Z.UMN.EDU/IDAPORTALILENE D. ALEXANDER, PHD

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTACENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

Seeking (Framing and Using) Supervisor

Feedback

Session Overview

Writing as a Process with Comfort & Resilience Ideas from Exemplars

Examining Elements of a Resilient Feedback Process

Developing Practices for Feedback In a Writing Up Mode In a Writing as a Process Mode

Conveying Requests for Feedback In Person, In Writing; At Which Stages, From Which

RespondersMaking Sense of Accumulated Feedback

Reviewing/Mapping Feedback; Say-Back Memos; Yes, And

Writing as a Process

http://stevendkrause.com/tprw/introduction.html

(How) Do you use writing as a process?

How do you approach writing? Scholarly, academic writing requires “writing before you’re ready”, steady chunks of writing time throughout the

research process, commitment to drafting as a way of making meaning, strategies for seeking feedback as a component of substantially revising work, and

working with writing-supportive peers. Take 10-15 minutes to inventory how you have and

now currently approach/complete major writing projects or assignments – does your approach

incorporate “writing as a process”? does some (or much) of the process of writing seem a mystery to

you? are there components that you regularly skip? are there practices you hope to incorporate?

Only you will read this writing. And, we’ll all discuss ideas.

Writing as a Process

Writing with power also means getting

power over yourself and over the writing process.

- Peter ElbowU Massachusetts-Amherst

What’s “Critical” in Feedback

What does “criticism” look/feel/sound like in academic settings?

How does “critical feedback” look/sound/feel as an interaction?

What might be other ways of conceptualizing this interchange, exchange of views? critical care zone dinner party professional inquiry other metaphors, conceptions – for practice, for people

& roles

Gaining Comfort & Fluency

selection from Robert Boice’s How Writers Journey to Comfort and Fluency (1994

Developing Resilience

a positive capacity to cope with stress & catastrophe

an ability to bounce back after a disruptiona capacity to use exposure to stress to provoke

strategy to address future negative events / challenges

a positive behavioral / cognitive / kinesthetic adaptation in encountering significant adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or sources of stress

involves two judgments one about "positive adaptation" one about significance of risk or adversity

Elements of Resilient Feedback*

Trust - EnergyCommunication - ListeningAcceptance - Collaboration

Building - PartnershipSpontaneity - Innovation

*as in improv

“Yes, and…” Thinking

I am going to say 'yes' to you, accepting whatever you have said

I am going to say ‘yes, but’ to show I actually don’t accept whatever you have said

I am going to say ‘yes, and,' to share my ideas linked to yours by building on what you have said 

 

'Yes but' is a conversation stopper 'Yes and' is a conversation builder

'Yes and' … opens minds, helps people listen, and moves us mindfully forward in creating a supportive environment as well as sparking motivation for learning, writing, revising, collaboration

“Yes, and…” Thinking

• Brings positive energy to academia/workplace – act of trust

• Affirms and expands possibilities – act of innovation

• Conveys taking in of what has been said – act of listening

• Moves conversation forward constructively – act of collaboration

• Helps create partnerships within the unit and within the larger community – act of building

“Yes, and…” Thinking

“Yes, and…” Thinking

“Yes, and…” in Writing Process

Feedback: In Writing Up Mode

What Do We Need to Learn?Ways of responding in writing

Revision: Content and Organization Where and why it’s needed Strategies for content development, overall organization

and development of cohesive analysis / argument / knowledge construction

Transitions Coherence Unity Revision: Surface Features

Key sections, paragraphs, sentences Section, paragraph, sentence structures Conventions – of language, of citation style, of formatting

What Do We Need to Learn?

Ways of responding conversationally Summarizing – Narratives, Dialogues, Comparisons Telling – Stories, Scenes, Portraits Showing – Ideas, Options, Missed Moments Pointing – 1st Thoughts, Asking

Feedback: In a Writing Process Mode

What Do We Need to Learn?

Audience – real readersPurpose – writerly and readerly concernsResearch question – methods, organizationThesis statement – initially and carrying it

forwardFocus – idea(s) and argument(s)Flow – sign posts and transitionsReadability – real readers, real audienceAcademic context – conversation

around/launchingSo What? – implications, interest, integrity,

impact

What Do We Need to Learn?

Good Questions – Good Questioning

Open Ended Questions Asking for Information Diagnostic Questions Challenge Questions Extension Questions Combination Questions Priority Questions Action Questions Prediction Questions Generalizing and Summarizing Questions

What Do We Need to Learn?

Bloom’s Taxonomy as a Tool to Frame Questions

Revision Memos

For transmitting new materials or corresponding with readers new to your drafts, a Revision Memo provides

(1) a short narrative contextualizing the segment in the larger work

(2) a statement to pinpoint the extent of, what type of, and suggested timeline for feedback you want from individual reviewer

(3) specific questions to frame your concerns/queries and guide the reviewer in providing feedback

(4) synopsis of revisions you’ve already undertaken

Sample Revision Memo

Sample memo for a early draft of dissertation writing:

1. Discuss what you see as the strengths of your chapter/next draft/final thesis.

2. Note any passages you have recently revised and/or are still working to develop – describe why you’ve made particular changes, and why you’ve have not pursued other suggestions, what you see as “missing” or not quite complete, clear, detailed enough in area(s) you highlight.

3. If you are trying to decide between ideas, approaches, tactics, balance of review of sources and your analysis, say that – and show/sketch out what you see as options and are trying to figure out.

4. Close with 3-5 well developed, specific questions/queries you want readers to address as they give you feedback on this draft.

 

Letter of Transmittal – slide 1

A more formal Letter of Transmittal may accompany a “ready for defense” and may include:

(1) reminder of dissertation title

(2) listing of material the reader has previously read/responded to

(3) summary locating the portion of the dissertation now being transmitted in the overall work

(4) summary of key focus/ideas presented & discussed in the transmitted material

(5) context for what is – and is not – being done in theory/method/methodology/this project overall

Letter of Transmittal – slide 2

(6) highlight of changes that have been made from previous versions, and upon what previous advice and from

(7) list of your specific questions for this particular reader

(8) highlight whether and which other readers are responding to this segment

(9) set out a time line for responses and next steps you will be taking on receipt of comments