Module 7: Give mastery feedback

Mastery feedback focuses on responding positively to participants’ behaviours that demonstrate personal improvement and effort and limiting competition and comparison with others. Mastery feedback emphasizes recognizing and reinforcing the process (e.g., showing up, perseverance, putting in effort, improving) rather than outcomes or performance compared to others. Providing this type of feedback creates possibilities for everyone to succeed. It also supports those with high ability levels to continue to strive to improve.

Getting started:

A transcript of the video can also be found in the below text.

• Provide individualized feedback to help people focus on personal improvement. It can also be helpful to provide group feedback about technical reminders and to focus on effort.
• Give positive feedback: Focus on what went well, and frame suggestions for improvement constructively. Balance critiques with feedback about what the person is doing well.
• Recognize participants for putting in effort, doing their best, and making personal improvements or progress, relative to their own starting point.
  • Utilize phrases such as “you get to choose how hard it is,” “go at the pace that is best for you,” and that “if you are new or not having a good day, to just try your best” can all be cues that may be supportive to participants.
• When giving praise, use participants’ names and highlight specific aspects that they are doing well: “Great job [NAME], I love how you are really doing the movement slowly and with control”
• Do not make comparisons between participants when giving feedback.
• Emphasize a non-competitive environment by focusing on personal improvement and nonjudgement.
• Make aids and/or physical assistance readily available for participants so that they can access them easily without calling attention to needing modifications or assistance.

Adding on:

A transcript of the video can also be found in the below text.

Participants may have differing preferences related to feedback. For example, for some participants public feedback can be uncomfortable. Competition is also enjoyable for some and a turn-off for others. Some strategies for attending to individual preferences are:

• Ask participants if and how they like to receive feedback. For example, do they prefer no feedback at all? Only if it is privately or discretely communicated? Gaining this information about participants may be most feasible through one-on-one discussions with participants or could be asked during the intake or registration process.
• Notice how participants react and respond to feedback and tailor your approach if it appears to make them uncomfortable.
• Help participants set measurable goals focused on effort and improvement (instead of focusing on how they compare to others). Encourage self-paced progression based on their individual goals.
  • This might sound like: “challenge yourself to do one more rep than last time” as opposed to “everybody is going to do 15 reps.”
• If all participants involved are receptive to competition and find it appealing and enjoyable, incorporating friendly, low-stakes competition can be appropriate, fun, and motivating. Be mindful that if new participants join, they may not feel the same about competition. Instructors can also provide private opportunities for feedback on these activities as participants who do not enjoy them may find it difficult to speak up in front of the group.
• In online or hybrid instruction, tailoring feedback may be particularly challenging. Invite participants to discuss how they would like to receive feedback using the private chat function in a platform like Zoom.

Summary:

Mastery feedback highlights personal effort and improvement and provides opportunities for success and motivation that can support participants at all ability levels.