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| 213P London, UK Pharmacology 2016 |
Can using technology encourage student’s engagement with feedback? Listening to pharmacy students’ voice.
Background and Aims. Feedback influences learning and academic performance1. Increasingly web-based marking tools are employed in assessment practices to ensure provision of timely, clear, consistent, accessible and effective feedback1,2. However, students’ engagement with feedback is often disappointing1 and we noticed that for UG pharmacy student correlates to performance. As students’ attitudes and engagement with a course are predictors for academic achievement2, promoting students’ participation in their own education is paramount. This study aims to evaluate pharmacy students’ preferences and views of feedback, with a focus on electronic written (Ew)-feedback. Understanding the factors that motivate pharmacy students to read, understand and act upon feedback will help develop an effective learning environment.
Summary of work and outcomes. A survey was distributed to level 5 UG pharmacy students after releasing results and Ew-feedback (using Turnitin’s rubric) for an E-submitted summatively assessed written coursework. 31 students (28%) completed the anonymous questionnaire and also reported their coursework grade. The results (analysed with a five-level Likert scale, with 5=strongly agree/like) suggest that students prefer receiving Ew to written, oral or video feedback. No significant correlation was observed between achievement and views on ‘types’, and perception of the ‘general purposes’ of feedback. However, appreciation of the individual Ew-feedback received changed significantly in relation to achievement. Students awarded higher marks (≥70-100%) agreed that the Ew-feedback helped ‘identifying weaknesses and strengths’ (average score (AS): 4.57) and ‘understand assessment criteria and marks received’ (AS: 4.14, 4.00). Students awarded lower marks (≤59%), ranked these aspects lower (AS: 3.30, 3.20, 2.9) and stated that feedback did not boost confidence.
Discussion. This study indicates that level 5 pharmacy students like Ew-feedback and it is perceived as ‘supportive tool’ by those achieving higher grades. Students’ additional comments suggest that a ‘tutor-to-student one-way flow of information’ and limited computer skills may have prevented appreciation of the Ew-feedback3. The use of tutorials/interactive workshops to provide a more interpersonal dimension to feedback and facilitate reflection on/understanding of feedback should be considered4,5.
Conclusion. Ew-feedback alone is insufficient to promote student’s experience and learning. Developing tools that promote students’ engagement with their feedback should be a priority as this will benefit students that require additional support and encouragement with their learning4,5.
References 1.McCarthy J (2015). Issues in Educational Research 25:153-169. 2.Stone A (2014). The Clinician Teacher 4:284-289. 3.Link TM and Marz R (2006). BMC Medical Education 6:34. 4.Mubuuke AG (2016). BMC Med Educ.16:6. 5.Higher Education Academy (2016). https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/resources/the_developing_engagement_with_feedback_toolkit_deft.pdf