Definition
An instructional assessment method in which the class is divided into small groups, with each group assigned a specific aspect of a student's performance to evaluate and then report back on to the full class. The instructor guides the process, ensures the critique stays constructive, and summarizes the findings.
Plain English
Instead of one person giving feedback, the class is split into small teams. Each team looks at one part of the student's performance, then shares what they found with everyone. The instructor runs the discussion and ties it all together at the end.
Context Anchor
Used in flight training debriefs, ground lessons, and classroom discussions when an instructor wants students to learn by evaluating a situation together.
Derivation
Critique comes through French from a Greek word meaning “able to judge.” That helps here because a critique is not just an opinion; it is a reasoned judgment about what was correct, what was not, and why.
Why Pilots Care
Gives student pilots direct exposure to different approaches and mistakes made by peers, which builds judgment and reduces the need for every insight to come solely from the instructor.
Intuition Check
Do not read critique as “criticizing someone.” In this FAA instructor context, it means a guided review meant to improve learning and performance.
Example Sentence 1
After the student finished the simulated cross-country planning exercise, the instructor ran a small group critique, assigning one group to assess the route selection and another to assess the fuel calculations.
Example Sentence 2
During the small group critique the students noted how one pilot's altitude management affected the entire approach sequence.