Rise & Refine: Peer Feedback Inspires Skill Growth!
Carine Marette
Co-founder, Ed.D. in Instructional Systems Technology (IST) joinclubhouse.com/@marettecarine
Welcome back to this month’s edition of The Learning Curve!
This edition is a deep dive into how Peer Assessment and Human Performance Technology (HPT) work together to enhance teaching and learning. Having seen firsthand how transformative feedback can be in both educational settings and my career, I'm excited to share stories and insights that explain the value of this approach.
What is Human Performance Technology?
Human Performance Technology (HPT) is a roadmap for boosting productivity and skills. It's all about using different methods and problem-solving strategies to help people perform better. Think of it as a step-by-step process where you can pick, analyze, design, develop, action, and then check how well programs work to improve how people perform and achieve their goals. HPT combines three key processes: Performance Analysis, Cause Analysis, and Intervention Selection which can be applied in a small or large group setting.
Differences Between Instructional Design (ID) and HPT Application
Instructional Design (ID) and Human Performance Technology (HPT) both incorporate key elements like learners, objectives, methods, and evaluation. However, their applications differ based on their main goals and focus areas. ID is mainly concerned with creating training programs to improve specific knowledge and skills. In simpler words, HPT sees a wider perspective, examining organizational and environmental aspects that impact performance. Examples from various sources and personal experiences highlight how different models and frameworks are applied in different situations.
My Personal Journey: From Theory to Action
The creation of Kritik was inspired by a gap I observed in traditional educational feedback systems and was deeply influenced by the strong framework of HPT. Embracing these models has been about building a platform and creating a community where feedback encourages growth and innovation. By integrating the HPT model into our platform, we’ve engineered a system where feedback is not just frequent but transformative. Here is a video presenting a few models such as Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model, Mager and Pipe’s model and Wile’s Synthesized HPT Model.
Evolving Skills Development: A Personal Reflection
From my early days in academia to launching Kritik, skill development has been a critical component of my professional growth. It's not just a tool for evaluation; it's a pathway to deeper understanding and improvement. The feedback I received from peers didn't just refine my ideas; it reshaped my approach to teaching and learning.
One of the most important skills in my career is the ability to deliver on time. Throughout my career, I have developed three strategies that are interconnected in terms of skills and methodologies.
1. The "Râteaux de Fabrication" in the Fashion Industry
In my career as a dressmaker, one of the most pivotal skills I acquired was mastering the "râteaux de fabrication." This term refers to the meticulous sequence of steps in the production line where laborers sew clothes. In the fashion industry, timing and precision are everything. Each garment undergoes a series of carefully ordered processes, from cutting and stitching to finishing and quality control. This structured approach ensures that every piece is completed efficiently and meets the high standards required before delivery.
Understanding the "râteaux de fabrication" taught me the value of a well-organized workflow. Each step in the sequence is interdependent; a delay in one phase can cascade through the entire production line, affecting deadlines and quality. This experience ingrained in me the importance of planning, coordination, and attention to detail, skills that have proven invaluable throughout my career.
The most difficult part of the "râteaux de fabrication" is to determine the speed of each sewing machine, the speed of each dressmaker and calculate the velocity of the entire production, knowing that some dressmakers can have sick days or vacation days. Coordinating multiple workers and machines to maintain uniformity, while also managing time pressures and potential equipment malfunctions, adds to the complexity of this task.
2. Project Management Transition:
When transitioning from the fashion industry to a project manager with hands-on web designer and front-end engineer experience, I found that the principles I learned as a dressmaker seamlessly applied to managing projects. As a project manager, the core challenge lies in balancing time and deadlines to ensure timely delivery. Much like in the production line, a project's success depends on a clear, well-defined sequence of tasks.
Effective project management requires setting realistic timelines, anticipating potential bottlenecks, and maintaining constant communication with team members. By breaking down a project into manageable phases and assigning specific deadlines, I can track progress and make adjustments as needed. This structured approach not only helps in meeting deadlines but also ensures that the final output aligns with the project's goals and quality standards.
The most difficult aspect is handling unforeseen delays and risks that can derail a project's timeline. Despite careful planning and risk assessment, unexpected issues such as resource shortages, team member availability, or external dependencies can arise. These unforeseen challenges require quick thinking, flexibility, and efficient problem-solving to keep the project on track. Balancing stakeholder expectations and maintaining team morale while navigating these obstacles is a significant challenge that requires both strategic foresight and adaptability.
3. Scrum Methodology in EdTech.
The Scrum methodology has revolutionized my approach to project management, especially in the context of educational technology (EdTech). Scrum, an agile framework, emphasizes iterative progress, collaboration, and flexibility. It involves dividing projects into small, manageable units called sprints, typically lasting two to four weeks. Each sprint focuses on delivering a potentially shippable product increment.
In the EdTech industry, where innovation and adaptability are crucial, Scrum provides a dynamic framework that accommodates rapid changes and continuous improvement. By holding regular sprint reviews and retrospectives, teams can reflect on their progress, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments. This iterative process fosters a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, ensuring that the product evolves in alignment with user needs and technological advancements.
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The most difficult part in a scrum environment is to keep up the fast-paced and innovative field of EdTech, while maintaining a good line of communication. As scrum relies heavily on regular communication, transparency, and teamwork; at Kritik, we advocate for our values and provide feedback from users and stakeholders into the development process. Such team effort helps provide a positive environment for all.
Having traversed roles from a student to an educator, and now a developer of educational tools, the most significant shift I've noticed is in the approach to skill development. In the example above, the skills developed are around time-management, attention to detail, problem-solving, communication, adaptability, risk management, leadership and team management.
Traditionally, the focus was on gaining knowledge and skills within strict structures. Today, there's a rising inclination to blend skill development with personal and professional advancement, creating a more integrated learning journey. This shift is largely driven by the insights gathered through peer assessment. To illustrate from a personal example, in the "râteaux de fabrication” strategy, peer assessment plays a crucial role in maintaining quality and consistency by allowing team members to provide feedback at each stage of production. Similarly, in project management, peer assessment helps identify potential issues early and fosters a collaborative environment where team members learn from each other. Within the Scrum framework, regular peer reviews during sprint retrospectives enhance team performance by encouraging continuous improvement and adaptive learning.
My Insights on Peer Learning
When we think about learning, it's often a journey we picture doing alone. But my experience has taught me the power of collaborative learning. During the initial phases of developing educational tools, the feedback from peers provided not only validation but pivotal insights that were crucial in refining the functionalities that now define Kritik. This interaction wasn't just beneficial—it was transformative.
Building Skills Through Peer Assessment
Feedback is an essential strategy for developing a range of skills that are important both in and out of the classroom.
1. Critical Engagement and Constructive Criticism:
Peer assessment encourages a deeper engagement with content, prompting us to think critically and reflect on our work and that of others. This has been instrumental in my growth as an instructional designer, where analyzing educational content and methodologies is key. 86% of students using Kritik believe that it has improved their critical thinking skills.
Likewise, critically evaluating peer contributions sharpened my analytical skills, making me a more effective communicator and educator.
2. Empathy and Understanding
Regularly seeking feedback cultivates empathy and adaptability—skills that are crucial in today’s professional landscape. Understanding different perspectives and adapting based on constructive criticism has greatly enhanced my ability to work across various educational environments.
3. Communication and Collaboration
Introducing peer assessment in teaching and learning practices improves communication skills, as it requires articulating feedback clearly and effectively. This practice has helped me in collaborative projects, ensuring that the feedback loop is constructive and fosters a supportive learning environment. Results from a recent Kritik Student Survey show that 85% of students agree that their communication skills improved as a result of using Kritik.
How Peer Assessment Transformed My Approach
Peer assessment has been a cornerstone of my professional journey, providing a platform for continuous learning and adaptation. It's not just about giving or receiving feedback, but about engaging in a dynamic process that creates growth, innovation, and collaboration. Reflecting on feedback from peers pushed me to refine my approaches and expand my understanding, highlighting areas for personal and professional development that I might not have recognized on my own.
Wrapping up…
Thanks so much for reading this edition of the Learning Curve! I enjoyed reflecting on and exploring peer assessment and its impact on my professional growth and skills development. Please let me know which aspects of peer assessment you find most intriguing, your thoughts on this discussion, or any suggestions for topics or ideas you’d like me to cover in future editions.
As always, please subscribe to my newsletter for more insights, and automatic updates when I post next! You can check out what’s coming up at KritikHQ here. Thanks for reading ☺
References
Sénior Consultant
6moGreat post indeed ! I remember you, when you were still my Master-2 student, stressing yourself, striving to grab knowledge, to fetch SKILLS, to grow on methodology. Obviously, you keep unchanged this very determination and go-get-it mindset. I'm just proud of your achievements. Congrats Carine ! Ben