Providing constructive feedback to adult learners is both an art and a science. It’s about balancing honesty with encouragement and ensuring your feedback is clear, actionable, and respectful.
I think it’s important for facilitators and educators to at least try to understand how to provide relevant and constructive feedback to their students… after all, the classroom is a place where people grow. It’s a place where questions are encouraged, and it’s the way those questions are answered that will define how they make decisions in the future.
In this post, we’ll explore how to deliver feedback that helps adult learners thrive and – for something different – I thought we could explore a fictional case study together. Hopefully, it encourages you to think about a time that you provided feedback to someone – whether it’s a friend, a student, a colleague or a client – and how you could have improved how you handled it.
Case Study: Delivering Feedback to Mark
You’re running a extra workshop for adult learners as part of the delivery of BSBMKG553 – Develop public relations campaigns. The presentation assignment was to deliver a short 10-15 minute presentation. The students were told to imagine they were promoting a band and had to put together a short marketing presentation.
One of your participants, Mark, just completed his assignment delivering the presentation. It’s good, but there’s room for improvement. You decide to take a moment and think about the good parts & the not-so-good parts.
Mark’s presentation was on a band you’ve never heard of and you thought they sounded like a cat scratching a blackboard. You found it hard to see the pictures as they were quite small and a little blurry. Mark confidently delivered all of the information and is a great public speaker. You found him to be engaging. You noticed that other students knew the band and some were even screeching along with Mark when he played an example of their music and clips of their recent shows.
The students asked questions and Mark confidently answered them. Mark’s presentation had a strong beginning when introducing the band and their success – however, he then jumped from album to album and he spent quite a bit of his presentation focussed on why he liked each album over another. Critical information, such as the bands international success, estimation of earning and expenses as well as merchandising opportunities were laid out in a way that made sense – although it was rushed into the last 2 minutes of his presentation.
As a trainer, you know feedback is essential – but how do you give it in a way that encourages Mark to grow instead of shutting down? Take some time to consider if your bias here and how you might summarise the feedback that will encourage Mark instead of deflate him.
Start with Strengths: The Feedback Sandwich
No one likes to hear just what they’re doing wrong, especially adults who might already feel vulnerable about learning new skills. That’s why starting with a person’s strengths is key.
Let’s think more about the feedback we can give to Mark. Instead of saying, “Your presentation wasn’t clear,” you might start with, “You did a great job engaging the audience. Your music examples really resonated with them.”
💡 The feedback sandwich works like this
- Start positive: Highlight what they did well.
- Address areas for improvement: Offer specific suggestions.
- End on a high note: Reinforce their potential and encourage progress. </aside>
Think about ways you might provide constructive feedback. Instead of saying “You spent too much time talking about your favourite album”, try saying “The essential information about the band felt a little rushed at the end. To make your talking points clearer, you could try to structure them using a timeline.”
🗣️ Always tie feedback to specific examples. Saying, “Your introduction was engaging because you asked a thought-provoking question,” is more helpful than a generic “Good job on the introduction.”
Make It Collaborative
Adults value collaboration and autonomy. Instead of simply telling learners what to improve, involve them in the process. Take time to allow the student to seek feedback from their peers and encourage self-reflection on their work.
💡 Ask for feedback, don’t just tell.
Instead of saying “The delivery needs work”, ask open-ended questions to encourage self-reflection, such as:
- “What part of this presentation did you feel most confident about?”
- “If you were to improve one thing, what would it be?”
- “How do you think this aligns with what we are learning?”
It’s clear that Mark struggled with time management during his presentation. You might prompt self-reflection on this by asking, “How did you feel about the timing? Were there moments where you thought you could have been more concise? Did you feel rushed through what you wanted to get through”.
This approach invites Mark to analyse his performance and take ownership of his growth.
Be Clear and Actionable
Ambiguity is the enemy of constructive feedback. Adults need to know exactly what to do to improve. When thinking about how to provide constructive feedback, we should aim to end our conversation with the student being clear on what needs improvement. A person cannot change their behaviour if they don’t know about it.
❗ But we shouldn’t just tell them.
If you are paying attention, we just talked about asking questions to encourage self-reflection… but… we don’t just want let them go off without clear feedback. You want to make sure that your students know where they need to improve and how they can achieve that.
Instead of vague comments like “Work on your delivery,” be more specific: “Try pausing after key points to let your message sink in. Practising with a timer can help you pace your delivery so that you don’t need to rush through any of your information.”
Key Tips for Clarity:
- Focus on behaviour, not personality: Say, “Your responses could be more concise,” instead of “You tend to ramble.”
- Use “I” statements: “I noticed that the flow of your argument could be smoother” is less confrontational than “You didn’t organise your ideas well.”
- Break it down: If there are multiple areas for improvement, address them one at a time to avoid overwhelming the learner.
✨ Pair feedback with examples or demonstrations. Show what “good” looks like so learners have a clear target to aim for.
Respect Their Experience
Adult learners bring a wealth of experience to the classroom. Acknowledge and respect this by framing feedback as a way to build on their existing strengths. No one wants to feel like they are being spoken down to. Not everyone has the same experiences as us. And that’s OK.
Mark is a seasoned public speaker but struggles with PowerPoint design. You might say, “Your speaking skills are fantastic – you really know how to engage an audience! We can talk about ways to work on your slide design together to make your message even more impactful.”
Focus on Growth, Not Perfection
Adults often fear failure, especially when stepping into unfamiliar learning environments. Remind them that feedback is about growth, not judgment. Normalise mistakes as part of the learning process.
You might say:
- “Every expert was once a beginner. This is just a stepping stone.”
- “The fact that you’re willing to try is a huge win. Let’s use this feedback to get you even closer to your goals.”
For Mark, this could mean reassuring him that his presentation doesn’t have to be perfect. Instead, the focus is on improving specific elements for next time.
Deliver Feedback with Empathy
Imagine how you’d feel if someone critiqued your performance or work. Now… consider that you got that information during the absolutely worst working week of your life. Sometimes critical feedback can feel much worse when we are already balancing the juggling balls of life. Honestly, sometimes it feels like there are so many balls in the air – it can be hard to keep track of everything.
❤️🩹 A little empathy goes a long way.
Before giving feedback, consider their perspective:
- Are they new to the subject?
- Do they speak English as a second language?
- Do they seem stressed or unsure?
- How can you frame your feedback to build their confidence?
- Have they expressed challenges completing the coursework? </aside>
Instead of saying, “You need to work on your teamwork because you don’t listen to anyone’s ideas,” you could say, “I know collaborating in groups can be tricky, especially when everyone has different ideas. You’re doing well, and I think focusing on active listening could make your contributions even stronger.”
Follow Up and Reinforce Progress
Feedback doesn’t end with the conversation – it’s an ongoing process. Check in with your learners to see how they’ve applied your suggestions and celebrate their progress.
For Mark, this could mean watching his next presentation and saying, “You did an amazing job organising your points this time. I could see you really worked on that!” Positive reinforcement motivates learners to keep improving.
Giving feedback is one of the most powerful tools in a trainer’s toolkit, but it’s also a skill we’re all constantly refining. I’d love to hear from you, regardless of your journey!
- Trainers: What’s your go-to strategy for delivering constructive feedback?
- Learners: What type of feedback has helped you grow the most?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Let’s create a space where we can all learn from each other!
Till next time.