what they are doing differently than before.
• Immediate—The sooner you can provide feedback to participants, the more successful they will be in improving their performance.
• Outcome oriented—The feedback should be based on a goal the participants are working towards. It should provide clear information to help them improve their performance to achieve that actionable goal.
• Noncompetitive—Participants should be aware of the purpose of all observations and assessments and that the feedback is intended to guide their improvement. It is also important to clarify that the feedback is not meant to create competition between participants.
• Transparent—Participants should have access to information about their performance. This knowledge helps them develop self-awareness about their own learning. It also improves their ability to identify their own mistakes and to develop long-term strategies for addressing areas that need improvement.

Peer feedback can be as effective as instructor feedback. If work teams are training together, members can learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses and build friendships based on mutual support during feedback sessions. Participant peers that work closely together can provide each other accurate and detailed feedback based on their unique perspective. Also, receiving feedback from a peer can be less intimidating than from an instructor.

However, you must manage peer feedback well. Participants must be trained to observe and objectively measure peer performance based on identified criteria. They also need to be trained to provide specific details in their comments. As with instructor delivered feedback, peer reviews should include comments on what participants are doing well as well as suggestions for improvement. To help participants receiving feedback to remain open to suggestions, explain that their role is to listen to the feedback and not try to justify any choices or actions.

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Instructions

How to provide guidance on peer feedback:

1. Share peer assessment tool that details performance criteria.
2. Explain the purpose of peer feedback.
3. Emphasize that feedback should be objective, not personal.
4. Describe participants’ responsibilities during the observation process.
5. Explain that positive feedback will be delivered first, suggestions for improvement will be shared afterwards.
6. Ask for questions about the feedback procedure.
7. Remind participants that, when it is their turn to receive feedback, they are to listen and not try to justify their choices or actions.
8. Once participants have gathered observational data on a peer’s performance, ask for one or two volunteers to provide feedback.
9. Prompt the volunteers to provide positive feedback first, then constructive feedback second.
10. Ask all participants to share their completed assessment tool with comments with the performer.
11. Continue the observation and feedback activity for the next participant.