Group Feedback
Group Feedback
It is vitally important that groups be given the opportunity to provide constructive and meaningful feedback to one another on their group process and the synergy that developed, or the lack thereof. Evaluating how the group is operating at specific intervals (formative assessment) provides a chance for students to understand and improve their group process and group norms.
Soliciting feedback to assess group effectiveness early, and overtly, will enable a group to place individual personalities in perspective, value the differences that arise, and meld diverse approaches into effective teamwork – thus moving toward synergy.
An anonymous survey tool is effective for eliciting group feedback because it allows for anonymous responses. Encourage students to engage in evaluating the group process and their part in the group. This is not a natural skill for most, so it must be taught, modeled, and encouraged by the instructor.
Set aside time for students to reflect on their experiences in working with one another and provide procedures for students to use in discussing group effectiveness and interaction. We might ask for reflection as the group establishes itself, too, not just at the end of the group assignment, so that problems can be identified and addressed before they become debilitating for the group. For example, if conflict arises, students can be asked to reflect on the conflict and its resolution as a way of adding to their learning experience.
NOTE: Construct and use feedback assessments to focus on the group task, not on its members. Ask group members individually and anonymously to identify their sense of the task(s) before them, explain the organization they see as necessary to accomplishing the task, and reflect on the diversity of talents and effectiveness of teamwork required to conclude the task successfully. Such feedback assessment should be undertaken early — within the first week or two of the group’s formation.
Example Feedback Questions
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For long-term group projects, you might establish a “question of the week” that focuses on both the subject matter and the interaction between group members, such as “Name one or two ways other group members helped each other learn or encouraged participation?”.
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Or you might ask students to respond to a discussion question analyzing the group process, such as “List three things your group is doing well and one thing you could improve.”
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Lateness or missed sessions also should be discussed by the entire group. “How do members of the group feel about X’s lateness?” might be a good starting question.
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The best questions encourage positive feedback but also help students identify problem areas. When students reflect on and analyze their experiences, they will describe what member actions were helpful and unhelpful in contributing to achieving the group’s goals, and the group will be able to make decisions about what actions to continue or change.
Guidelines for Providing Feedback
It’s useful to provide students with guidelines for giving feedback in a helpful, non-threatening way. Johnson, Johnson & Smith (1998, p. 74) provide the following suggested guidelines:
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Focus feedback on behavior (not on personality traits).
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Be descriptive (not judgmental).
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Be specific and concrete (not general or abstract).
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Make feedback immediate (not delayed).
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Focus on positive actions (not negative ones).
Asking for Feedback
Once a group has completed its task, student reflection provides a way to evaluate themselves and one another with questions such as the following (Palloff & Pratt, 1999, p. 128). Knowing that a project-completion evaluation adds or subtracts points from their grade may also provide motivation to contribute a high-quality work product during the process.
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How well did I participate in my group? Was I a team player?
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Did I make a significant contribution?
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Did I share my portion of the workload?
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How comfortable do I feel with the group process? Does this relate to my learning style?
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Did I feel comfortable expressing any problems or concerns openly?
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Did I provide substantive feedback to other group members?
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How do I feel about the collaborative work produced by my group?
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How well did the collaborative process contribute to my learning goals and objectives for this course?
References
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Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (1998). Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom. Edina, Minnesota: Interaction Book Co.
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Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (1999). Building learning communities in cyberspace: Effective strategies for the online classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.