Rules for project critique
Participation in a structured process of collaboration needs to be professionally conducted. The next
paragraphs offer some guidelines to follow when critiquing a project.
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Be open and do not let preconceived notions cloud your critique:
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Make an effort to fully understand what is being presented and/or asked:
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Listen (or read) carefully without expectations or prior judgments.
Ask questions to clarify ideas.
Allow the speaker to finish before making suggestions.
Be clear about the context of the work and desired outcomes.
Paraphrase/summarize questions prior to answering them so that you know you are answering
the question really being asked.
Be specific:
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Focus on the evidence that is presented.
o Provide a rationale for your judgment.
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Be aware of differences in perspective:
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Make your own thinking clear to others.
First consider the logic/interpretation of the presenter within his/her own worldview.
Recognize the other person’s view as valid.
Offer your opinions as another, not necessarily superior, alternative.
Critique the project, not the team or person.
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Keep the focus on instructional technology aspects of the project or intervention.
When critiquing a project:
1. Begin by saying what is good about what is being done.
2. Indicate specifically what is not good about the project.
3. Offer a rationale for your critique (“According to XZ model, …”)
4. Offer recommendations and a rationale for these recommendations
Use statements such as:
I particularly liked…
You might want to look at these resources…
Did you think about…
I wonder about…
I’ve been successful with similar activities when…
Avoid statements such as:
The way you did this is awful…
You are missing…
You failed to consider…
You are wrong…
You don’t know how to do this…
If someone’s critique is personally offensive, you can address this person using the following method:
• When you _(my non-judgemental description of the person’s behavior)__, I feel __(my emotion
elicited by the behavior)__ because _(effect the behavior has on me)_.
For example:
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When you interrupt me, I feel frustrated because I was not able to express myself in the manner I desired.
When you speak to me in a condescending tone of voice, I feel uncomfortable because I then have to defend
the validity of my ideas.