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Abstract Background Medical students benefit from direct observation of clinical performance and timely feedback from multiple sources. While self and peer feedback have been the focus of numerous research studies, how they influence feedback engagement and receptivity in medical students of varying achievement levels in the clinical skills laboratory setting remains relatively unexplored. Methods We conducted an exploratory qualitative study to investigate students’ engagement and receptivity to self and peer feedback across academic performance levels at a medical teaching institution. Data from five focus groups with third-year medical students(n = 25) were thematically analysed. Results The ways in which low and high performing students engaged with self-assessment and peer feedback were divided into three categories: affective (or interpersonal), orientational, and transformational. Lower achievers believed they lacked the necessary skills to effectively engage in self and peer feedback interventions, but they agreed with higher achievers who recognized that peer feedback combined with prior knowledge of learning objectives allowed them to take ownership of monitoring their own development over time. Learners' emotional maturity in response to feedback ratings and feedback from activities testing clinical cognition had an impact on self-regulated learning. Conclusions Creating a trusting environment is critical for improving the acceptability of peer feedback. It is also critical to provide multiple opportunities for self-assessment in order to improve one's judgment. Giving learners the ability to actively seek and engage with feedback encourages participation in the feedback cycle, focusing on self-regulation rather than reliance on feedback providers. Feedback and action plan development can be improved by teaching students how to understand criticism, manage emotions constructively, and practice developing evaluative judgment and self-regulation skills. Based on the study findings an integrated three stage training model is recommended for effective self- and peer feedback practice for undergraduate medical education.

Background: Medical students benefit from direct observation of clinical performance and timely feedback from multiple sources. While self and peer feedback have been the focus of numerous research studies, how they influence feedback engagement and receptivity in medical students of varying achievement levels in the clinical skills laboratory setting remains relatively unexplored. Methods: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study to investigate students' engagement and receptivity to self and peer feedback across academic performance levels at a medical teaching institution. Data from five focus groups with third-year medical students(n = 25) were thematically analysed. Results: The ways in which low and high performing students engaged with self-assessment and peer feedback were divided into three categories: affective (or interpersonal), orientational, and transformational. Lower achievers believed they lacked the necessary skills to effectively engage in self and peer feedback interventions, but they agreed with higher achievers who recognized that peer feedback combined with prior knowledge of learning objectives allowed them to take ownership of monitoring their own development over time. Learners' emotional maturity in response to feedback ratings and feedback from activities testing clinical cognition had an impact on self-regulated learning. Conclusions: Creating a trusting environment is critical for improving the acceptability of peer feedback. It is also critical to provide multiple opportunities for self-assessment in order to improve one's judgment. Giving learners the ability to actively seek and engage with feedback encourages participation in the feedback cycle, focusing on self-regulation rather than reliance on feedback providers. Feedback and action plan development can be improved by teaching students how to understand criticism, manage emotions constructively, and practice developing evaluative judgment and self-regulation skills. Based on the study findings an integrated three stage training model is recommended for effective self- and peer feedback practice for undergraduate medical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The advantages of using simulators in skills training are generally recognized, but simulators are often too expensive for medical schools in developing countries. Cheaper locally-made models (or part-task trainers) could be the answer, especially when teachers are involved in design and production (teacher-made models, TM). Methods: We evaluated the effectiveness of a TM in training and assessing intravenous injection skills in comparison to an available commercial model (CM) in a randomized, blind, pretest-posttest study with 144 undergraduate nursing students. All students were assessed on both the TM and the CM in the pre-test and post-test. After the post-test the students were also assessed while performing the skill on real patients. Results: Differences in the mean scores pre- and post-test were marked in all groups. Training with TM or CM improved student scores substantially but there was no significant difference in mean scores whether students had practiced on TM or CM. Students who practiced on TM performed better on communication with the patient than did students who practiced on CM. Decreasing the ratio of students per TM model helped to increase practice opportunities but did not improve student's mean scores. The result of the assessment on both the TM and the CM had a low correlation with the results of the assessment on real persons. Conclusions: The TM appears to be an effective alternative to CM for training students on basic IV skills, as students showed similar increases in performance scores after training on models that cost considerably less than commercially available models. These models could be produced using locally available materials in most countries, including those with limited resources to invest in medical education and skills laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The advantages of using simulators in skills training are generally recognized, but simulators are often too expensive for medical schools in developing countries. Cheaper locally-made models (or part-task trainers) could be the answer, especially when teachers are involved in design and production (teacher-made models, TM). Methods We evaluated the effectiveness of a TM in training and assessing intravenous injection skills in comparison to an available commercial model (CM) in a randomized, blind, pretest-posttest study with 144 undergraduate nursing students. All students were assessed on both the TM and the CM in the pre-test and post-test. After the post-test the students were also assessed while performing the skill on real patients. Results Differences in the mean scores pre- and post-test were marked in all groups. Training with TM or CM improved student scores substantially but there was no significant difference in mean scores whether students had practiced on TM or CM. Students who practiced on TM performed better on communication with the patient than did students who practiced on CM. Decreasing the ratio of students per TM model helped to increase practice opportunities but did not improve student’s mean scores. The result of the assessment on both the TM and the CM had a low correlation with the results of the assessment on real persons. Conclusions The TM appears to be an effective alternative to CM for training students on basic IV skills, as students showed similar increases in performance scores after training on models that cost considerably less than commercially available models. These models could be produced using locally available materials in most countries, including those with limited resources to invest in medical education and skills laboratories.