ePoster
100% Page: /
Presentation Description
Jinelle Ramlackhansingh1
1 Memorial University
1 Memorial University
Background:
The students do reflection assignments as part of their formal curriculum assessment. Students are required to reflect on their learning experiences in the community critically.
Summary:
This work is part of a more extensive critical ethnography examining the professional identity development of pre-clinical medical students. There were 31 volunteers in the first year, with attrition to 25 in the second year. Focus groups were held with students every six weeks. Participant observation of classes and governance meetings was done. Faculty and administrative staff interviews were completed. The theories of Bourdieu and Foucault were used in the analysis.
This work is part of a more extensive critical ethnography examining the professional identity development of pre-clinical medical students. There were 31 volunteers in the first year, with attrition to 25 in the second year. Focus groups were held with students every six weeks. Participant observation of classes and governance meetings was done. Faculty and administrative staff interviews were completed. The theories of Bourdieu and Foucault were used in the analysis.
Results:
The students spoke about unhelpful feedback received. The students did not find the feedback helpful. The students thought they would receive "correct" answers to their reflections. The students complained their feedback did not tell them what they should have written.
The students spoke about unhelpful feedback received. The students did not find the feedback helpful. The students thought they would receive "correct" answers to their reflections. The students complained their feedback did not tell them what they should have written.
Discussion:
Students rely on receiving feedback about reflection assignments to facilitate learning and correct mistakes. The students expected their reflections would be assessed as “right or wrong” answers to determine whether they passed the assignment. Reflection is a personal subjective experience with no wrong or correct answer. The dominant culture of medicine tends to reward busyness and productivity and not take time to pause and reflect. It would be seen as heterodoxic to use the time for reflecting on action and giving feedback, thus making change difficult.
Students rely on receiving feedback about reflection assignments to facilitate learning and correct mistakes. The students expected their reflections would be assessed as “right or wrong” answers to determine whether they passed the assignment. Reflection is a personal subjective experience with no wrong or correct answer. The dominant culture of medicine tends to reward busyness and productivity and not take time to pause and reflect. It would be seen as heterodoxic to use the time for reflecting on action and giving feedback, thus making change difficult.
Conclusions:
The lack of actionable feedback was a lost opportunity for students to reflect and learn from their experiences. It has been suggested that reflection should not become a competency to be assessed; instead, it should be taught and understood as a way of seeing and being.
The lack of actionable feedback was a lost opportunity for students to reflect and learn from their experiences. It has been suggested that reflection should not become a competency to be assessed; instead, it should be taught and understood as a way of seeing and being.
Take-home: Guidance for students on the importance of self-reflection in learning is needed. Robust faculty development in providing effective feedback is required.
References (maximum three)
Lovy, A., Paskhover, B., & Trachtman, H. (2010). Teaching bioethics: The tale of a “soft” science in a hard world. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 22(4), 319–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2010.513196
Ng, S. L., Kinsella, E. A., Friesen, F., & Hodges, B. (2015). Reclaiming a theoretical orientation to reflection in medical education research: A critical narrative review. Medical Education, 49(5), 461–475. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12680
Westberg, J., & Jason, H. (2001). Fostering reflection and providing feedback helping others learn from experience. Springer Pub.