Three Steps to Better Critiques
Do your critiques take too long?
Are students fidgeting instead of focusing on the work?
Are your students silent as mice during critiques?
Tired of hearing, “I like it?”
Try these three steps to better critiques:
Focus on only 2-3 criteria or questions:
Write two or three criteria or questions that relate to the goals of the assignment on the board or online discussion area. Have students copy them in a critique notebook. Then allow time for students to view each other’s work and take notes about what they see. They can refer to their notebooks (and the criteria) when each piece is up for discussion. This activity works well for non-native English speakers who often appreciate being given time to formulate their thoughts in writing before being asked to respond verbally. Students should also record feedback about their own work. Hold students accountable for their critique notes by collecting them at regular intervals or at the end of each project.
More on Critique Notebooks:
Getting Students Involved: Using Critique Notebooks
What Are Critique Notebooks?
The Critique Notebook
Get Students Talking
Organize students in pairs. Tell them that each student will present the other’s work focusing on the criteria and questions they’ve written in their notebooks. Give them five minutes preparation time to present a critique of their partner’s work. After each critique the presenter asks the rest of the class for feedback on the same concepts. Allow time for other students to comment about the work. Finally, summarize the most important points.
More Ideas for Getting Students Talking
Ideas for Varying the Critique
Ban the Word "Like"
Explain to students that critiques are not about likes or dislikes. Encourage them to take note of their initial reactions to each piece but to think or write in their notebooks before saying anything. Explicitly ban the use of words such as “ like,” “cool,” “nice” or other overused, vague words. For fun, try using a bell that students ring when they hear a classmate using one of the forbidden words. Online you can highlight these “bad” words.
Provide students with ‘crib’ sheets listing more specific responses that relate to each assignment. This is especially helpful for non-native English speakers who may lack the vocabulary needed to express their opinions. Some possibilities include:
- A translation guide of what an untrained artist says and what a trained artist says.
For example, a. That’s a cool color. = The color fits the mood you are creating in this piece.
- Word lists of artistic and aesthetic principles.
- Word lists of conceptual categories.
- Word lists of descriptive terms.
- Checklists or rubrics of the criteria for the assignment.
Be mindful of your own language during critiques. Model the constructive, productive comments that you would love to hear from your students. You may be saying, “I like it” more often than you realize.
More on Moving Beyond “I Like It”
Three Approaches to Moving Beyond “I like it; it’s cool.” |
