CPTSC | October 28, 2022

Giving feedback is one of the most important, time-consuming, and thankless parts of teaching in TPC classrooms. Based on my previous research (Doan, 2019; 2021; 2022), I developed formative feedback conferences that align with the pedagogical goals of a design-centric course:

• asking students to learn to give and accept constructive criticism on their penultimate drafts,
• then giving them time and accountability to apply what they’ve learned when submitting their projects for a final grade.

Formative Feedback Conferences Offer

• A method for instructors to give formative feedback while reducing workloads,
• An incentive for students to revise their work, and
• A way to balance individualized comments with high teaching loads.

Conducting Feedback Conferences

• Students submit a draft one week before the assignment deadline
  • Monday night deadline
  • Tuesday/Thursday conferences
• The more complete, the better
  • But “productive grappling” okay.

Structuring Student Comments

• As they read, students look for
  • One compliment
  • One suggestion for revision.
• Knowing what to look for when reading gives students structure.
• Instructor comments last.

Students from Different Skill Levels Benefit

• Advanced students receive feedback from the instructor; practice giving feedback to peers.
• Students with less polished skills or those experiencing adverse life events can see examples of effective assignments and can better integrate feedback before submitting their final drafts.
• All students benefit from building a community.

In Conclusion

• Formative feedback offers students active guidance and encourages revisions.
• Treating feedback as a social activity prepares students to create, discuss, and revise their work.
• Requires future empirical research to understand students’ experiences.

For more details about feedback conferences, read my IEEE ProComm paper “Formative Feedback Conferences in the Technical Communication Classroom.”