References
Are current feedback methods optimal for student understanding and learning?
Abstract
Student feedback provided to paramedic students is often a contentious issue, with tutors and student paramedics not always agreeing upon the best techniques to employ. It is identified that feedback provided to students should be a learning tool, therefore it should be meaningful. It is also identified that meaning can be lost in the written form, and that face-to-face verbal and visual feedback is the best methods of giving feedback. A research project was undertaken take to elicit the views and opinions on feedback methods, from a group of student paramedics who were new to higher education. the research was undertaken with a view to changing current practice, and improve the experience of student paramedics. Most of the student paramedics opted for tutorial feedback, although one student requested feedback via email. All students were provided with their choice of feedback method and the standard feedback method usually employed. It became obvious during the tutorial time allocated, that time management was going to be largest issue, as the tutorials took a considerable amount of time. The students were then asked how useful each method was to them. Most students stated that the tutorial feedback was where they learnt the most and therefore was the most beneficial. A number of issues were raised during the research, for example: how best to use tutorial time, and how much time should be allocated per student.
Biggs and Tang (2007) suggest that feedback is important for students to learn and apply, to therefore progress. Many authors recommend that feedback should be of a suitable quality in order that the student is able to learn from it (Willingham, 2000; Nicol and MacFarlane 2006Biggs and Tang, 2007). Without the ability to learn from feedback, students are doomed to repeat the same or similar errors without comprehension.
A controversial text authored by Allen and Ainley (2007) however, suggests that students receive too much support, and therefore do not learn to develop themselves but are developed by others. However, Allen and Ainley (2007) could be alluding to the use of coaching as against instruction, whereby the student is encouraged to discover their own solutions (facilitated by the tutor) rather than being directly told where they have gone wrong.
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