Collaboration Skills: Feedback

Collaboration deepens when students give and receive feedback.

Feedback is how students move from where they are to where they’re going. The strategies below help learners give thoughtful, actionable feedback to others, reflect meaningfully on the feedback they receive, and revise their work with purpose. These routines build trust, sharpen thinking, and help students grow together, one conversation at a time.

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EXPLORE THE STRATEGIES

Feedback

Circle of Viewpoints

Original Source: Visible Thinking from

Project Zero

Group Size: Small Groups, 2 to 4
Grade Level: 3–12
Duration: 30–45 minutes

What It Is

Circle of Viewpoints is a thinking routine from Harvard’s Project Zero that helps learners consider and explore multiple perspectives on an issue, idea, or experience. In this routine, learners imagine the viewpoints of different individuals or groups, identify what matters to them, and share what they might say or think about the topic. It encourages students to move beyond their own assumptions and examine how diverse perspectives shape understanding.

Getting Ready

Before class, select a text, event, dilemma, or issue relevant to the content students are exploring—something that would naturally spark multiple perspectives. Prepare chart paper or a whiteboard section for each team to record their thinking. You might also create a simple template with prompts for each student. Consider modeling the routine once as a whole class before asking small groups to do it independently.

How to Do It

As a class, generate a list of all of the perspectives that could be relevant to the product of learning being considered. Think of experts, stakeholders, or others who hold an opinion different from the one presented.
Move learners into discussion groups.
Prompt the groups to begin by selecting one perspective to consider.
One learner should share their current product of learning with the small group.
After the presenter shares, the audience should take turns using these sentence starters to probe the presenter:
- I am thinking of __ the topic or product __ from the viewpoint of __ the viewpoint you’ve chosen
- I think __ describe the topic or product from your viewpoint. Be an actor—take on the character of your viewpoint
- A question I have from this viewpoint is __ ask a question from this viewpoint
After the discussion from this viewpoint, the presenter should share reflections and next steps.
Repeat this process for each group member or product of learning. Groups may select a new viewpoint each time.

Possible Sticking Points

Students may default to surface-level feedback rather than adopting the mindset of the viewpoint they've chosen. They’ll need modeling and scaffolds to offer authentic feedback from that perspective.
Some students may choose viewpoints that are too similar to their own. Prompt them to take on roles that will genuinely stretch their thinking.
It can feel awkward or unfamiliar to give feedback “in character.” A warm-up or demonstration can help break the ice.

Facilitation Tips

Model how to give feedback from a specific viewpoint (e.g., “As a parent, I’d want to see…”), showing how tone, values, and priorities can shift based on the role.
Offer a list of possible roles related to the project or audience to help students make an informed choice.
Provide sentence stems to guide feedback (e.g., “From this viewpoint, I appreciate…” or “I wonder if…”).
Debrief after the routine. Ask: What did you notice about the kind of feedback each role gave? What was helpful?

Why Should I Do This?

Encourages students to view their work through the lens of an authentic audience.
Pushes feedback beyond peer approval toward thoughtful critique.
Builds empathy and communication skills by asking students to imagine how others might respond.
Helps prepare students for public presentations by anticipating audience reactions and refining accordingly.

Feedback

Gallery Walk

Original Source: Science Education Resource Center

Group Size: Whole Class
Grade Level: K–12
Duration: 15-30 minutes

What It Is

Gallery Walk is a classic feedback strategy in which learners review the work of others and provide constructive criticism. It offers multiple perspectives for assessing work and determining next steps, while also building a culture of transparency and growth.

The strategy first gained traction in the mid-2000s through the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) and was designed to break the passivity of lecture-based instruction. Since then, it has evolved into a widely used practice that promotes student movement, peer-to-peer learning, and deeper engagement—refined over time by educators and organizations like Harvard Project Zero and Facing History.

Getting Ready

Determine how learners will display their current products of learning and prepare the room for movement and visibility. Display 3–6 pieces of in-progress student work—printed drafts, visuals, or digital displays—around the room with space nearby for peers to leave feedback. Each work sample should include a guiding question from the creator (e.g., “How can I make my proposal sound more exciting?”) to help focus the feedback. Provide learners with quality tools like rubrics or success criteria to guide their thinking, and ensure they have sticky notes and writing utensils in hand. Before starting, model helpful, kind, and specific feedback, and review class norms to set the tone.

How to Do It

Set up the room and explain the purpose and steps of the Gallery Walk. If desired, assign different groups of learners a specific area of focus for feedback. For example, one group may evaluate grammar, another fluency, and another voice. These lenses can be used in addition to responding to the author’s guiding question.
Begin the Gallery Walk. Learners should record feedback on sticky notes that are affixed on/next to the displayed work.
Learners move freely about the space, review multiple examples of work, and provide feedback on each.
After about 15 minutes, or when each sample has received ample feedback, close the Gallery Walk.
Have learners return to their own work, collect the feedback, and sort it into categories:
- I’ll use this
- I need to learn more about this
- Not useful at this time
Facilitate a brief debrief. Ask reflection questions such as:
- What types of feedback were most useful?
- How would you describe the feedback that wasn’t useful?
- What did you appreciate about this experience?
- What are your next steps?

Possible Sticking Points

Learners may initially provide vague or surface-level feedback. Use sentence stems or structured forms to guide specificity.
Some learners may hesitate to display unfinished work. Reinforce the importance of growth and normalize “messy middles.”
Movement between stations can get noisy or off-task. Set clear time expectations and roles to maintain purpose.

Facilitation Tips

Begin with low-stakes or creative work to build comfort before moving to core academic tasks.
Use feedback forms that prompt both warm (positive) and cool (constructive) comments.
Have learners post anonymous work to reduce stress and increase objectivity.
Rotate the types of prompts used: focus feedback on content clarity, persuasiveness, organization, or craftsmanship, depending on the goal.

Why Should I Do This?

Encourages learners to value peer perspectives and revise with intention.
Creates a culture where unfinished work is visible, safe, and worthy of support.
Builds feedback fluency by giving students repeated practice offering and receiving constructive critique.
Strengthens the quality of final products through diverse insights and shared responsibility.

Feedback

Ladder of Feedback

Original Source: Project Zero – Harvard Graduate School of Education

Group Size: small groups of 3-5 students
Grade Level: 3-12
Duration: 15 minutes per round

What It Is

The Ladder of Feedback from Project Zero offers learners a structured approach for reviewing work and providing meaningful feedback. The prompts are scaffolded so that learners take the feedback deeper with every phase. The final phase of the thinking routine asks the presenter to thank their audience, which is an opportunity for them to reflect on the benefit of receiving the thoughts of their peers.

Getting Ready

Have learners prepare a product of learning that’s in progress and ready for peer review. Provide each trio with a printed handout that outlines the feedback steps. Assign roles in advance (presenter, timekeeper, and facilitator can rotate), and establish norms about listening, turn-taking, and staying in role. Model the process once with the whole class using a teacher example before releasing learners into trios. It may be helpful to provide each group with a handout to explain the thinking routine.

How to Do It

Create trios that are a mix of learners from different teams. Once in these trios, learners should determine who will present first.
The first presenter has three minutes to describe their learning product to the group.
The next step is to clarify. Their group asks short questions to understand the product and what was shared about it. These are questions such as, “Who is the audience for this video?” or “How much will it cost to construct this prototype?”
Next, the audience identifies what they value. The audience shares specific things they like about the work. These thoughts should be clear enough that the presenter knows that the audience is affirming. They might start each sentence with “I value that ___” For example, “I value that this toy will help my little brother to learn his letters,” or “I value that the slideshow utilizes photos that represent our diverse community.” The presenter should listen and refrain from responding during this phase, and record any questions or thoughts in their notes.
Voicing concerns follows the value step. The audience shares areas of the work that could possibly be improved. These are not specific suggestions for improvement. Rather, the audience is helping the presenter to surface all the places for growth. For example, “I’m concerned that your customers might not understand what makes your lemonade better than others,” or “I feel like the center part of this essay isn’t connected to your main point.” The presenter should listen and refrain from responding during this phase, and record any questions or thoughts in their notes.
Now comes the suggestion step. In this step, the audience provides specific suggestions to improve the work. This is primarily an opportunity for the presenter to listen, but they may request clarification if necessary. Audience might use any of the following sentence stems:
- Maybe you could ___
- What if you ___
- Could you leave out the part about ___
The final step is to thank. This is an opportunity for the presenter to reflect on the feedback they received and to identify some next steps for their work. They should share these reflections and thank their audience for their insights. In turn, the audience should also thank the presenter for the opportunity to provide feedback.

Possible Sticking Points

Some learners may want to jump to suggestions right away. Emphasize that each phase builds on the previous one and shouldn’t be skipped.
Without structure, timing can drift. Encourage each group to assign a timekeeper.
Presenters might feel overwhelmed if too much feedback is shared. Encourage note-taking and affirm that not all feedback requires immediate action or any action at all.

Facilitation Tips

Model the protocol first, and consider presenting it yourself using your own draft.
Encourage students to listen silently during each feedback phase.
Keep the tone supportive and non-evaluative. It’s not about being “right,” but about offering perspectives.
Remind groups to end with gratitude, it solidifies the culture of mutual respect and learning.

Why Should I Do This?

Strengthens student confidence in both giving and receiving feedback.
Helps learners practice structured, specific, and scaffolded critique.
Builds reflection skills and a classroom culture where revision is normalized.
Encourages deep listening, humility, and clarity in presenting ideas.

Feedback

Round Robin

Original Source: National School Reform Faculty (NSRF)

Group Size: 3 to 5 students
Grade Level: K-12
Duration: 15-20 minutes

What It Is

Round Robin is a rapid protocol where learners support one another by generating multiple possible revisions to a single idea in a short amount of time. This strategy is especially helpful when students feel stuck. It promotes the idea that all work can be improved, and that quick, collective thinking can inspire new directions. The process builds energy, reinforces a growth mindset, and helps students see revision as an essential and creative part of the collaborative process.

Getting Ready

Each team should identify a specific idea or concept they want help revising and write it at the top of a sheet of paper. For example, a team might be brainstorming a product name or the opening line of a written proposal. Arrange groups of 3 to 5 students, ideally mixing members from different teams. Provide each learner with a pen or pencil and space to write. Remind students that the goal is quantity over perfection, and encourage them to think quickly.

How to Do It

Create new groups of 3 to 5 members. Each group should have learners from different teams.
Launch the Round Robin! Let learners know that they will have 5 minutes to generate ideas.
The first learner reads the word or phrase at the top of the paper and thinks of an iteration of it. They write that new word or phrase under the top one. You might also think of this as a derivative. Then, pass the paper to the next learner.
The next learner reads the new word or phrase that has been recorded and writes another revision. They pass the paper to the next learner.
This process continues until the teacher calls time. About 5 minutes or so.
The papers are handed back to their original owners.
The teams review the suggestions and highlight the new ideas that stand out to them. They can choose one of these iterations or use these to inspire a revision of their own.
Debrief the process with the class:
- What did you like the most about this process?
- What did you learn from this process?
- When could you use this process on your own?

Possible Sticking Points

Some learners may feel rushed or unsure of what to write. Reassure them that all ideas are welcome—this is about exploration, not perfection.
Students might focus on surface-level changes. Model how to look deeper and think creatively during your launch.
A few learners may try to evaluate ideas instead of generating new ones—clarify that analysis comes later.

Facilitation Tips

Frame this as a low-stakes, high-energy revision sprint. You’re not looking for polished ideas, just possibilities.
Model a round before starting to build confidence, especially with younger learners.
Use this early in a project when teams are still generating ideas. The later it’s used, the harder it may be to break attachment to the original work.
If needed, allow students to verbalize their ideas and have a peer scribe, or use sticky notes to rotate instead of passing paper.

Why Should I Do This?

Helps learners overcome creative blocks.
Reinforces the value of multiple perspectives in strengthening ideas.
Builds collaborative energy in the room.
Encourages a mindset of continuous improvement.

Explore All 4 Collaboration Strategy Pages

This is one of four pages in our Collaboration Skills series. Each one is packed with classroom-ready strategies connected to a key domain of collaboration:

Relationship Building: Build trust, connection, and a sense of belonging.
Goals & Progress: Support accountability through shared goals and routines.
Collaborative Thinking: Help students engage in collective idea generation and critical thinking.
Feedback: Teach students how to give, receive, and reflect on meaningful feedback.