There are a variety of didfferent styles that help to organize providing feedback. One such style that the students are familiar with is “POP”.
For those of you who are not familiar with the term “POP” ……
P- A positive comment is followed by….
O- An “opportunity for change”/ “area for improvement” followed by ….
P- An additional positive comment.
In fieldwork placements it might look like this:
Scenario: Treatment session for client on stroke unit. “I am going to give you some feedback about your transfers today with “Mrs. J.”
P- You did a nice job of cueing her to attend to the left side of her environment.
O- An area for improvement is to work on your guarding technique. I would like to see you position yourself closer to Mrs. J. in order to be able to assist her if she loses her balance.
P- Your verbal instructions for the transfer were very clear and concise.
In our experience, many students appreciate this balanced feedback style - sometimes calling it an “op” or a “po” if only one positive comment is provided. It has often served as a comfortable “discussion opener” about feedback, and a framework for highlighting strengths as well as areas for improvement; especially when a student is struggling.
Many of you may be delivering feedback in this style, but just not using “the fancy acronym.” Some people may recognize it as the “sandwich” technique for delivering feedback.
If this is new to you, we hope that you might find an occasion where this style of feedback is helpful.
Teresa & Lisa
Revised by Julie, 2024
