Encouraging reflective practice: from undergraduate to oral surgeon

Introduction: Feedback is a fundamental part of the learning process and can help to promote and embed a culture of reflective practice and life-long learning. The purpose of feedback is to help the learner to assess their acquisition of appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes and to encourage them to reflect on their performance. It is important that good practice in this respect begins during undergraduate education.

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to describe the feedback approach taken by the department of Oral Surgery, QUB, to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the approach and to consider the potential this has to influence approaches to teaching and learning in Oral Surgery.

Methods: Traditionally in QUB, formal feedback following assessments in oral surgery had been given to high and low performing students only. Instead, feedback was to be provided to all students by means of individual verbal feedback following formative SCOT (Structured Clinical Operative Tests) and logbook assessment. In addition to this, following the publication of assessment results a general feedback lecture was given by a senior member of academic staff. Students also have an interview with academic staff where they are provided with a proforma which informs them of their grades, class average and standard deviation. At this meeting the students are asked to comment on the feedback given.

Results: The undergraduates have responded positively to the changes in the delivery of feedback and most notably, to the individual meetings with staff.

Conclusion: This process has helped students to develop a more reflective approach to learning and potentially, to future practice. However, it is time consuming.