How to Give Good Feedback

Giving and receiving feedback is often a big part of learning how to write, but we're rarely ever taught how to give feedback. In this video, we look at a couple of viewer comments and talk about what makes for helpful and worthless feedback.

0:00 Introduction
2:04 Not-So-Good Feedback
7:16 Much Better Feedback
11:40 Conclusion

[ElliotBrownJingles]

I have always found the information contained in these videos to be useful and engaging enough that I haven't noticed the music. The toaster - whose decal, brand, and colour may be of interest to some - has been consistently dispensing crispy toast.

As a musician I had to learn early on that criticism often comes from people who don't appreciate what you are trying to do in the first place. I remember being alerted to this when someone explained to me that they had finally met someone who could play the blues better than I could. The part of this criticism that was news to me was that I was a blues player. If I had ever played any blues it was by accident and yet here was somebody judging my entire back catalogue from the perspective a blues critic. Now I make sure the critic understands what I am trying to do before I take his words to heart.

Therefore, if I am right in assuming that the objective of this channel is to pass on helpful information about classical rhetoric to those wishing to improve their writing, the toaster, in a simple and effective manner, has performed its function.

[hilmimohammed]

1. Be concise and don't include excess jargon or complaints and lamentations about wider society.
2. Speak in a likeable tone and offer a compliment so the creator is more likely to listen and consider your feedback. Don't have a go or attack the creator.
3. Use light-toned phrases like: may I suggest, I think it would be better if.. because etc
4. Don't ask the creator to tailor to your personal tastes so that only you'd like it e.g., music, genres
5. Explain why you think the feedback is worth considering, or the implications of the issue for you.
6. Say why you think it will be beneficial for the creator and the viewers.
Great work Andrew, Keep up your good work.

[johnparnham]

This is an excellent video. The attitudes put forward are constructive and helpful. This advice, if adhered to, should be known to all beta readers and critique partners, teachers and anyone who is asked to give feedback. Well done Professor Bashford.

[weareone]

So interestingly I have a friend who I often share my music with. I find his feedback to be generally quite helpful. Usually its technical, specific and involves things that are actionable. Occasionally he will comment on how he doesn’t like the aesthetic (too poppy or whatever). While sometimes this frustrates me because, as you said, it isn’t that productive towards achieving the vision, other times I find this kind of feedback to be helpful as well. I actually find that I agree with him and his pointing it out helps me realize that. Sometimes I am trying consciously to make something poppy, but other times I just fall into it, and these comments can help me realize that I’m not pushing myself hard enough to create the aesthetic vision I really want.

I think the fact that he makes the effort to clearly state that it doesn’t align with his own aesthetic preference can be useful information, especially when it is made in a way that is explicitly distinct from technical considerations around craft.

[MarcelB-jn]

I would like to read some of your poems.

[Aritul]

This was a really helpful video because it gave me a clear idea of how to critique my tutor's work. I realized that I was focusing more on my preferences than on things that she could improve to make the work better.

[aix]

I so wish people working to become novelists knew this

[timi]

Dont let em get to ya Andrew. Love your vids.

[mikesmithz]

The only feedback I have for you is pretty worthless as you have already made the change I wanted you to make. I watch each of your videos at least 2 times, the first time I view it normally on my tablet, the second time I play it as I drift off to sleep. I find I absorb more information if I'm receiving it whilst in-between being asleep and awake. Any way, the second time I play your videos the screen is off so I'm just listening to the audio....and the plinking plonky sound you used to have on your videos every time the skull spoke used to drive me insane! The sound was very distracting and it got to the point where I was focusing more on waiting for the plinky sound than on the words you spoke.

Mercifully you have changed the sound to a far less distracting audio clip so it no longer bothers me. I imagine blind people would have been very distracted by that sound as they would have no idea why you kept randomly playing it. Any way, problem solved so I suppose this is garbage feedback lol. 😂

[concertautist]

The demonic chanting is distracting. Particularly as I listen to these videos rather than watch them.

[Josiahdotcom]

disagree entirely. good feedback engages me and expresses honest opinions succinctly.

The first comment, if it were directed at me, would engage me since there's so much emotion in it. it might even make me angry, but if I don't take it personally, I can see that the video was completely ruined by the music for this viewer, thus effectively and succinctly communicating the importance of the issue.

The second comment communicates the same information with more words and less emotion. This is the kinda feedback that I either 1. skip due to its fluff, or 2. read and then forget, because the commenter didn't properly express the importance of his feedback. I felt no emotion reading it, and it comes off as being a nitpick rather than a video-ruining issue.

Obviously people are very prone to take criticism personally, so I can see why people value politeness in feedback. However, I genuinely wonder if polite or harsh criticism is more effective from a critic's standpoint. On the one hand, polite criticism is more likely to be ignored and forgotten. On the other, harsh criticism is likely to offend one's ego and cause a rejection of the feedback altogether (though it is less likely to be forgotten so perhaps a seed is planted).