Feedback and Playtesting
Feedback and Playtesting
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Constructive Criticism
Feedback is the basis for open source culture. Pull requests, comments, sharing posts--these are all "gestures" of feedback. The conversations are how we build, nurture and maintain our networks. It's the glue of the Web.
When feedback is positive, we gather strength and confidence, just as negative feedback forces us to consider whether our ideas are valid. In learning to participate on the Web, we learn how to accept and deliver feedback to improve our ideas and contribute to our communities. So how do we learn to give and receive feedback? We design for the feedback to be constructive. Now what does that mean? It's tricky.
Let's focus on delivering feedback first.
Giving constructive criticism (and receiving it) is something that takes practice. We adhere to “if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all” because we don't believe that our opinions are necessary. We forget that criticism doesn't have to lead to complete redesign or reformulation.
We also tend to spend time focusing on our own things, rather than looking at other people's ideas and thinking about making them better. We ask for feedback and expect to get some, but we rarely give our feedback freely – we wait until our specific feedback is requested or until the work directly affects our own.
We all know how fantastic it is to get good, constructive feedback on something we're working on. What if we all took more time to give feedback like that to others? What would happen?
Now to what it feels like to receive feedback.
It can be hard to hear critiques that reshape your work, but think about the input with some distance and consider how it might improve what you're doing. If, in the end, you disagree with the critique, explain why and your reaction will lead to a further conversation. We should aim to assume good faith when discussing feedback, and think not only of what to critique, but also concrete proposals to make it better.
Feedback is a way to invite people into your project. Asking for it can become a gateway to deeper participation and collaboration as it gives agency.
What is Playtesting?
Playtesting is a method of quality control that reveals design flaws, complications, misunderstandings and missed steps. Using the term 'playtest' instead of 'user test' is a way of indicating that quality control can be fun and that webmaking as learning is a good way to surface the playful spirit that learning experiences should have. Playtesting is also a step in co-designing with your audience, as it's a reflective activity for that audience.
In the Mozilla universe, we believe in the idea that co-designing things with the people we're designing them for. It leads to more effective, interesting and appropriate learning opportunities. Instead of trying to perfect our ideas before sharing, we say (a variation of) 'Just ship it!' We put things into the world, allow people to play around with them, and see what happens.
The answer to 'What works best?' is ultimately a question that you and your audience have to work out together. It can be quite scary to playtest half-baked ideas and creations we've never shown our actual audience. However, sharing early and often allows us to gather the valuable perspectives of our own audience. Sometimes, you'll find an audience you didn't mean to find. Sometimes you'll discover that you've missed the mark and have to start again.
Planning and Shipping Events in the Open
Because each person has a unique perspective that often leads to rethinking concepts, ideas or educational resources, shipping often means that we can work faster. We can integrate new ideas and then test that integration. Then we can rinse and repeat. Useful, constructive feedback drives trust and community; to sustain a community of webmakers, it's important for users to have the ability to gift feedback to authors.
As you share your makes, resources and projects, watch your user's reactions and ask yourself questions about their experience. As them to answer questions too, involve them in your process! Practically speaking, if you don't have a regular meetup or classroom where you're already engaging your audience, playtesting in the real world might seem difficult. It doesn't have to be. A playtesting session can be designed as an informal kitchen table party where you can practice how to #TeachTheWeb. Playtesting your ideas with a group of friends or relatives is a great way to push your thinking to the next level.
The important thing about #TeachTheWeb is to understand how the topics and themes we explore relate to our real worlds and daily lives. Working openly, asking for help and sharing freely will allow us to learn from our successes and failures. We can then improve our resources based on practical experience.
Make to learn tech skills and concepts.
Playtest your Teaching Kit
If you participated in the Building module of #TeachTheWeb, now is the perfect time to playtest the learning resources you made. (If you haven't yet done the Building module, try the DIY Learning Experience make below!)
Gather a few of your friends, family members or learners, and run your activities with them. What went right? What went wrong? Did your learners learn something? What would you change? Were all of your learning goals addressed? Were there other skills/competencies your learner acquired that you hadn’t thought of? What surprised you about your plan? Share your playtest and reflection with the community. Invite others who playested to document their feedback and include it in your reflection.
Playtest someone else's Teaching Kit
There are plenty of teaching kits on webmaker.org that you can use to level up your facilitation skills. Choose one that sounds interesting to you and gather some people to teach them something about the web. You can teach to 3 or 30 learners, for 30 minutes or 3 hours – test yourself, then reflect on your experience in the community. Be sure to mention people with an @[name] when you post your reflection.
Give Feedback and Talk to Strangers
Jump into the community and start reviewing and commenting on other people's work. Being open and sharing your thoughts is a great way to train up for facilitating learning because open interaction is a keystone.
Another great way to test your facilitating skills is to talk to strangers. Opening conversations with random people might seem a little intimdating, but the more you feel comfortable with what you do and do not "know", the better you'll help others learn....
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