Feedback

To give feedback to another person is an important commitment that aims to help that person to develope their communication skills. By adapting you criticism, positive or constructive, you allow the presenter/writer to receive as much criticism as possible.

Since the focus of the feedback is on the receiver, your language and reasoning should also be at the recipient level. Always start with yourself and give an "I" message. Few things in communications is fixed truths and it is easier to accept criticism if it is not perceived accusing.

Feedback on oral presentations

Regardless of how good a presenter you are, there is always room for improvement. There is nothing like a perfect presenter. By using the documents (see links below) provided a variety of areas can be covered when giving feedback.

Documents for students
Documents for teachers

Since many experience discomfort when giving a presentation it is important to strengthen the individual so that said person feel comfortable giving presentations in the future. Giving positive feedback is instrumental in this, and should always be at least as much as any constructive feedback given. Constructive feedback in turn helps a presenter to identify areas where most can be gained by improving.

Feedback on written texts

To improve a text you often need the opinion of others. Therefore it is valuable to let them read and comment on your text. In DiaNa we use a form for giving feedback which among else improves the focus on the higher part of the text triangle illustrated below.

The parts commented on in the form is context, contents, structure and format.

Feedback on group interactions

Participating in teamwork is a lot about communication. Who leads the group? Who organises? Who deals with external contacts?

When you give feedback to a group it is well worth the effort to attend one or more group meetings and reflect on what you have experienced.

When participating it is important to give group members honest and direct feedback to avoid any hard feelings festering and risking breaking the group at a later point.

A short project is more about dividing the work burden and in the short term maintaining good relations. A longer project gives more space to express yourself in a team and thus demands more from the team to work through problems that in shorter projects can be ignored (usually internal problems).