Critiquing and Feedback

Design Thinking enquiry critique protocol

This is an excellent tool to use when wanting feedback on a project or prototyping.

FAIM - Design Thinking Fine Tuning Protocol

1. Establish working norms
1. Hard on content, soft on people
2. Step up, step back (if you are normally quiet, step up - if you are normally very vocal, step back)
3. “Ting” listening  with our: eyes, ears, an open heart and with undivided attention
4. Feedback is Kind, Helpful and Specific
2. Teacher presents their project
1. Describe the project (What are the key learning areas/learning goals, topic title?)
2. Describe the process so far - explain which stage you are working in with your class - Immersion, Synthesis, Ideation, Prototyping, Implementing
3. Presenter’s burning questions
1. Presenter poses questions to the participants for the later discussion
4. Clarifying questions
1. Participants ask clarifying questions about the project.
2. Question should be simple enough to answer with a yes, no or similarly short response.
5. Probing questions
1. Participants ask questions in an effort to understand better the presenter’s thinking, decisions and purposes.
6. Discussion
1. The presenter does not speak for this part.
2. It is not about the presenting teacher – it is about the project and the presenter’s question(s)
3. Questions for participants:
1. What strikes me about the project?
2. What questions has it raised for me?
3. Is the planning sufficiently rigorous?
7. Response
1. The presenter responds, saying how they now view their project, having heard the group’s response.
8. Other teachers respond to the presenter
1. What are the lessons in this for my own project?
2. What am I learning from this?
9. Group debrief
1. What struck you about this process?
2. How might you use/adapt this process in your own setting?

Break Down Of Critiquing

1. Establish working norms

1. Hard on content, soft on people

1. Step up, step back (if you are normally quiet, step up - if you are normally very vocal, step back)
2. “Ting” listening  with our: eyes, ears, an open heart and with undivided attention
3. Feedback is Kind, Helpful and Specific

2. Teacher presents their project

1. Describe the project (What are the key learning areas/learning goals, topic title?)
2. Describe the process so far - explain which stage you are working in with your class - Immersion, Synthesis, Ideation, Prototyping, Implementing

It is important here that the participants are fully engaged as listeners. Try not to have a computer in front of you. 

Be fully present!

3. Presenter’s burning questions 

1. Presenter poses questions to the participants for the later discussion

It is helpful to write the burning question up on the board to refer to in the following steps of the critique.

4. Clarifying questions

1. Participants ask clarifying questions about the project.
2. Question should be simple enough to answer with a yes, no or similarly short response.

5. Probing questions

1. Participants ask questions in an effort to understand better the presenter’s thinking, decisions and purposes.

6. Discussion

1. The presenter does not speak for this part. It is very important that this is followed through!
2. It is not about the presenting teacher – it is about the project and the presenter’s question(s) Refer to Step1a. Hard on content, soft on people
3. Questions for participants:
1. What strikes me about the project?
2. What questions has it raised for me?
3. Is the planning sufficiently rigorous?

7. Response

1. The presenter responds, saying how they now view their project, having heard the group’s response.

8. Other teachers respond to the presenter

1. What are the lessons in this for my own project?
2. What am I learning from this?

9. Group debrief 

1. What struck you about this process?
2. How might you use/adapt this process in your own setting?

Critique and Feedback - The story of Austin's butterfly - Ron Berger

Critique is more important than prototyping.
Self critique is the ultimate goal. “I know where I am as a learner and where I need to go from here?"

To teach students to listen attentively to others and then critique. POSE, PAUSE, POUNCE and BOUNCE is a very helpful tool. Click on the image to learn more.