We seek feedback to make sure that we are doing for others what we think are we doing. We have to do this for two reasons:
1. the AQTF says that we have to
2. quite simply, we cannot know if we are doing a good job unless we ask There things that we most commonly seek feedback about are:
methods of delivery ‐ were they suitable? did they help people learn what we intended? assessment strategies ‐ were they fair and reliable?
resources ‐ were they relevant? were they useful? learning outcomes ‐ were they effective?
venues ‐ were they accessible? were they comfortable? The people we commonly seek feedback from are:
clients employees employers managers colleagues third parties
The ways we commonly seek feedback are: interviews ‐ individuals or groups focus groups
surveys
questionnaires email questions
formal and/or informal meetings
Strongly Agree Agree Unsure Disagree Strongly Disagree
Comment Course Content
The Learning Day was taught at a level I could understand. The Learning Day was relevant to
my job. The material was interesting. Course Structure
There was the right mix of practical and theory. Participation was encouraged The training aids and notes were
effective. The length of the Learning Day
was about right.
Let'slookatanexample.
Another way that we collect feedback is from our students while they are engaging with our learning materials. For example, one of our students (let's call her Janet) of this course found a spelling error on this very page.
Janet added a comment to the bottom of this page. Whenever a comment is made anywhere in the wiki, I receive an automatic notification, and so the error was fixed within 10 minutes of being detected. We have a number of students who are really quite good at spotting errors, and rather than criticise them for being picky, we like to encourage them because they help us to do better the job that we need to do. So, thanks "Janet".
HOW TO GET HONEST FEEDBACK
It is important that we remember that how we go about getting feedback will affect the quality of the feedback that we receive. If we want to receive honest feedback, then we need to make sure that we:
use open forms of communication (body language, questions, non‐judgemental language) being receptive to the responses that people provide, rather than being defensive
always include open questions to allow general feedback to be given, and to allow the person giving the feedback to feel comfortable
Sometimes, it is useful to use structured processes to collect and use feedback. Doing this gives everyone involved the confidence to know that the feedback is going to be used to improve things. One such process is Dwyer's Six Step Approach to Problem Solving. The following table outlines the steps briefly, but if you would like to know more, then check out the resource at:
http://www.valpo.edu/afrotc/FTP1_6StepSolvingProcess.pdf.
Step Strategy
1. Select the best time.
Choose a time when both or all members involved with the problem are relatively calm. If one party has strong or uncomfortable feelings, it will be difficult to communicate.
2. Define needs. Needs are defined by listening and sharing with each other. It is important to
discover the basic needs of each party at the start, and not jump in too early with solutions.
3. Brainstorm solutions.
It is important to list every solution suggested and not evaluate or judge any of them at this stage.
4. Evaluate solutions.
Everyone must do more listening and talking ('I' statements) here so all ideas and feelings about each proposed solution are heard and valued.
5. Choose
solutions Pick solutions that everyone can agree on, then plan when and how to carry
them out.
6. Carry out solutions.
Check to see how the solutions are working. Listening and sharing at this point are important to resolve any further problems.
FEEDBACK IS PART OF REVIEW
Once we have obtained some feedback, it is sensible to think about how valid it is and if it should be acted upon.
A common way to assess if feedback is valid and worth acted on is to discuss it with other people. Quite often, we can get a better understanding of feedback by getting someone impartial to have a look over it ‐ that way we remove any of our own biases. Be careful, however, because you might
simply be replacing your own biases with someone else's. A way around this is to involve more people, including people who might be in no way related to the thing that you have collected feedback about.
Once you have decided to act upon your feedback, then you must decide what is the best way to improve your work practices.
The following table shows us some the things that might be changed after we receive feedback within the VET sector:
FEEDBACK
amendment of materials alternative venue or location addition of new materials additional equipment reorganisation of materials alternative equipment omission of materials different trainer or assessor clarification of information change to duration of learning alternative examples and scenarios
created change to class numbers.
alternative assessment methods developed
REVIEWING OURSELVES
There are a number of ways that we can reflect on our abilities. Some of these are shown below. asking critical questions about our own ability, what did not work, and how the
relationship‐building process could be improved
reviewing records and journals on sessions and critically evaluating our own performance reviewing feedback from learners and colleagues and identifying critical aspects and areas
for improvement
comparing our practice to industry standards comparing our practice to colleagues
analysing statistical data on the success rate for learners with regard to the learning program and post‐program progress
Ideally, we will do this sort of reflections on an ongoing basis to ensure our skills stay current and appropriate to the needs of learners.
IMPROVING OURSELVES
Reflection is only effective if we act on it. If we find areas in which we could improve then, just like we do with our learners, we need to plan for that. And, just like our learners, we can undertake a range of structured and other learning activities that are developed as part of a Personal
Professional Development Plan.