Introduction:
Medical students are requested to complete several program evaluations throughout their curriculum journey. It is therefore unsurprising that evaluation becomes a fatigued exercise for them, and can leave educators with hollow or unconstructive feedback resulting in minimal positive pedagogical change. This paper documents structural changes in the questions posed, data management and reporting to students.
Methods:
Students provided group-based feedback for 10 blocks throughout the second year of their undergraduate medical program. Feedback was sought at the end of each subject block, (a period of 3-4 weeks) and covered a variety of teaching formats. Students were specifically asked to nominate key learning experiences for future cohorts, suggest improvements and state perceived skills acquired. Responses were thematically analysed within a framework of content, delivery and assessment.
Results:
Feedback revealed how students made linkages between subject blocks, scientific disciplines and psychosocial elements of the curriculum. These perceived reported linkages increased in frequency during the year, alongside commentaries on group-work processes. Students appreciated multimedia delivery and stated how they integrated newly acquired communication skills with different subjects. Observations of global, indigenous and public health featured prominently.
Conclusions:
A group-based, interval contingent subject block evaluation strategy - alongside timely meetings student cohorts to review their comments, - enables a clearer perspective of learning as a continuous endeavour, rather than singular views on subject difficulty and tutor performance.
Take-home message:
Curriculum improvement depends well-constructed feedback. This is maximised by continually reviewing evaluation practice, to ultimately give meaningful responses to students.