NUGGETS 2nd November
Theme: Feedback
''Medical students and junior medical officers report that feedback doesn’t occur frequently enough and that it is not always conveyed effectively. In contrast, teachers feel they give more feedback than learners claim to receive''
Quote from teaching on the run: feedback
What is NUGGETS
NUGGETS stands for 'New undergraduate Gems: Great Educator Tips Shared'. This is a monthly remote workshop (12-1 pm the first Wednesday of the month) which aims to develop educators. You can claim 1 hour of Educator CPD for your appraisal.
Below you will find a summary of learning from the 2nd November workshop.
Links to our previous workshops
Inclusive feedback: notes from the workshop
Inclusive approaches to giving feedback
Feedback giving is often challenging, working out at what level to pitch the feedback, how to be constructive without being upsetting etc.
Queen Mary University of London ranks top of the Russell Group in the English Social Mobility Index 2022 (Higher Education Policy Institute, HEPI) being regarded as the most inclusive and diverse Russell Group university. What does being inclusive mean for offering feedback to students?
Questions we will think about:
· How might we offer inclusive feedback?
· What are the barriers to offering constructive feedback?
· What areas do we need to focus on when seeking to be developmental and inclusive (e.g. power dynamics, questioning assumptions, awareness of systems and context)
Presentation slides
Nov NUGGETS.pptxNotes from the workshop
Starting with 'what went well? What could be better?'
Most students are aware of their roles and actions. This means they can reflect on this.
Sometimes students may find it difficult.
There may be cultural factors or a fear of getting 'it wrong'.
Imposter syndrome was discussed.
Example of a student who was quiet and not engaging with their peers
The student was the only caucasian one in the group.
The tutor noticed this and spoke to the student privately to explore this further.
Learning points
praise can be delivered in groups
Some feedback needs to be explored privately.
Being aware of those moments is important.
Changing the structure of the group, can support change of group dynamics and inclusion of students on the periphery (see below)
The difficulty in providing feedback to students about professionalism or attitudinal areas
Examples of this include, students not contributing to the learning as much as their peers.
There are other ways feedback is captured in the placement. For example, through 360 degree feedback from patients and clinicians.
Coaching style could support these situations.
Other learning points
Intervene on a structural level, connecting the students in different-sized groups to enable students to get to know each other and collaborate
https://www.liberatingstructures.com/ for example of different ways to structure groups e.g. 1, 2, 4 and all.
Using ground rules to build a culture of constructive feedback at the beginning helps with group dynamics. Icebreakers are useful here. They should value differences. Tutors can role model these.
Feedback should be specific.
Mostly about observed behaviours
Constructive feedback
If you anticipate feedback to be challenge, consider discussing and involving your colleagues, speaking to the module lead or student support services.
Feedback is a dialogue between the student, peers and tutors. It is a two-way process.
Feedback on specific behaviour ‘I noticed you were smiling when the patient was receiving bad news….’
A creative enquiry By Rofique
Creative enquiry is a process of using different mediums to explore ideas, concepts and experiences. The word 'feedback' is an abstract concept we naturally connect with. I wanted to explore if it was possible to gain a better understanding of feedback using 'the Journey' as a metaphor for feedback.
A journey is a familiar concept and universal to the human experience. It's an activity across time and space. We go on travelling journeys and experience psychosocial journeys (the journey of life).
Some journeys are planned as we explore different places, paths and destinations. You may use a map to guide you on this journey. This map is your companion that starts your journey, and guides you back to the right path if you get lost. Along the journey you may discover new places or experiences. Some places can be seen on the map, and this helps you to plan. You may take detours but feel safe in the knowledge that you can get back on track using your map and knowing your destination.
Feedback is a dialogue or conversation between the tutor and the learner. Students experiencing the feedback journey might need to think ahead. Before observing a patient encounter it can be useful to discuss what the feedback will focus on and how this will be given or received. The tutor is the map that guides the students on this journey. There will be pitfalls and pearls along this journey but the tutor can work in partnership with the learner to guide them to the final destination.