Giving Feedback: General principles and the RICE Paragraph model

Summary

The video script emphasizes the significance of peer feedback in academic and professional settings, advocating for constructive communication that builds up rather than tears down. It introduces the RICE paragraph model for feedback, which focuses on relationship, information, claim, and explanation, to foster meaningful interaction and avoid alienating recipients. The speaker cautions against overemphasizing grammar feedback, instead encouraging attention to broader writing aspects like structure and rhetoric, to promote effective communication and support writers' growth.

Takeaways

• 📚 Peer feedback is crucial for learning and development, often assigned through articles discussing its importance and effectiveness.
• 🤝 The speaker emphasizes the importance of building rapport and relationship when giving feedback to ensure it is constructive and not alienating.
• 🔍 Feedback should be specific, tangible, and offer recommendations rather than being vague or overly critical.
• 🚫 Avoid using extreme language like 'terrible' or 'awesome' when giving feedback; focus on being specific and constructive.
• 📝 The 'Rice Paragraph' model is introduced as a structured way to give feedback, starting with relationship building, providing information, making a claim, and ending with explanation and recommendation.
• 🤔 Reflect on past experiences with feedback to avoid repeating unhelpful patterns and to build on what has been effective.
• 👥 Be aware of socio-cultural dynamics that can influence how feedback is given and received, and avoid making assumptions based on appearance or background.
• 💼 Feedback is not just for academic settings; it's a vital communication skill in various contexts including the workplace.
• 🙅‍♂️ Avoid defaulting to grammar feedback; focus on larger patterns and aspects of writing that contribute to meaningful communication.
• 🌟 Praise patterns of effective writing to encourage continued development and avoid an overemphasis on minor mistakes.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video on peer feedback?

The video focuses on the importance and effectiveness of peer feedback, how to give it constructively, and the socio-cultural dynamics that can influence the feedback process.

What are some of the articles mentioned that relate to peer feedback?

The articles mentioned include 'Community Based Assessment', 'To Give is Better Than to Receive' from 2001, and another 'To Give is Better Than to Receive' from 2009, and 'Interaction and Feedback' which discusses the socio-cultural dynamics of giving feedback.

Why is it important to be careful with peer feedback based on someone's appearance or background?

Assumptions based on appearance, social, or linguistic background can change the way feedback is given and received, potentially leading to biased or unfair feedback.

What is the 'Rice Paragraph' model for giving feedback?

The 'Rice Paragraph' is a feedback model that emphasizes starting with relationship and rapport building (R), providing information or illustration (I), making a claim (C), and offering explanation and recommendation (E).

How does the 'Rice Paragraph' model differ from traditional paragraph models like PIEs or AIEs?

The 'Rice Paragraph' model starts with building a relationship with the recipient, rather than immediately stating a claim or topic sentence, which can be more sensitive and constructive in feedback scenarios.

Why is it advised to avoid using extreme language like 'terrible' or 'awesome' when giving feedback?

Using extreme language can be unhelpful and not meaningful for improvement. It's more constructive to provide specific, tangible feedback with recommendations.

What is the significance of focusing on patterns rather than individual grammar mistakes when giving feedback?

Focusing on patterns helps identify areas of strength or struggle that can be developed, rather than just pointing out minor errors, which can be demotivating and doesn't contribute to meaningful writing improvement.

Why should grammar feedback not be the primary focus in the initial stages of peer feedback according to the video?

Grammar feedback can distract from the more important aspects of meaningful communication and writing improvement. It's more beneficial to focus on structural, analytical, rhetorical, socio-cultural, scientific, and technological aspects of writing.

What is the 'ghosts of our composition past' mentioned in the video?

The 'ghosts of our composition past' refers to the influence of past teachers or instructors on how we give feedback, often leading to adopting a negative or critical voice.

How does the video suggest improving the practice of giving feedback?

The video suggests improving feedback practice by using the 'Rice Paragraph' model, focusing on patterns, building people up, and avoiding a default to grammar feedback which can be demotivating.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Peer Feedback

The speaker begins by acknowledging the absence of headphones and proceeds to discuss the importance of peer feedback in various contexts, including academic and workplace settings. They mention assigning articles that emphasize the significance and effectiveness of peer feedback, such as 'Community Based Assessment' and 'To Give is Better than to Receive.' The speaker stresses the need for constructive feedback that builds up rather than tears down, referencing Mark Driscoll's approach. They introduce the 'Rice Paragraph' model for giving feedback, which is based on Rogerian rhetorical practice and contrasts with traditional paragraph models like PIES or AXES that start with a claim. The speaker advises against using negative language and emphasizes the importance of specificity and offering recommendations in feedback.

05:01

🔄 The Rice Model for Constructive Feedback

The speaker elaborates on the Rice model, which stands for Relationship, Illustration, Claim, and Explanation. They advocate starting feedback with a relationship-building statement to establish rapport with the recipient. Following this, the giver should provide specific examples from the recipient's work to illustrate their points. The 'Claim' part involves stating whether the observed aspect was effective or not and explaining the reasons behind this judgment. The speaker advises against focusing solely on grammar and instead encourages looking for patterns in the writing that can be praised or improved. They also warn against embodying negative voices from past experiences and emphasize the importance of uplifting feedback.

10:03

🚫 Avoiding Grammar-Centric Feedback

In the final paragraph, the speaker addresses the common tendency to focus on grammar when giving feedback, which they discourage. They argue that grammar should not be the primary focus, especially in the context of their class, where other aspects of writing such as structure, analysis, rhetoric, and socio-cultural elements are more pertinent. The speaker encourages looking for patterns in writing rather than individual errors and praises patterns of effective writing to motivate the writer. They conclude by reiterating the importance of meaningful communication and the detrimental effects of an overemphasis on grammar, which can hinder a writer's development and understanding of meaningful writing.

Keywords

💡Peer Feedback

Peer feedback refers to the process where individuals provide comments and suggestions to each other's work, typically in an educational or professional setting. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of peer feedback for improving writing skills and communication. The speaker assigns articles to students to understand the socio-cultural dynamics of giving feedback and how it can be more effective.

💡Community Based Assessment

Community based assessment is a concept mentioned in the script where feedback and grading are conducted within a community setting, emphasizing collective involvement and shared responsibility. The speaker uses this term to highlight the overarching importance of peer feedback as a community practice, suggesting that it fosters a supportive environment for learning and growth.

💡Rice Paragraph

The Rice Paragraph is a feedback model introduced by the speaker, which stands for Relationship, Illustration, Claim, and Explanation. It is a structured approach to giving feedback that starts with building rapport, followed by specific examples from the work, an evaluative claim, and finally, an explanation and recommendation. This model is presented as a more constructive alternative to traditional feedback methods.

💡Rogerian Rhetorical Practice

Rogerian rhetorical practice is referenced as an influence on the Rice Paragraph model. It is a communication strategy that emphasizes empathy and understanding before presenting one's own perspective. In the video, the speaker suggests that the Rice Paragraph is built on this practice, aiming to create a more empathetic and constructive feedback process.

💡Claim

A claim in the context of the video refers to a statement or opinion that one makes about the work being reviewed. The speaker advises against starting feedback with a claim, as it can alienate the recipient, especially if the feedback is critical. Instead, the Rice Paragraph model suggests starting with relationship building to set a more positive tone.

💡Illustration

In the Rice Paragraph model, illustration involves providing specific examples or details from the recipient's work to support the feedback. The speaker mentions that pointing to concrete instances in the text helps the recipient understand the feedback better and makes the communication more meaningful.

💡Tangible

The term 'tangible' is used to describe the type of feedback that should be given. Tangible feedback is specific, clear, and actionable. The speaker stresses the importance of giving feedback that offers recommendations and is not vague or overly critical, which aligns with the goal of building up rather than beating down the recipient.

💡Grammar Feedback

Grammar feedback is a common type of feedback that people tend to default to, but the speaker advises against focusing too much on it, especially in the initial stages of learning. The speaker argues that grammar should not be the primary focus of feedback, as it can distract from more meaningful aspects of writing and communication.

💡Patterns

The speaker encourages looking for patterns in the writing rather than focusing on individual errors. Patterns refer to recurring themes or issues in the work that can be addressed to improve overall quality. By identifying and discussing patterns, feedback can be more constructive and help the writer understand broader areas for improvement.

💡Structural Aspects

Structural aspects of writing refer to the organization and arrangement of ideas in a text. The speaker mentions structural aspects as one of the many areas, besides grammar, where feedback can be given. For example, the placement of a claim in a paragraph can be a structural element that, if done effectively, can enhance the clarity and impact of the writing.

Highlights

The importance of peer feedback and its role in community-based assessment and grading.

The socio-cultural dynamics of giving feedback and how assumptions based on appearance or background can affect it.

The need to be helpful rather than critical when giving feedback, drawing from Mark Driscoll's advice.

Feedback as a key communication skill in academic and workplace settings.

The 'Rice Paragraph' model for structured feedback, emphasizing relationship, information, claim, and explanation.

The influence of Rogerian rhetorical practice on the 'Rice Paragraph' model.

Avoiding the traditional PI or AI model for feedback, which can alienate the recipient.

The significance of starting feedback with rapport building rather than direct criticism.

Providing specific, tangible details from the recipient's work as part of the feedback process.

The importance of making claims and providing explanations in feedback to clarify effectiveness and reasons.

Recommendations in feedback should be specific and actionable to help the recipient improve.

The tendency for students to default to grammar feedback and the need to focus on more meaningful aspects of writing.

Emphasizing patterns in writing rather than individual grammar mistakes for more substantial feedback.

Avoiding the 'ghosts of our composition past' when giving feedback to maintain a constructive voice.

The 'Rice Paragraph' as a tool to build people up rather than beat them down with feedback.

Focusing on structural, analytical, rhetorical, socio-cultural, scientific, and technological aspects of writing for feedback.

The instructor's stance against overemphasizing grammar in feedback and the encouragement to look for meaningful communication.

Transcripts

okay so apologies I don't have my

headphones today but I need to make this

video this video is on peer feedback and

how to give it I usually assign my class

as a series of articles connected to

peer feedback in its importance and its

meaning and how and its effectiveness

articles like a sow anyways

community based assessment is a kind of

overarching the importance of peer

feedback and also kind of community

grading

I also assign to give us better than to

receive from I think way June 2001 no

that's a different one to give is better

than to receive as I think in 2009 peace

way Jew has another one that's

interaction and feedback and makes peer

groups talks about some of the

socio-cultural dynamics of giving

feedbacks where sometimes we make

assumptions based on people's outward

appearance or social background or

linguistic background and we and it

changes the way we give them feedback

and they give us feedback so that's

something to be careful of but those are

some assignments I usually encourage

some are some readings I usually

encourage when it comes to peer feedback

the important thing with peer feedback

is that we don't want to be jerks but we

want to be helpful so we don't want to

borrow from Mark Driscoll we don't want

to we want to build people up not beat

people up so when it comes to feedback

there are all kinds of places we get to

give feedback so it's actually in a

really important John Rochon right to

practice in the academic setting and

kind of thinking through how you do that

it is a key type of communication we

have we give peer feedback in a variety

of contexts where some places that you

give feedback think about it for a

minute okay it could be at your

workplace right so how many of you guys

do performance reviews or have received

performance reviews they can be awkward

they can be challenging if you've ever

had to give one it's not always a fun

experience it can it takes work and

careful communication when it we also

give feedback on a daily basis

or ask for feedback if we cook sometimes

we'll ask people you know is my hair all

right you know I ask my wife should I

shave today that kind of stuff you know

does this vest to make me look fat those

sorts of things are common things we so

we get feedback and get feedback

constantly and so as we think about

feedback I have a specific model for

feedback that I call a rice paragraph it

builds on kind of the the same

components we learn about with pies or

axes and those sorts of things when

we're dealing with where do we put

claims where do we put reporting

statements or statements of fact where

do we put explanation and that sort of

thing like how do we structure something

like that so when we give feedback it's

a specific genre of communication that

we if we practice it we can find ways to

tie in I will say that my rice paragraph

models built on a Rogerian rhetorical

practice and so if so we'll talk about

that later when we get into rhetorical

patterns you're on res meta structures

later in the course or macro structures

but those are things to be aware of like

those are some of the influences of what

I'm going to talk to you about when we

if we use a traditional version if we

try and use a traditional paragraph

model like PI's or axes the first thing

we do is we often start with a topic

sentence or a claim so if we tried to

use that model for giving feedback a lot

of times that we will focused right out

the gate this needs to be fixed and or

this is you know we'll state our claim

really quickly and then we may provide

support and then we may provide

explanation but depending on how

sensitive that subject is for someone

that whatever the subject is that we're

giving feedback on and people's writing

is kind of a sensitive thing because

they often tie who they are their

identity to it and many people already

have a little bit we talked about the

pts of writing they've already got a

little bit of hurt connected to what the

writing is and so we want to make sure

that we're not starting off just with a

you need to fix this or this is terrible

we don't want to use language like

terrible because it's not meaningful or

even awesome

or good those aren't really meaningful

types of words whether we're giving

constructive or critical feedback we

want to give feedbacks that that's

specific tangible and offers

recommendations so if you think about

the type of feedback that wasn't helpful

feet helpful for you in the past don't

give that kind of feedback you know if

you if someone only if it seemed like

someone was only kind of harping on the

things you need to fix or or little

mistakes that it's like yeah I know I

shouldn't have done that I kind of

missed it like that's not the kind of

stuff we want to spend time on but if we

use that traditional model of pies

that's not a good idea because we start

with our claim in in some cases that

doesn't when it's a sensitive topic that

alienates our reader and they don't hear

the reason why that might be a good

thing an effective thing to focus on a

meaningful thing for them to focus on a

shift and so when what we want to do

instead is I use the rice model instead

of the pies model so instead of starting

with a claim start with relationship and

rapport building that means I'm gonna my

first and it's some people call some

people will use models similar to the

rice paragraph like the compliment

sandwich or something like that but

start by at least mentally acknowledging

that there's a person on the other side

of the writing that you are creating of

the feedback that you're giving how do

you imagine them responding to it start

with something that helps show

connection to them as human beings and

that you are not a robot saying fix this

right that's weird

anyways so we want to connect with our

audience connect with our readers who

are trying to give feedback to based on

their writing rapport building and

relationship establishing a step one

that's the R for rice um after that then

provide the information or the

illustration or the tangible concrete

detail from their writing that or the

pattern that you noticed from their

writing that you want that you feel like

you want to address whether that's

addressing it as like wow when you did

this this and this that was really

effective it made me think of this thing

or it helped me understand that so much

better or helped me visualize whatever

the cases and remember you've got all

eight aspects of writing to choose from

so there's a lot of variety so you want

to point to that specific moment in the

text call it out in paragraph two

sentence three when you said this and

you insert a short quote you know to get

them to say oh they're talking about one

in that one specific moment in my text

kind of thing then after you establish

relationship provide information then

rice Ric the see is claimed and that's

where you actually say whether you think

that was effective or ineffective to

what degree and why and that's where we

get into explanation and when you get

end that you can also make explanation

and recommendation at that point so we

start establishing relationship are we

provide information or an illustration

concrete specific tangible things from

that person's writing and then we say

what we see or as part of that we say

what we're seeing and then we provide a

claim saying this is how we're

interpreting that is it effective is it

ineffective why why not and to what

degree and explain that out and then

provide recommendations so that's a rice

paragraph of feedback so again when we

give feedback it's not just glossing

over things that could be could be

changed or developed further but so many

times when people go to give feedback

we've been trained to give negative

feedback by experience we start I see

students all the time take on the take

on the teacher or instructor voice that

they've had in the past

Donn's go Chesky talks about this is the

the kind of ghosts of our composition

past where we have when we're in the

classroom we almost have these these

other people talking who aren't there

which is kind of interesting and weird

and creepy but and but when we go to

give feedback then we'll often embody

those voices and whether it's a writing

teacher or someone else in your life

that is really good at negative feedback

that just beats people down make sure

you don't borrow their voice instead

build people up don't beat them up

finally when it comes to giving feedback

in my class I see a lot well in general

people to students especially college

students and people

in general tend to default to grammar

feedback we've talked about this

especially in this first unit and you

really shouldn't be spending a lot of

time on it at this point it's not we're

not looking for someone who can find

every single grammar rule broken based

according based on a particular

socio-cultural norm remember our goal

was how can we make meaningful

communication with another person with

our readers how do we make it meaningful

so if you see a pattern that you want to

emphasize you may do that but I do not

want for my class you I don't want you

giving a substantial amount of time on

the feedback portion to the linguistic

aspect of writing in fact for this first

project if you're watching this for my

summer course I'd say no not at all

you have seven other aspects of writing

structural analytical rhetorical

socio-cultural scientific technological

all of those fun things right so we've

got all these other aspects of writing

we can give feedback on we want to look

for the patterns here's another thing

look for the patterns that we want to

focus on not the individual things you

know if if we see a pattern of someone

putting their claim at the end of a

paragraph instead of the beginning and

that leaves us going into the paragraph

getting a little confused well that's a

structural thing that you can talk about

if we see someone nailing transitional

phrases constantly we want to praise

them for set with that so they know to

do more of it in the future if someone

had a really interesting or engaging

hook or title and it wasn't just project

one we want to we want to praise them

for that we want them to make keep it

interesting for us so focus on the

patterns of things people are doing well

or seem to be struggling with and avoid

hyper focusing on grammar because people

default to that when they don't want to

do the work and the problem is that

often people try and critique grammar

they take on a a massive kind of it ends

up feeling like here's all the things

you did wrong I even and I know some

instructors even do this where they take

a point off forever a grammar mistake on

not really a fan of that I think it it

it reinforces a bad practice a practice

that actually harms writers and keeps

them from understanding what meaningful

writing really is and distracts from the

most important things there are places

to focus on that but not now not now not

in not just yet

and usually not in the intensity that

most people want to so don't default to

that use the rice paragraph build people

up don't beat them up and look for the

patterns to give more substantial

feedback on yeah that's all I got I'm

not gonna go into all the different ways

we do grading I might have to do it in

another video