La retroalimentación como formadora del Pensamiento Crítico: cuatro directrices = Engaging feedback as key shaper of critical thinking: four directive actions

Abstract

Feedback is one of the nuclear activities for design teaching, but there are still dark areas about how it is done and its scope. This document aims to set the basis for the development of tools and methods that teachers can implement to deliver more useful feedback. This report presents the results of qualitative research that consisted of visiting and observing teachers during their day-to-day feedback activities in the design studio. Participants were selected upon heterogeneity criteria, thus involving lecturers of graphic, industrial, fashion, urban and interior design, as well as architecture and civil engineering. Findings show seven actions that can improve feedback practices from the critical thinking standpoint: focusing on time management and decision making, encouraging alternative route exploration, promoting peer-to-peer feedback, establishing dialogue, and encouraging reflective thinking. Finally, four directive actions are presented as a starting point to design a model that aids developing and promoting critical thinking and student-centered feedback practices: knowing, discovering, socializing, and reflecting. The main contribution of this research declares that improving feedback practice will positively impact students' motivation and performance, fostering learning in design professionals in training.