TDG – An Assessment, Reflection and Learning Diary for Experiential Clinical Learning – Evaluation and Moderation

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical skills training is a complex and challenging process for both students and staff, evaluation of these activities is important for teaching and learning and quality assurance. A structured clinical diary was created for monitoring students clinical performance.

Objectives: To evaluate student and staff feedback on a clinical session diary that allowed evaluation of: students’ clinical performances, self-reflection and goal setting of these and breadth and depth of clinical experiences,

Methods: Questionnaire and focus group interviews gathered data. Descriptive statistical analysis and thematic content analysis were conducted. IRB No UW 12-275.

Results: Staff (79%) and students (61%) felt grading was important and over two thirds of staff and students felt written feedback was important. However, staff felt these were time consuming and may not be read or valued. Ironically students wanted more written and verbal feedback. While 56% of staff felt the use of generic grade descriptors for evaluating clinical performance were useful, 74% of staff 68% of students felt that individual specific skills descriptors would be useful. Ninety-seven percent of tutors and 50% of students felt written self-reflection in the clinical diary should be performed for an unsatisfactory clinical performance. However 54% felt self-reflection was important to aid learning but less so in written format (31%). Students expressed a preference for private reflection. Around two thirds of tutors and 43% students found goal setting useful to enhance learning but less so in written format. Seventy-six percent of tutors considered the CAL useful to document students’ clinical achievements.

Conclusions: Staff training is required for improving qualitative feedback. A private reflection and goal setting dairy should be created for students to allow development of personal development plans which should be monitored to ensure active engagement.

Deliverables