1. CALS Faculty Development Learning Module
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CALS Faculty Development Learning Module
Giving and Receiving Feedback:
Application to CALS Courses

2. Goals and Objectives
Goal: Apply principles of feedback to CALS instruction.
Objectives: After completing this module, you will be able/better able to:
List principles for giving and receiving feedback.
Apply principles of feedback to situations that may arise while teaching a CALS course.

3. Participating in this Module
Review the principles for providing and receiving feedback.
Think about which principles apply to the following cases and consider how best to apply them.
Suggestions follow each case as to which principle(s) is/are most relevant and how to apply it/them.
On the PowerPoint Toolbar, switch to Slide Show view to participate in this module; text will appear sequentially on mouse click or “enter”

4. Principles of Giving Feedback
Select an appropriate time and setting at which to provide feedback.
• Is the person who is to receive feedback aware he/she is being
evaluated? Has the receiver indicated a readiness to listen/accept
feedback as intended?
Provide descriptive, not interpretive/evaluative, information.
• Feedback should be objective as possible, based on what the
observer saw/heard. Quote and give examples. Avoid interpretation
and conclusions regarding overall performance.
Cover recent occurrences.
• Timeliness of feedback is crucial. Provide feedback when receiver
understands what is being referred to and feelings are most valid.

5. Principles of Giving Feedback continued
Consider sharing something of yourself. • Giving/receiving feedback may create sense of imbalance in the relationship so it may be helpful to receiver if giver shares some of his/her feelings/concerns while giving feedback. Do not demand/require a change. • The receiver must decide whether to change based on the feedback, requiring change should not be considered providing feedback. Do not overload. • Giving too much feedback on too many behaviors at once may be more than receiver can handle; he/she may lose track of what is being said. Usually, one individual at a time should provide feedback.

6. Receiving Feedback
Be open to feedback; it is meant to be constructive. • Giving and receiving feedback is part of a lifelong learning process required of all educators. Ask for feedback about specific behaviors. • It is helpful if you as receiver ask the observer for feedback about specific behaviors you are working on. Doing so helps the observer give specific rather than general feedback. Check your understanding. • Use paraphrasing to be sure you understand the observer’s comments. Avoid disputing the observations. Share your reactions to the feedback. • Sharing reactions can help the observer improve skills at giving useful feedback.

7. Case One
You have been asked by the course coordinator to provide feedback to a new instructor on her skills in teaching a scenario station. It is the last station of the day and as usual, all instructors/participants are exhausted.
• Should you provide feedback at this time? If not, when and how?
Some possibilities to consider:
Provide feedback between scenarios
Provide feedback at the group dinner that evening.
Defer feedback until a future course.
Mention to the instructor that you’d like to find a few minutes to provide to feedback
• Now, review the principles of providing feedback and determine
which to apply to the case.

8. Case One Resolution
• Determine the most appropriate time/setting to provide feedback.
Neither the scenario session nor the evening dinner would be
ideal times or settings for providing feedback.
• Cover recent occurrences.
Postponing feedback until another class violates this
principle. Doing so decreases the effectiveness of the feedback.
• Suggestion: In this case, it would be helpful if the
instructor would be notified in advance that you would be
giving feedback. Asking for a few minutes to do so, one
on one, after the session would likely be the best choice.

9. Pop Quiz
You are asked to give feedback to an instructor who was far short of finishing his presentation at the designated time limit. Which of the following represents good feedback?
a. “It took too long”
b. “You added unnecessary information”
c. “You need to work on time management”
d. “I noticed that you had to cut your presentation short”
Principle: Provide descriptive, not interpretive/evaluative, feedback.
Choice “d” best conforms to this principle. The other choices constitute arguable conclusions. Stating an observation is less confrontational and may provide an opportunity for additional discussion.

10. Case Two
Along with two other instructors, you are observing an instructor candidate. She conducts a 10 minute scenario, after which the two other instructors provide lots of detailed feedback. They then turn to you for your input. Which of the following would be the most appropriate response?
a. Provide additional feedback, reinforcing points the others had covered.
b. Provide additional feedback but only if it’s something the other two have not
covered.
c. Offer something positive about the instructor’s performance and refrain from
further feedback.
Review the principles of giving feedback and determine which principle(s) best apply to this case.

11. Case Two Resolution
Do not overload is one of the important principles highlighted in this module. • As educators, we want to make a positive contribution to the learning process. • However, at times it may be better to “let something go.” Learners may feel overwhelmed and/or picked on if presented with too much feedback at one time. • Although there is no formal rule, the amount of feedback given should be proportional to the event itself. For example, after a 10 minute scenario, feedback from a single source is usually sufficient.

12. Case Three
A new instructor candidate has just finished an interactive discussion during which it was painfully obvious that he did not fully understand the material. He clearly feels embarrassed about this. You have been asked to give feedback. Which of the principles described in the first part of this exercise might help make this situation less painful and more of a learning experience for the instructor candidate?

13. Case Three Resolution
• Principle: Consider sharing something of yourself. • Most of us have had a bad day or experienced a situation in which we felt we had not done our best work. • Sharing such an experience can be comforting to someone in a similar situation. A specific example isn’t necessary; simply acknowledging a similar experience may be enough.

14. Case Four
You have just finished team teaching a scenario station and the instructor providing you with feedback makes the following comment:
“There was really no reason for a second instructor at this station.”
List several possible interpretations of this statement 1. 2. 3. 4.
Now proceed to the next slide

15. Case Four Resolution Some possible interpretations of this feedback:
• The other instructor did not contribute significantly to the station.
• You did not allow the other instructor to contribute to the station.
• The material in this station is not enough to involve two instructors.
• The other instructor should have been the one teaching the station.
• Other(s):
There are certainly other possible interpretations, and without further clarification it will be difficult to decide what the observer is trying to tell you. The point is, you will learn more effectively when you understand the feedback.

16. Case Four Resolution Summary
Principles of receiving feedback:
• Ask for feedback about specific behaviors.
• Check your understanding of the feedback provided.
• Paraphrase your understanding of anything that is unclear or ambiguous

17. Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Thank you for participating in this module, the purpose of which is to aid you in your role as CALS instructor.
• Your thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Please contact:
Todd Grant, CALS Faculty Development Committee,