Improving the quality of assessment-feedback in postgraduate education; Co- creation of a digital training resource

School:  Edinburgh Medical School (Deanery of Clinical Sciences)

Team Members:  Valentina Ferlito, Chris McKenzie, Susan Morrow, Veronica Davey, Lindsay Rutherford, Vanessa Mather, Kacper Lyszkiewicz

Abstract

Feedback is a fundamental component of student learning and development. However, students do not always perceive feedback as useful, describing it as low quality, lacking in detail and inconsistent. This is often in contrast with educators' opinions. Student feedback from CMVM postgraduate programmes mirrors this scenario, with students voicing dissatisfaction with assessment feedback received across different programmes. UoE postgraduate and undergraduate medical programmes rely heavily on external experts to fulfil lecturer, clinical tutor and marker roles. External markers do not always have adequate pedagogical training or assessment literacy. This can result in sub-optimal feedback to students. Moreover, the feedback often fails to link to specific assessment criteria, failing to guide and support the development of relevant academic skills.

Although the educational literature offers reliable academic guidance on assessment feedback, guidelines often lack in conciseness and topic-specific examples, which are key for busy external markers. To address the need for concise and targeted training to improve the quality of assessment feedback and therefore support students to thrive and fulfil their potential, three PG programme teams within the Deanery of Clinical Sciences will collaborate with the Medical School Digital Education Unit, and two postgraduate student advisors, to develop an interactive digital training resource (DTR). The effectiveness of the DTR will be assessed at both student and staff level, through surveys and semi-structured interviews. Minor adaptation to the DTR, together with adequate CC licencing, will grant wider distribution and application for the DTR across programmes within the UoE and externally.