Incorporating Feedback into Collaborative Learning

All the scholarship on assessment and feedback means little if we cannot translate it into practice. This week I am teaching a course in the Graduate Certificate in University Teaching, where I introduce academics to some amazing scholars who help us think more expansively about how feedback and assessment supports learning goals for students. First, I translate scholarship into principles: 1. Feedback is relational practice Elizabeth Molloy shows how trust, dialogue and psychological safety shape whether feedback becomes usable. 2. Feedback is cultural practice David Boud and Joanna Tai highlight how assessment and program cultures build students’ capacity for future learning (sustainable assessment) and evaluative judgement. 3. Feedback is learning practice Naomi Winstone and David Carless demonstrate that students need structured opportunities to interpret and apply feedback (feedback literacies), not just receive it. 4. Feedback is emotional and identity practice Rebecca Olson and Rola Ajjawi show how belonging, vulnerability and identity shape how students respond to feedback (and how feedback shapes identities). Then I translate these principles into my teaching practice: – Embed dialogue and collaboration (professional learning communities model) across the course – Create feedback conversations in class before assessment is due – Add ‘changes I made because of peer feedback’ as part of the graded assessment task – Integrate self-assessment to build evaluative judgement and use this in marking and written feedback process – Dedicate class time to address all assessment questions throughout the semester – Link earlier feedback to later tasks so students can act on it (scaffold assessment tasks) In my Grad Cert class, academics then apply this work to a subject or supervision context they teach. They identify the explicit role feedback will play and design three or four feedback activities to embed across pedagogy and assessment. This is scholarly teaching: translating theory into practice. It is how we unlock the creativity and academic rigour of university teaching. And it is fun!

Ensuring Students Act on Feedback Feedback is only as valuable as the action students take in response to it. Too often, feedback becomes a passive exchange,teachers give comments, students glance at them, and then move on to the next task without making meaningful improvements. To truly accelerate progress, we need to create structures that ensure feedback leads to independent development. Here’s how: 1. Build Dedicated Feedback Lessons into Your Scheme of Work If feedback is to be effective, there must be time for students to engage with it properly. This means moving beyond a quick ‘read your comments’ approach and embedding dedicated feedback lessons into the scheme of work. By protecting this time within the curriculum, feedback becomes a continuous, structured process rather than an afterthought. 2. Use Targeted and Specific Feedback Vague comments like ‘be more analytical’ or ‘develop your explanation’ don’t give students a clear direction. Instead, feedback should be precise and actionable. For example: • Before: ‘Your analysis is weak.’ • After: ‘To strengthen your analysis, explain why this event was significant and link it to a wider consequence.’ Or Pose questions to help students develop their answer or guide them to the correct knowledge. Pairing feedback with examples or sentence starters can help students apply improvements more effectively. 3. Teach Students How to Use Feedback Students need to be explicitly taught how to engage with feedback. This includes: • Modelling the process – Show students how to act on feedback by walking them through a worked example. • Guiding self-reflection – Use prompts like, ‘How does my answer compare to the model? Where can I improve?’ • Encouraging peer support – Structured peer review can help students identify strengths and areas for development before teacher intervention. I often like to highlight a weak paragraph in a green box so students know what area to precisely improve/re-write, as you can see below. 4. Use Feedback Trackers to Monitor Progress Instead of feedback disappearing into exercise books, encourage students to keep a feedback tracker where they record teacher comments and their own reflections. They can then set targets for the next piece of work and review previous feedback to ensure they’re improving over time. Feedback is most powerful when it becomes part of the learning process, not just an add-on. By allocating time in the curriculum for feedback lessons, making guidance explicit, and encouraging students to take ownership, we can transform feedback from words on a page into meaningful improvement. The ultimate goal? Students who no longer just receive feedback, but actively use it to progress.

Too often, offering students feedback is an exercise in compliance. The professor offers feedback, and expects the students to incorporate all of it. (It’s like the professor is giving items on a checklist. The subtext: “do these things and I’ll give you an A.”) But I want my students to think about feedback differently. I want them to be able to cut between different sets of feedback, connecting them to each other and linking them back to their own understanding. With that in mind… Here’s the feedback cycle I’ve designed for my Comp II students at Berkeley. 1️⃣ Self-Assessment Students use their own self-designed rubric to evaluate their own performance. 2️⃣ Peer Assessment Students get feedback and assessment from other students. 3️⃣ Instructor Assessment I’ll offer feedback on the assignment. 4️⃣ AI Assessment Students get feedback from a custom chatbot. I will be incorporating some of Anna Mills’s prompts for the PAIRR framework. 5️⃣ Assessment Assessment (or Reflection) Students apply the different assessments to their own self-assessment. They defend their ultimate edits within the context of their Self-Empowering Writing Process (SEWP).

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 🗣️ Ever feel like your Learning and Development (L&D) programs are missing the mark? You're not alone. One of the biggest pitfalls in L&D is the lack of mechanisms for collecting and acting on employee feedback. Without this crucial component, your initiatives may fail to address the real needs and preferences of your team, leaving them disengaged and underprepared. 📌 And here's the kicker—if you ignore this, your L&D efforts risk becoming irrelevant, wasting valuable resources, and ultimately failing to develop the skills your workforce truly needs. But don't worry—there’s a straightforward fix: integrate feedback loops into your L&D programs. Here’s a clear plan to get started: 📝 Surveys and Questionnaires: Regularly distribute surveys and questionnaires to gather insights on what’s working and what isn’t. Keep them short and focused to maximize response rates and actionable feedback. 📝 Focus Groups: Organize small focus groups to dive deeper into specific issues. This setting allows for more detailed discussions and nuanced understanding of employee needs and preferences. 📝 Real-Time Polling: Use real-time polling tools during training sessions to gauge immediate reactions and make on-the-fly adjustments. This keeps the learning experience dynamic and responsive. 📝 One-on-One Interviews: Conduct one-on-one interviews with a diverse cross-section of employees to get a more personal and detailed perspective. This can uncover insights that broader surveys might miss. 📝 Anonymous Feedback Channels: Ensure there are anonymous ways for employees to provide feedback. This encourages honesty and helps identify issues that employees might be hesitant to discuss openly. 📝 Feedback Integration: Don’t just collect feedback—act on it. Regularly review the feedback and make necessary adjustments to your L&D programs. Communicate these changes to employees to show that their input is valued and acted upon. 📝 Continuous Monitoring: Use analytics tools to continuously monitor engagement and performance metrics. This provides ongoing data to help refine and improve your L&D initiatives. Integrating these feedback mechanisms will not only enhance the effectiveness of your L&D programs but also boost employee engagement and satisfaction. When employees see that their feedback leads to tangible changes, they are more likely to be invested in the learning process. Have any innovative ways to incorporate feedback into L&D? Drop your tips in the comments! ⬇️ #LearningAndDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #ContinuousImprovement #FeedbackLoop #ProfessionalDevelopment #TrainingInnovation

From raw feedback to actionable insights: My AI-powered workflow. I'm running an AI-Native PM training and for each cohort I like to close the feedback loop in a more dynamic, engaging, and collaborative way. Here’s the 3-step, AI-powered, collaborative process I use. Step 1: Capturing the raw feedback with Google Forms. It starts with a simple Google Form to gather candid feedback on the training. Step 2: Transforming raw feedback into an engaging video with Notebook LM. This is where the magic happens. Instead of manually combing through the feedback and creating slides, I took a different approach. I uploaded all the raw, anonymized feedback directly into Notebook LM and then prompted it to act as a product manager synthesizing user research, asking it to identify the core positive themes, the most critical areas for improvement, and to structure these findings into a concise video. Step 3: Uploading the video to Loom for sharing and collaboration. Numbers are great, but a video is more personal and engaging. This final step is key because Loom transforms a one-way summary into a two-way conversation. By sharing a Loom link with my stakeholders, they can: • Watch the summary on their own time. • Leave comments and reactions tied to specific moments in the video. • Engage in threaded discussions right on the video timeline. This workflow didn't just save me time but created a richer, more collaborative way to understand and act on valuable feedback. It’s a simple and fun example of how we can use AI tools not just to build products, but to improve how we communicate and share learnings.

Management tip 4/13: Powerful feedback is discovered...together Early in my management career, I assumed that giving feedback meant telling someone what they did wrong and how to fix it. Unsurprisingly, what I got in response was defensiveness, blank nodding, or silent resentment. Everything changed when a mentor observed me and offered simple advice: "You're doing all the talking. Try asking a question." Shortly after, I needed to address a team member's presentation skills. Instead of listing problems, I tried: "What's your perspective on how it went?" and "I noticed your audience seemed to struggle to follow parts of your presentation, did you sense that too?" What happened next was this: She identified the exact issues I was concerned about, plus ones I hadn't noticed. We talked about how to level up performance for future presentations. The interaction transformed from one-way criticism to collaborative problem-solving and we developed a plan she felt ownership over. That's this week's tip: The most powerful feedback isn't delivered—it's discovered together. Before sharing your observation, simply ask: "What's your perspective on this?" Then let them lead. This approach respects their intelligence, reveals context you might be missing, creates shared ownership of solutions, and strengthens your relationship instead of straining it. Try this in your next feedback conversation and watch how it transforms both the experience and the outcome.

Time of the year to remind folks: Share your course syllabus as a Google Doc. And invite students to annotate it. For many years, the syllabus of every course I taught included some version of the following statement. My syllabus statement was simple, affirming, and it invited students to join a collaborative activity that strengthened their belonging and connection at the beginning of the semester. "Welcome to our Annotated Syllabus. This syllabus—like our course—is incomplete without you and your commentary. This Annotated Syllabus is the start of a conversation about our course, your learning, and shared accomplishment. We will annotate our syllabus by: ❓ Asking clarifying questions; 🗣 sharing opinions about readings and assignments; 😕 noting confusions and uncertainties; 💬 responding to policies; 💡 providing advice; and 💭 reflecting on what works and what can change. While your annotation may be critical, let us strive for commentary that is inquisitive and constructive. Your ongoing thoughts are welcome anytime so that this syllabus documents our learning together this semester." Please, borrow my statement. And adapt it. Make it yours so that it works for your course and students. And once you've created a syllabus that students can annotate, remember to: 🌱 "Seed" your syllabus with a few comments. Be the first annotator. I would always add a mix of annotations that were administrative, introductory, informal, and personal. This models the types and tone of commentary that students will then add. And it gives students a low-barrier scaffold to elicit their responses. ✍ Reply with care and feedback. If you’re annotating a syllabus for the first time, it’s likely that your students are, too. Your students may be apprehensive and a bit skeptical. Students may feel vulnerable. Students’ initial commentary may be hesitant, critical, or informal. That’s all OK. Reply with care. Welcome feedback. Revise the document. Iterate assignments. Co-construct your learning community. There's no need for a syllabus quiz this semester. Mitigate your concern that students won't read the syllabus, or that you'll repeatedly need to remind students "it's in the syllabus." Be proactive, creative, and collaborative. Remember, a syllabus is an educator’s draft vision of teaching yet enacted, a preamble to learning yet accomplished. It's OK that your syllabus isn't perfect (could it ever really be?). Rather, partner with students to improve both this draft document and their participation in the course. An annotated syllabus opens a door to dialogue, feedback, and shared growth. Looking for all of my #AnnotatedSyllabus resources? Follow the link in comments.

Do your learners treat training as a “one and done” activity, only to forget what they’ve learned later? 🤔 Meaningful learning isn’t something that happens all at once. It’s a process that builds over time. Learners need repeated opportunities to engage with the material, apply what they’ve learned, and adjust based on feedback. Providing timely feedback throughout this process is essential for reinforcing learning and encouraging growth. Without it, learners are left guessing whether they’re on the right track. For example, consider a leadership training program that teaches conflict resolution skills. Instead of a single role-play exercise meant as an assessment, imagine a variety of activities sprinkled throughout the course. During one activity, learners might identify and label conflict styles. Later, they practice techniques for de-escalating tense conversations. After each activity, they receive targeted feedback like, “You showed empathy well, but next time, try rephrasing to clarify the other person’s point.” Over time, this iterative learning process helps learners refine their skills and gain confidence. Want to make learning iterative and impactful? Try this! ⬇️ 👉 Plan for multiple touchpoints. Create spaced activities that revisit key concepts, giving learners opportunities to deepen their understanding over time. 👉 Use actionable feedback. Go beyond “correct” or “incorrect.” Highlight what they did well and give specific advice on what to improve. 👉 Include self-reflection with feedback. Encourage learners to reflect on their progress after receiving feedback. Ask questions like, “What will you do differently next time?” 👉 Incorporate peer feedback. In group settings, allow learners to give constructive feedback to each other, which can deepen their own understanding. Learning is a journey, not a sprint. When we provide timely feedback and give learners the chance to revisit concepts, we set them up for long-term success. ---------------------- Hi! I'm Elizabeth! 👋 💻 I specialize in eLearning development, where I create engaging courses that are designed to change the behavior of the learner to meet the needs of the organization. Follow me for more, and reach out if you need a high-quality innovative learning solution. 🤝 #InstructionalDesign #IterativeLearning #FeedbackMatters #eLearning #LearnerEngagement #AdultLearning #LearningAndDevelopment

Performance isn’t a surprise. So why do we still wait a year (or six months) to talk about it? Feedback should be part of everyday work. Short. Clear. Actionable. Regular. Teams grow faster when feedback is not an event — it’s a culture. Try this: → Replace “Let’s talk about it later” with “Let’s tackle this now.” The sooner, the better. Feedback becomes real-time learning. → Don’t just tell. Ask for examples: "Can you show me a moment where you applied this?" This brings the conversation to life and avoids vague discussions. → Get rid of one-sided feedback. Make your team the co-architects of improvement by encouraging peer-to-peer feedback. → Set up feedback rituals: Daily huddles, weekly reflections, or even virtual suggestion boxes. These allow feedback to flow seamlessly into work routines. → Create a feedback playlist — ask each person how they prefer to receive feedback (e.g., quick check-ins, written summaries, or open discussions). Tailor the experience! What would change if your team treated feedback like water, not medicine? #PeopleDevelopment #FeedbackCulture #HRTrends #Leadership #HRBP #HRBusinessPartner #LeadershipTips

As Summer PD kicks off in many Northeast charters, I’ve been thinking about what it really takes to build a culture of feedback and learning—not just deliver professional development. One thing I learned based on my years as a principal and then supporting principals and leaders in designing professional development is this: A culture of feedback doesn’t start with a protocol. It starts with a habit. One of the most powerful: short, focused reflection surveys. And this isn’t just for summer onboarding. It works any time you're introducing a new initiative, tool, or workflow. But if the goal is learning—not just collecting data—how you use those surveys matters. Whether you're onboarding teachers or leading a change effort on your team, here are three lessons I’ve learned: ✅ Ask better questions. You get the data you ask for. Make sure you ask about both content and format. For content: • What’s one practice you’re excited to try? • What’s still unclear? • Where will you need more support? For format: a quick Keep–Start–Stop works wonders. ✅ Review the feedback as a team. Don’t just collect feedback—process it. Spot patterns, add context from your own observations, and adjust your plan. That might mean reshuffling sessions, re-grouping folks, or offering targeted support. ✅ Close the loop. If you want people to be honest, show them that their feedback matters. Share what you heard and how you’re responding—even if the answer is, “Not yet, and here’s why.” For individual concerns, follow up 1:1. This approach doesn’t just improve your rollout. It models the kind of learning culture we want in every classroom and team. And while I’ve seen this most in schools, these lessons apply anywhere—nonprofits, startups, corporate teams. If you’re leading any kind of team learning experience, these small moves build trust, responsiveness, and real feedback loops. You’ve heard me say it before: clarity is a process, and it’s bidirectional. This is one simple, powerful way to get there. What are your favorite moves or 1% solutions for building a culture of learning?