1. Providing Feedback and Evaluating Students
Instructor Development Course : Session # 4

2. Objectives
Understand the importance of providing feedback in the learning process, and define the various types of feedback
Describe a proven method of systematically evaluating the learner’s performance in the classroom setting
Provide an overview of ways to give feedback to the learner
Note the importance of having student evaluations of courses.

3. Module Outline 1. Importance of Feedback
2. Evaluating the Students Performance
3. Providing Feedback
4. Student Evaluations of Courses, Clinical Rotations, and Faculty

4. I. Importance of Feedback

5. What is Feedback ?
Information you provide to students about their performance that is intended to guide and improve their future performance.
Formative: Informational
Summative: Evaluation

6. Feedback Positive feedback should be given more than negative
Intensive feedback to students improves their learning and ultimately their performance
Effective feedback requires mutual understanding of goals and objectives

7. Feedback
Inadequate feedback can be detrimental to a student’s performance

8. Need for Feedback Assessment informs, and is informed by, teaching.
Student’s performance depends on it.
It is the basis for optimal educational learning.

9. Feedback Barriers Lack of direct observation
Lack of clearly stated standards
No consistent vocabulary
Concern about emotional reaction
Lack of role models in one’s own training

10. Feedback Facilitators
Goals should be mutually understood and accepted
Orient the student to your style
Understand the students’ prior experiences with feedback
Maintain a positive learning environment
Arrange the proper setting for feedback

11. II. Evaluating the Student’s Performance

12. Communication Feedback
Focus on the performance, not the performer
Should be routine and immediate
Think aloud 50

13. Communication Feedback
Use “I” statements.
Let the student tell you how they think they did first.
No premature feedback: Let them finish their story.
Important Principle : “Praise in Public, Perfect in Private”
Make the feedback personal “I think that was a good intubation”
Don’t get lost in the third person “We have been observing that your behavior is”
Ask the student how they think they did. 51

14. Constructive Feedback and “I” Messages
Face-to-face conversation with a student about something that he / she has not done well.
Instructor must obtain the facts before providing direction to resolve the problem.
“I” Messages
“I” messages are the preferred way to provide constructive feedback.
They are usually more effective than “you” messages because they are non-judgmental.
They report how less than desirable behavior is making the faculty feel and how the behavior is having an impact on the setting or the patient.

15. Constructive Feedback Characteristics I
Description
Give immediate feedback
Delay tends to reduce effectiveness
Show concern for helping others
The concern for the other makes feedback more acceptable to the receiver
Be descriptive rather than evaluative
Facts are more acceptable than judgments

16. Constructive Feedback Characteristics II
Description
Describe the effects
Useful feedback states how the person’s behavior affects you and the patient
Be specific rather than general
Use concrete events not assumptions about the receiver
Give feedback when the receiver is ready to accept it
Ensure that the feedback is aligned with situation and the nature of relationship between sender and receiver

17. Constructive Feedback Characteristics III
Description
Focus on behavior
Describe clear, outward actions rather than try to attribute inner motives of the receiver
Give feedback only on matters the receiver is able to do something about
Feedback on something outside of the receiver’s control leads to resentment and feelings of helplessness

18. Learner Perceptions
Most students find they are treated better when they appear competent, even when they are not.
Disclosing their needs means punishment.
Hiding their needs means rewards.
how you provide feedback will determine whether your learners will reveal their needs to you. 33 42 53 48

19. Getting ready to teach : A Checklist
1. Clarify behavioral expectations
2. Set goals
3. Where and when will teaching occur ?
4. Explicitly assess each student
5. Feedback : decide where / when / who / how
7. Evaluation: Learner and Teacher

20. More on Feedback
When, how, and by whom should feedback occur in your teaching setting ?

21. III. Providing Feedback

22. How should one give feedback?
Be specific
Be positive when deserved
Do not demean when being critical
Be understanding about things that can’t be changed
Be well-timed and proactive 32 41 52 47

23. Three-Step Formula for a Feedback Session
1. Ask the learner for self-evaluation
2. Provide your feedback
3. Outline a plan of action

24. Formula for Feedback I Ask the learner for self-evaluation
“What are your areas of strength ?”
“What are your areas of challenge ?”
Prompting may be necessary :
Data gathering (writing and reading)
Professionalism
External distracters
Shortcomings (speech impediment, shy)

25. Formula for Feedback II
Provide your feedback
In context of student comments
Descriptive, not evaluative (behaviors)
Specific (behaviors)
Focus on issues the student can control
Limited in amount
Address student goals

26. Formula for Feedback III
Outline a plan of action
Focus on behaviors
Specific
Limited
Achievable
Measurable

27. Principles of Feedback
Identify learning objectives
Make a feedback friendly environment
Prioritize the feedback you give
Respond to student’s self-assessment
Objective data - specific behaviors
Validate the student - positive feedback
Establish a plan

28. Student Evaluation
The following discussion will be of the student evaluation tool that was developed in June 2009 by the AFAMS Faculty.
< Separate Discussion >

29. IV. Student Evaluation of Courses and Instructor

30. Goals of Student Evaluations
Provide the students input into their own education
Determine if the students are receiving the training they want and need
Improve the course, rotation, or faculty
Allow recognition of instructors who are providing exemplary training

31. Timing of Student Evaluations
Turning in the evaluation form is required :
On the last day of the course or rotation
After the course or rotation but before the grade is issued
At the end of the class year

32. Options to Consider for Evaluations by Students
Using the same forms as the residents use
Having a mid-course evaluation and/or having an evaluation at the end of the course
Having an “exit interview”
This might require a separate evaluation form
This could be with any of the instructor the course director
This could be instead with another instructor in the department who then provides an anonymous feedback report

33. Learner Evaluations
Structural Components of Courses Which Students Should Evaluate
Faculty teaching
Faculty clinical care
Supervising residents’ teaching and clinical care
Didactics and other teaching materials
Clinical caseload and case distribution
Goals / expectations

34. Evaluations of Faculty by Students I
Having a separate form for each student
The student should specify how much time or how many cases he had with each faculty rated
Having a single form for all the instructors with a number rating rank for each faculty
Having an exit interview with the course director
There should be focus on the best and worse teachers
There should be an evaluation option if there is a conflict between the student and the director

35. Evaluations of Faculty by Students II
Having an exit interview with a person not in the same department who then prepares an anonymous evaluation report sent back to the director
Separating the timing of grading the student and turning in the evaluation

36. Student Evaluations of Faculty: Main Categories
Teaching ability
Teaching effectiveness
Interest and enthusiasm for teaching
Clinical ability
Professional behavior
Interactions with other students
Interactions with other healthcare personnel
Role modeling

37. Use of the Student Evaluations
The most intense and complete review should be by the course director
There should be independent review by the department director
Evaluations should be combined into a summary annual report for all the faculty
There should also be higher level review of evaluation summaries to make comparisons between different departments and study the overall education performance and mission of the institution

38. Analysis of the Student Evaluations of Instructors
These need to be co-reviewed by the course director and the department director
The student evaluations should be correlated with evaluations of the same instructor
The ratings could be used as part of the academic promotion or salary increase for faculty
The ratings could be used to issue a faculty teaching certificate or award or prize

39. Faculty Development Course : Session #4
END MODULE
Faculty Development Course : Session #4