Hartbeat was the pinnacle in 1989, ”You’re not putting your heart into it.” My mum’s feedback to eight year old me about my mermaid collage, embellished with silver milk bottle tops and After Eight wrappers cut into intricate tail scales. The big dream was getting my picture onto the show’s coveted gallery, but it never happened.
Someone was deciding whose work made it in, it wasn’t Tony himself, it must have been one of his assistants, surely, otherwise he would have chosen mine. Whoever was curating that wall had locked me out, maybe they didn’t get my style, or the drawings were getting lost in the post? How could they not see my worth? I’d won Monster Munch, Cornflakes and British Gas competitions! This Hartbeat gatekeeper, I did not like what they represented. I want in. I’ll find a way in. Who decides what makes it in?
And what of my mum’s feedback? I still remember it 30 odd years on. Was it constructive? Did it drive me to make better pictures? It was focussed on what I was not doing, framed negatively. It wasn’t, ‘could you try this or that?’ She possibly did this too, but this particular comment is still imprinted in my mind. It was vague, abstract. I remember it left me feeling disheartened and unsure of what to do next to improve. Perhaps it was her way of saying she had higher expectations of me? I wonder how her feedback style influences the way I give student feedback?
It has made me conscious of intention, and use of language and as a crucial factor which can make all the difference between coming away from feedback encounters feeling motivated and focussed on next steps, or disheartened and disappointed in oneself.
In his theory of Non Violent Communication, psychologist Marshall Rosenberg discusses the “consciousness based on the intention to create positive connection — recognising that mutually enriching outcomes will emerge from the quality of the relationships”
One of the key principles of NVC is to observe without evaluating. When we combine evaluation with judgement, others are likely to hear criticism, become defensive and consequently resist our comments. NVC doesn’t ask that you refrain from evaluating or that you remain objective; but that you separate observations from evaluations.
It also emphasises the importance of being specific in requests as opposed to general.
“NVC is a process language that discourages static generalizations; instead, evaluations are to be based on observations specific to time and context”
The four tenets of NVC are Observation, Feeling, Need, and Request, enabling people to communicate without judgement, recognise their feelings and needs, and make clear, positive requests.
Perhaps this could be a useful practical framework to use when constructing both verbal and written feedback for students? I tried to script something based on a formative feedback conversation I had with a student last week, as a quick exercise to help me understand the NVC approach
For example:
Observe without Evaluating
I noticed that you haven’t added anything else to your research document since last week. I’m wondering what’s been holding you back?
vs
You haven’t done any work since last week. You never give enough time to your research.
State a need
I need you to understand the timeframe on this brief, and how important it is to work to a schedule in order to meet the brief.
vs
You need to do more work between now and next week otherwise you’ll be late again.
Make a request
What can we do to help you plan your time better this week so you can focus on this? Can you pull up your calendar?
vs
There isn’t enough work here, your research could be so much stronger.
……………….
For my readings on assessment and feedback, Brooks ‘Could do Better?’ also resonated. As part of her study, she looked at students’ critique of written feedback, to find there was a mismatch between students’ expectations of feedback and their perceptions of its purposes.
Brooks explored the difficulty students had translating written feedback, especially if there wasn’t a chance to properly unpack it verbally with tutors. She identified the student requests for ‘more feedback’ as being much about wanting to feel a sense of belonging and connection, feeling known and seen within the cohort (as many of them did not even collect their essays with feedback). But rather than offer more tutor time as a solution, Brooks considers how students can become more empowered to trust their own judgement and also how nurturing peer environments can contribute to their learning.
“Tutors need to become facilitators of the learning process rather than gatekeepers of knowledge, and students need more encouragement to reflect on their own learning journeys”
As Stage 2 lead, a key part of my role is to be able to keep track of every student’s progress, it’s important that students feel they are ‘known’ by me and other tutors they have regular contact with, but I am also interested in developing a stronger culture of peer led, mutually supportive spaces within the formative feedback process, something Brooks advocates for.
“What needs to happen is that students are supported and feel confident in their own learning, so that they don’t hang around the corridors waiting to see already overloaded tutors with a vague sense that somehow, the tutor holds the ‘right answer’.”
Brooks concludes that clarity on how students can progress their work needs to be the ultimate driver behind the feedback we provide, rather than justifying the mark.
“Are we giving general advice on how to improve, to support their general progress. Is it clear to the student why this is relevant to their next piece of work?”
References
Rosenburg, M (2005) Observing Without Evaluating Non Violent Communication, Puddledancer Press
Brooks, K (2008) Could do better? Students’ critique of written feedback. Networks, 5
Wonderful and rich reflections, great to read.