how to properly critique a course not people

by Leopold Koch 9 min read

Firstly, detach the situation from the person. This distinction is crucial. Take the person out of the equation and focus on the behavior / action / situation / issue at hand. Comment on the issue, not the person.

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What should you not do when you get a critique?

Don't argue with the critiquer or defend your piece. Don't even try to explain it. After the critique, we suggest taking a break before you try to sort the feedback out. Getting a critique can be hard. Relax a little afterwards. Go out with some friends; watch TV; get a good night's sleep.

How do I prepare a critique?

Before preparing a critique, we suggest reading the piece several times, taking notes on each reading. Each reading will give you different insights that can benefit the author. First, read the piece through from beginning to end, simulating the experience of an ordinary reader.

Can I hire an expert to complete my article Critique?

? Hire an expert to complete your article critique and save time! Get inspired or ask for expert help!

How to give constructive criticism without offending the person in question?

— While it’s tricky to give constructive criticism when it comes to someone’s personality, here it is successfully accomplished by separating the person’s actions from him/herself. This makes it easy to critique the behavior without offending the person in question.

How to write a critique?

In a critique, the body will be the heart of your discussion. Several elements should be covered in the body of your critique. To address these elements, you should: 1 Form critical evaluations. As this will be the bulk of your critique, give one paragraph to each topic you want to discuss. 2 Organize your ideas: Consider consistently organizing your critical evaluations. For example, you could organize your critical evaluations by strengths and weaknesses, by themes or by the different elements used by the author throughout the body of work. 3 Cover more than just the basics. You may have had an immediate reaction to the themes of a book that triggered an emotional response from you, and that can very well be the thrust of your critique. But you should also think about the styles and techniques used. Were there repeated motifs? A particular style of language or imagery? If this is more of a peer review, you’ll consider how arguments were supported and what sort of impact the work had.

How to address critique elements?

Several elements should be covered in the body of your critique. To address these elements, you should: Form critical evaluations. As this will be the bulk of your critique, give one paragraph to each topic you want to discuss. Organize your ideas: Consider consistently organizing your critical evaluations.

What is the purpose of critique?

Critiques are used to analyze and interpret a work or concept and draw conclusions based on those findings. They can also be written in the form of a review of published material or as feedback to a work in progress. In an academic environment, the purpose of a critique is to broaden your knowledge of someone else's work, ...

What is a critique of an article?

When the critique is written by an expert in the field, it is often referred to as a peer review. This type of critique is typically used to determine when an article should be accepted for publication in a scholarly journal. Critiques offer a much more in-depth analysis of the body of work than a review. They are also typically done on larger ...

What is a critique paper?

If you are writing a critique in a composition course or in response to a work of art, it’s often called a response paper. If you are reviewing another student’s work, it may be called a peer response. These types of critiques are typically used in academic settings, especially in English-related classes or courses.

What are the different types of critiques?

There are essentially three different types of critiques: academic responses, reviews of published work and feedback on unfinished projects. How you construct your critique will be similar in all these cases, although you should always consider your intended audience.

Why is it important to do a little research?

It's also a good idea to do a little research and get a feel for what others have said or how it compares to similar bodies of work. This will give you a better understanding of the larger context or issue discussed in the text and allows you to more aptly analyze the body of work.

How to critique a piece of writing?

To critique a piece of writing is to do the following: describe: give the reader a sense of the writer’s overall purpose and intent. analyze: examine how the structure and language of the text convey its meaning. interpret: state the significance or importance of each part of the text. assess: make a judgment of the work’s worth or value.

What is critical assessment?

critical assessment of the value, worth, meaning, or significance of the work, both positive and negative. You may not be asked in every critique to assess a work, only to analyze and interpret it.

Why is it important to conduct critiques?

Conducting critiques is an important part of teaching art. Critiques teach higher order thinking skills, get students interacting with one another and help students receive authentic feedback from both their peers and their teachers. However, if you are going to do multiple critiques throughout the year, you need to move beyond simply holding ...

Why is it important to critique intro classes?

This is a great critique for Intro classes because of the way it reinforces knowledge and allows kids to offer their opinions without forcing them to be the center of attention.

How to make critiques more engaging?

So, there are 7 ideas that you can take with you to make your critiques more engaging, more entertaining, and more successful. Get your kids thinking, and get your kids talking– it will make your art room a better place.

How to give constructive criticism?

1. Use the Feedback Sandwich. The feedback sandwich method is a popular method of giving constructive criticism. It is often used in Toastmasters and in the corporate environment. I refer to the feedback sandwich as PIP, which stands for Positive-Improvement-Positive.

Why do we give recommendations?

Secondly, recommendations provide a strong call-to-action. You want the person to act on what you have shared, not procrastinate.

Is it better to standardize font in formal reports?

In a formal report, it is best to standardize the font. For the report conclusions, the ideas are good but they are too brief, especially ideas #1 and #3. The management would need more data to make their assessment.”. — Great feedback that is specific.

Is husky feedback subjective?

Thirdly, such a feedback is highly subjective. There are people who like husky voices just as there are others who prefer other kinds of voices. While you can point out things that you don’t like (e.g. if you find her voice too husky), making it central to your critique probably isn’t very helpful for her.

Why is writing an article critique not easy?

Writing an article critique is not easy because it requires lots of time to do background research. Not everyone has the time and energy to put into learning volumes about the many sides of an issue. Here at coursework writing service EssayPro, we have a team of expert writers for any topic you can think of.

What is a good critique?

A good critique should reflect your qualified and educated opinion regarding the article. To shape such an opinion, you have to read the piece again, this time critically, and highlight everything that can be useful for writing your paper. 3.Write your critique based on the evidence you have collected.

How many parts are in a critique?

Just like any other written assignment, a critique paper should be formatted and structured properly. A standard article critique consists of four parts: an introduction, summary, critique, and conclusion. Below is a clear checklist to help you grasp the idea of how a good paper should be formatted:

What is an article critique?

An article critique is an assignment that requires a student to critically read a research article and reflect upon it. The key task is to identify the strong and weak sides of the piece and assess how well the author interprets its sources. Simply put, a critique reflects upon the validity and effectiveness of the arguments ...

Why is this word choice poor?

This is poor word choice because the debate does not get resolved. 6. Question the Research Methods in Scientific Articles. This may not be always mandatory, but if you are writing an article critique for a scientific piece, you are expected to question and evaluate how the author did their research.

What happens if the author doesn't take your feedback seriously?

If not, the author knows that any suggestions that follow may actually be based on a misunderstanding of the piece. The author may therefore need to discount these suggestions and work instead on more successfully communicating his or her vision.

How to improve your perspective?

Go out with some friends; watch TV; get a good night's sleep. It will improve your perspective. This break might last twenty-four hours or a couple of weeks -- however long you need to get some emotional distance on the process. Then take a fresh look at what you've written. Reread your notes on the critique.

Why is it tempting to change someone else's writing?

Instead, help the writer produce the best possible version of what THAT WRITER is trying to write.

Why is it important to read a piece at least once?

This first step is important because your perspective will change during a second reading. Your interpretation of the piece's beginning will be colored by your knowledge of the end. Read the piece at least once more and take notes again.

Do writers want feedback?

At some stage in the writing process, most writers want feedback on their work. But not all kinds of feedback are productive. Here are some tips on how to organize a helpful critique and how to get the most out of feedback on your work.

Can critiquers comment on the author's explanation?

But the author's responses can influence the direction of the critique. The critiquer can end up commenting on the author's explanation of the work, rather than what the author has actually written. The critique can even turn into a debate.

What does criticism sound like?

General criticism almost always sounds like a put down . Something like "you aren't doing that right" is non-specific, and therefore can be applied to every aspect of the task. For example, if a person is working on a complex spreadsheet and you say something like, "you've done it all wrong," the person will feel terrible about it. Not only have you completely destroyed the person's work, you haven't given any indication of something specific that's the root cause of the problem. Instead, try to be as specific as possible. Drill down to the specific elements that are causing the problem.

What does it mean to hide your criticism?

Trying to "hide" your criticism with a subtle hint, or worse, in the form of a passive aggressive comment, will only serve to confuse or insult the subject of your criticism. Instead, don't be afraid to come out with what you really mean.

How to make your criticism a one-sided blow?

Make it an invitation to a conversation. Listen to what your subject has to say on the matter, and if there's a specific reason why he/she isn't meeting expectations. Debate the issue, if warranted, and make the other person feel like his/her opinions and feelings are valid. Doing so can make any criticism easier to take.

How to serve criticism in a compliment sandwich?

Occasionally you'll hear advice to serve criticism in a "compliment sandwich," by saying something nice, giving the criticism, and then closing with something else nice . This isn't necessary, but including compliments can help soften the blow of criticism and make it obvious that you're there to help. For example, if your new intern keeps forgetting to include shipping addresses on his purchase orders, you can mention how good he is at remembering all the other information. You can even go outside the task and mention how good they are at some other task or project.

Why is my account manager struggling?

For example, let's say your account manager is struggling with maintaining client relationships because he doesn't come off as friendly in conversation. Telling him he's not a very friendly person, even if you do so politely, serves as an insult and doesn't give the situation chance for improvement.

Is criticism a part of life?

Criticism is a necessary part of life to grow and improve, but if not given correctly, it can lead to confrontation. Here are the 7 golden rules of how to give criticism without sounding like a jerk. Criticism is a necessary part of life. You'll endure criticism for the majority of your young life, from corrections to your penmanship ...

Is there a right way to do things?

There are some cases where there's a right way and a wrong way to do things, but for the most part, this isn't exactly true. For example, even if one of your workers approaches a problem in a way that violates company policies and procedures, there might be some value in doing it that way. Even if a person is in the rare position of being completely wrong, telling them they're wrong escalates the criticism to a confrontation, and makes your criticism wholly debatable. Instead of declaring a person's actions "wrong," instead suggest that they could be made better in some way.

How to critique a writer?

Critique the writing, not the writer. Always start with the strengths, then address the weaknesses and problem areas using positive language. Be objective, especially if the piece you’re critiquing is not in a style or genre that you prefer. Make solid suggestions for improvement.

What to do when your critique partner asks specific questions?

If your critique partner asks specific questions, you should answer, but try to avoid back-and-forth arguments and getting into a position where you are defending your critique or where the writer is defending their work. Exchanges like these are a sign that this is not a beneficial or positive critique relationship.

How to improve your writing?

Don’t waste time on writers who are looking for praise. Seek out writers who want feedback that will genuinely help them improve their work. Take time and make an effort so you can offer a critique that is thoughtful and helpful; otherwise, just politely decline. Critique the writing, not the writer.

Why are critiques important?

But critiques are more helpful when they are received long before publication. In fact, critiques are one of the best ways to improve your writing. Many writers who want critiques that will help them improve their work will find a writing partner or critique group, which is a reciprocal relationship. You won’t only be receiving critiques — you’ll ...

What should feedback be directed at?

Whatever you do or say during your critique, your feedback should be directed at the writing, not the writer. Don’t start your comments with the word you — ever. Always refer to the piece, the sentence, the paragraph, the prose, or the narrative. You are judging the work, not the individual who produced it, and though compliments aimed at ...

How to write a good essay?

Eventually, you’ll have to tell the writer where the piece falls short. Do this with grace. Avoid using strong negative language. Don’t repeatedly say things like “this is weak,” “you’re using the wrong words,” or “it’s boring.” Instead, use positive language and phrase your comments as suggestions for making improvements: 1 This word is vague. A stronger word would be… 2 A better word choice would be… 3 This could be more compelling or exciting if…

What happens when you hear someone's piece needs a lot of work?

There’s a good chance that no matter how gentle you are, your writer friend will feel a bit downtrodden after hearing that their piece still needs a lot of work. Many writers are tempted at this point to give up on a piece, while others will be motivated and inspired by the feedback.

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Different Uses of Critiques

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There are essentially three different types of critiques: academic responses, reviews of published work and feedback on unfinished projects. How you construct your critique will be similar in all these cases, although you should always consider your intended audience.
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Formatting A Written Critique

  • As with most written reactions, your critique breaks out into three different sections: an introduction, body and conclusion. Here are some things to keep in mind for each section:
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Example of A Critique

  • To help you apply the concepts and steps described above, the following is a condensed example of a critique of an academic article: In the article "Anxiety among students: Higher anxiety levels found in new students," Hunter Allen examined the impact of anxiety across all levels of college students. He argued that students just entering college or who are in their first year of school ha…
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The Sandwich Critique

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A LOT of teachers use this type of critique, and if you don’t, you should get on board! My sandwich consists of bread (compliment), meat (constructive criticism), and more bread (another compliment). This gives us a positive start and positive end to our comments, but still allows for some suggestions for improvement. Ma…
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

  • When summer projects come back, we usually have a few good, a few bad, and a few in between. Same with figure drawings at the beginning of the year. So when we do our critiques, we focus on projects that are less than successful. I like to have my kids Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Reducemeans they take off a part that’s not working. Maybe the composition is a better with a c…
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Keep It Positive

  • This is a great critique for the beginning of the year. Kids are usually pretty apprehensive about the critique itself, and some kids are deathly afraid of anything bad being said about their artwork. We simply make a rule that we’re voicing opinions without any negativity. It may seem counterintuitive to have a critique without criticism, but a relaxed atmosphere can go a long way …
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Super Secret Surprise Sticky Notes

  • I give each of my AP Studio Art students a pile of sticky notes. They run around the room and leave comments for younger students. Just little comments about what they like about the work that is hanging on the room. We don’t tell anyone about them, so when the kids get their art back after it has been taken down, there’s a little surprise and some positivity for them–an authentic a…
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Olympic Judging

  • It’s kind of a fun change to let kids judge artwork as if they were Olympic diving or figure skating judges. I give them dry erase boards (or blank paper) with a marker, then when a student holds up his or her work, everyone else gives it a score from 1 to 10. Students judging the work with a high score can talk about what they like, and those with the low scores can discuss what they would l…
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Individual

  • One thing I’ve tried to do more of every year is in-depth individual critiques with my students. While the rest of the class is working, I like to pull kids aside to talk specifically about their finished work. We talk through the grading process together; I can see their reasoning and motivation for doing what they did, and they can hear my rationale as I determine their grades. The one-on-one …
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Ranking Artworks in Various Categories

  • Whether you want to reinforce ideas on your rubric or revisit criteria specific to an assignment, this type of critique is a great way to look again at specific elements or details in students’ work. It works like this: the teacher asks for works with a specific criteria, like excellent use of detail, good use of color, interesting line work, or whatever else seems appropriate. The teacher then holds u…
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