Effectiveness of Structured Feedback Training on Student's Performance in Formative Assessment of Physiology...

Formative assessment (FA) followed by feedback plays a crucial role in the constant learning and acquisition of skills. A lack of awareness of the importance and knowledge of structured feedback can lead to its omission or improper delivery by faculty, making it ineffective. It can affect the performance of students in clinical practice in the future. Moreover, a lack of receptivity and internalization of the feedback by students leads to a gap between students' performance and teachers' expectations. Thus, improving learning necessitates awareness and knowledge of structured formative feedback for both teachers and students.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of training of structured formative feedback on students' performance during FA of hematology and clinical physiology practicals and to assess the perception of faculty and students towards it.

According to Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) guidelines, in Phase I of the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program, FA during physiology practicals is conducted regularly in the form of an objective structured practical examination (OSPE) and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) followed by feedback on performance. A focused group discussion was conducted to assess the perception of faculty and students toward structured formative feedback, followed by training for faculty and students about how to deliver and receive structured formative feedback, respectively. Every FA of physiology practicals prompted the delivery of structured one-to-one feedback using defined steps. FA scores before and after training sessions were analyzed to see how training faculty and making students aware of structured feedback affected students' performance of skills in practicals. We assessed faculty and student perceptions of structured formative feedback after the training session using pre-validated questionnaires.

The results showed that FA scores got significantly better (p-value < 0.001) after training sessions. This means that structured formative feedback led to better skill performance. About 90-100% of students felt that structured feedback given in a stepwise manner by faculty is more effective, solution-oriented, and will help improve their skills. Students expressed satisfaction with the delivery of feedback, citing adequate time, a friendly approach, and meeting their expectations. The majority of faculty agreed that feedback was delivered in a structured manner after training sessions for both positive and negative performance points, enhancing self-assessment and the exchange of ideas between student and teacher.

Training for faculty and sensitization of students leads to the delivery of formative feedback in a structured manner, which helps students to understand and rectify mistakes in the performance of skills. Self-assessment by the students increases acceptance of negative feedback in the right way to overcome shortcomings. A change in the attitude of students toward learning leads to better skill performance and scoring in summative assessments and develops self-learning qualities in them. Thus, structured feedback helps students overcome incompetence and achieve desired competencies in the CBME curriculum.