Giving Constructive Feedback
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This scenario-based project is designed as part of a leadership skills development initiative for learners to practice giving constructive feedback and improve their workplace communication and cross-team collaboration skills. Learners identify core features of constructive feedback, and then they apply a 5-step framework.
Learners: Employees, managers, and workplace leaders.
Role: Learning Design, Video Editing, eLearning Development
Tools: Articulate Storyline 360, Articulate Rise, Powtoon, Google Docs.
Overview
My client, a fictional company, needed a training solution to improve workplace communication and collaboration skills. They had recently discovered a problem: many employees felt that they received incomplete feedback (missing actionable steps), and managers struggled to give feedback to boost performance outcomes. The results were low morale and inefficient cross-team collaborations.
Learning Experience Design
First, I wanted to explore whether and in what ways training was the right answer. If regular feedback opportunities were missing, training wouldn't help; rather, the teams' workflow needed a revisit. After needs assessment (a brief survey), I found a potential training issue: giving feedback was often limited to positive comments and encouragement, which wasn't actionable. This was part knowledge gap, part attitudinal gap, and part skills gap: (mis)understanding constructive feedback as positive comments only, and not knowing how to offer critical comments constructively.
I recommended a two-part eLearning solution: a job aid for learners to identify core features of constructive feedback with examples and an easy-to-recall framework (a memorable mental model), followed by scenario-based practice.
PROCESS
Job Aid
I collaborated with a Professional Communication professor (SME) to define essential information learners needed to know before practicing giving feedback. We focused on defining the core features of constructive feedback to dispel widespread myths like good feedback "keeps it positive" or "uses the sandwich technique". My SME pointed out a few existing frameworks for feedback (e.g., Situation-Behavior-Impact), to which we added features like an initial buy-in question and a closing question to create an original framework. I used Rise to create the job aid introducing learners to these core concepts.
Text-based Storyboard
Next, I created a scenario-based exercise for learners to practice a 5-step framework presented in the job aid. Starting with a text-based storyboard, I outlined the content, animations, and interactions. I introduced Roy, a fictional character, as a coworker to whom learners would give feedback in a performance context through a multiple-choice quiz. The scenario-based exercise creates an immersive experience for learners, giving them a chance to practice as well as to get immediate feedback on their responses.
Video Creation & Editing
The storyboard outlined a story-driven scenario and interactive elements through quiz and feedback screens. I used Powtoon and its library to source characters, animations, and a scene-by-scene visual layout to help me build out the scenario videos.
Interactive Prototype
Once the Powtoon videos were ready, I imported them into Articulate Storyline 360, added background audio from Freesound’s library, and incorporated written text slides, quiz screens, and interactive components like radio buttons and CTA buttons.
Testing & Takeaways
Finally, I tested the project with four professionals who confirmed that this scenario-based experience made them more comfortable and confident to give feedback at work. Based on their input, I improved the examples used in the job aid to make them clearer, added voice recordings for instructions, and improved the Storyline experience by including audio cues following learner interactions to enhance its overall immersiveness.
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