Remind participants of the goals for the session and guidelines for how it will be conducted. Establish an order for presentations and tape the presentations without taking breaks in between presenters.
View presentations one at a time. After viewing each presentation, pose two questions:
- What aspects of your presentation are you satisfied with?
- What would you like to do differently?
Some facilitators also find it helpful to provide each presenter with a feedback form to record their observations and group comments during the discussion.
After viewing the tape of the first presentation, the first presenter answers Question #1, and then others in the group add their comments for that presenter. It's usually best for the facilitator to comment last, since others in the group may feel there is nothing to add once the session facilitator has spoken. Proceed in the same way with Question #2.
When the group has finished discussing the first presentation, continue in the same way to view the other presentations on the tape and provide feedback for each of the other presenters.
After discussing all the presentations, ask each presenter to identify one area for change they want to remember the next time they are teaching. Go around the room and have each report what they have selected.
Here are some areas for caution to help you get the most from the session:
Watch the Time Carefully
It sometimes seems difficult to cut off an interesting presentation before it is finished, or to impose an endpoint on a feedback discussion. However, the result of not managing the time carefully is that those who present last will not have their fair share of time to view their tape and get feedback from the group.
Focus on a Few Main Issues
It is unlikely that you'll have time for a comprehensive discussion of all the strengths and areas for change in each person's presentation -- and if you did, chances are that the presenter would not be able to benefit from that much feedback. Rather, focus on one or two key points of learning for each presenter.
Emphasize Constructive Feedback
Most presenters are probably already nervous about the quality of their presentations, and tend to notice the negative features of their presentation much more than the positive ones. Structure the feedback session so that both the strengths of the presentation and potential areas for improvement are addressed.
Feedback should be honest and direct, but constructive, focusing on ways the presenter can improve.
Constructive feedback:
- is descriptive, rather than evaluative
- is specific, rather than general
- focuses on behavior, rather than on the person
- is directed toward behavior that the receiver can do something about
- emphasizes sharing information, rather than giving advice
- comes in amounts that the receiver can use, rather than everything that could possibly be said
- is checked to insure clear communication
