Paper versus electronic feedback in high stakes assessment.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Clinical Assessment Tools
• Feedback in Higher Education

Background:

• Tablet computers are increasingly utilized in medical education for assessments.
• The impact of digital tools on feedback quality and quantity in high-stakes medical examinations remains under-researched.
• Understanding the relationship between electronic feedback and student performance is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if feedback quantity and quality differ when using tablet computers versus traditional paper-based methods in medical assessments.
• To investigate the relationship between student performance and the characteristics of feedback provided.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study analyzing feedback from Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) over two years.
• Quantitative and qualitative feedback data were collected from paper-scoring sheets and iPads.
• Statistical analyses (chi-squared, independent t-test) compared comment counts, word counts, and feedback quality ratings.

Main Results:

• iPad use resulted in a significantly higher number of examiner comments compared to paper (42% vs. 20%; p < 0.001).
• The quality of feedback, assessed by a validated scale, did not significantly differ between iPads and paper.
• Students with lower global scores received more comments regardless of the feedback method.

Conclusions:

• Tablet computers, specifically iPads, enhance the quantity of feedback provided in high-stakes medical assessments compared to paper.
• The use of iPads improves both the quantity and quality of feedback for underperforming students.
• Digital tools can effectively augment feedback mechanisms in medical education.