The goal of Feedback That Moves People Forward is to help new supervisors build the confidence and skills to deliver feedback that is specific, respectful, behavior-focused, and action-oriented.
Course Objective: By the end of the course, learners will be able to use the CLEAR feedback model to navigate difficult conversations, distinguish coaching from criticism, and create a clear path forward through empathy and accountability.
Feedback That Moves People Forward
Type: Interactive eLearning / Microlearning
Audience: New supervisors and first-time people leaders
Tools: PowerPoint, Canva, and scenario-based eLearning design
I conducted informal interviews with supervisors and identified a recurring performance issue: supervisors often delay giving feedback because they are uncomfortable having difficult conversations, or they are not trained on giving feedback and stick to repetitive statements within the company's initiatives being discussed.
When feedback is eventually provided, supervisors may rely on vague statements such as:
“You need to do better.”
“You need to be more responsible.”
“You're always missing deadlines.”
These statements communicate that there is a problem, but they do not clearly explain the behavior that needs to change, why it matters, or what the employee should do differently. As a result, employees may leave feedback conversations feeling criticized rather than coached. Supervisors may also leave the conversation feeling frustrated because the issue has not been clearly resolved. I determined that supervisors needed a practical way to structure feedback conversations that balanced accountability, empathy, and action.
The training is designed for frontline supervisors and team leads who regularly provide feedback to employees.
The New Supervisor
This learner is a newly promoted supervisor or first-time people leader who is excited about their new role but may feel uncertain about handling difficult conversations. They want to be fair, supportive, and effective, but often seek guidance, examples, and clear step-by-step frameworks before addressing performance concerns. They benefit from realistic scenarios, practical tools, and opportunities to practice feedback in a low-pressure environment
Empathy Map: New Supervisor
Taylor Morgan is a more experienced supervisor in their mid-30s to mid-40s who brings strong technical skills but limited formal experience with giving feedback and managing performance. Taylor wants to become a good leader and prefers short, practical learning experiences that include real-world examples, visual models, job aids, and hands-on practice. Taylor also needs reassurance and confidence when navigating difficult conversations and values learning that can be applied immediately on the job.
Empathy Map 2: Experienced Supervisor
Swinton_Preview-Feedback That Moves People Forward.pdfDesign Approach
Feedback That Moves People Forward was designed using a learner-centered instructional design approach that combines the ADDIE model, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Adult Learning Theory, scenario-based learning, microlearning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and multimedia learning principles. These approaches were selected to create a practical learning experience that supports both new and experienced supervisors in developing more effective feedback skills.
Bloom's Taxonomy was used to move learners beyond simply remembering information toward applying the feedback process in realistic workplace situations.The learning experience progresses from:
Remember: Identify the characteristics of effective feedback.
Understand: Explain the difference between coaching and criticism.
Apply: Use the CLEAR framework in a feedback conversation.
Analyze: Examine a workplace situation and determine the most effective response.
The scenarios and practice activities allow learners to apply what they have learned rather than simply recall definitions.
The Digital Learning Bloom Loading Data
The theory of andragogy influenced & guided the design by recognizing that supervisors bring existing knowledge, experiences, and workplace challenges to the learning experience.
The training is designed to be:
Relevant: Examples reflect realistic supervisor-employee situations.
Practical: Learners receive tools they can immediately use on the job.
Experience-based: Scenarios allow experienced supervisors to connect new strategies to situations they have encountered.
Problem-centered: The training focuses on solving common feedback challenges rather than presenting information for its own sake.
Self-directed: Learners can revisit the CLEAR framework and job aid when they need support during an actual feedback conversation.
This approach is particularly important because the two learner personas enter the training with different levels of leadership experience. The training provides enough structure for new supervisors while still giving experienced supervisors opportunities to reflect on and improve their existing approach.
Clear Feedback Job Aid
The ADDIE model—Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation—was used as the overall instructional design framework.
During the ANALYSIS phase, the learner population was examined to identify common challenges associated with giving workplace feedback. Two learner personas were developed to represent different experience levels: a newly promoted supervisor who needs confidence and structure, and an experienced supervisor who has leadership experience but wants to improve the effectiveness of difficult feedback conversations.
During the DESIGN phase, measurable learning objectives, scenarios, knowledge checks, practice activities, and a job aid were developed around the CLEAR Feedback Model.
During DEVELOPMENT, the content was organized into a short, interactive microlearning experience. The IMPLEMENTATION phase focuses on delivering the training in an accessible digital format that supervisors can complete without significant interruption to their workday. EVALUATION will focus on learner performance, confidence, application of the CLEAR model, and feedback from participants.
During DEVELOPMENT, the content was organized into a short, interactive microlearning experience. The IMPLEMENTATION phase focuses on delivering the training in an accessible digital format that supervisors can complete without significant interruption to their workday. EVALUATION will focus on learner performance, confidence, application of the CLEAR model, and feedback from participants.
feedback-that-moves-people-forward-practical-skills-for-supervisors-W4fRo3yU.pdfIs Training the Solution?
Type: eLearning / Instructional Design Decision-Making Course
Audience: Instructional designers and learning professionals
Tools: PowerPoint, Canva, and interactive learning design
Blueprinting Standards-Based Digital Lessons with IXL for K-12 Classrooms
Type: K-12 eLearning / Professional Development
Audience: K-12 teachers and educators
Tools: PowerPoint, Canva, and interactive eLearning design
blueprinting-standards-based-digital-lessons-with-ixl-for-k-12-classrooms-qkuP4zIv.pdfK12 eLearning for IXL Course Syllabus.pdfMy Role:
I served as the instructional designer, responsible for developing the lesson structure, organizing the content, creating the visual presentation, and designing activities to support learner engagement and understanding.
Who I Worked With:
I collaborated with team members and subject-matter experts to review the content, clarify learning objectives, and ensure the lessons aligned with the intended audience and learning goals.
Outcome:
The project resulted in a series of clear, engaging presentation lessons that transformed complex information into structured learning experiences. The final lessons provided learners with accessible content, visuals, examples, and opportunities to apply what they learned.
Association for Talent Development. (2024). Talent development capability model. ATD
Association for Talent Development. (n.d.). What is instructional design? ATD Talent Development Glossary
CAST. (2024). CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. CAST UDL Guidelines
Guo, P., & Wang, Z. (2025). Implementation fidelity of universal design for learning and effects on student achievement, engagement and belonging. Scientific Reports, 15, 45430. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30079-1
Herzberg, M. (2025). Flexible by design: A framework-based approach to redesigning library tutorials for equity and engagement. Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 29(4), 437–476. https://doi.org/10.1080/10875301.2025.2538229
Kickbusch, S., Kelly, N., & Huijser, H. (2026). Framing the core expertise of learning designers through strong concepts. Higher Education, 91, 2143–2160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01514-z
Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., Robinson, P. A., & Caraccioli, C. (2020). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (10th ed.). Routledge.
Mayer, R. E. (2021). Multimedia learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316941355
