Analysis of Instructor Comments on Student Performance on Selected Assessment Activities in a Patient/Client Management Course

Abstract

Purpose

Studies have shown that specific instructor feedback on student performance enhances student learning. Supervised practice opportunities such as pro-bono clinics during didactic portions of the curriculum allow faculty supervisors to provide specific comments on skill, decision-making, communication, efficiency, safety of practice and clinical reasoning. Use of learning management systems (LMS) can facilitate the feedback process by providing a simple and easily accessible repository of information for both faculty supervisors and students. The purpose of the study was to organize and analyze faculty comments on selected assessment activities to generate trends that can inform student performance and suggest course changes to improve course learning outcomes.

Method

Pairs of students provided pro-bono physical therapy sessions for six weeks as part of a patient/client management class in neurological physical therapy. Faculty supervisors contemporaneously provided comments on student performance using a predetermined grading rubric for each pro-bono session. The comments were coded and analyzed to generate trends related to student performance and to inform the faculty on the frequency and nature of the comments provided.

Results

Eighteen (18) pairs of students performed 108 physical therapy sessions on 18 volunteer participants over a six-week period. There were 830 comments from the six faculty supervisors, averaging 38 comments per supervisor and eight comments per student pair per session. There was an equal number of comments on areas of strength as there were on areas of improvement. Very few comments were made that encouraged the student to reflect on their performance. Comments related to improvement on safety significantly decreased as the sessions progressed. In terms of clinical reasoning strategy, majority of comments were about procedural reasoning.

Discussion/Conclusion

Review of faculty supervisor comments appear to add value to the overall course assessment and student learning. There is a need to provide more comments that guide the students to self-assess their performance. Continued close monitoring and feedback by the faculty supervisors may have resulted in better student performance as reflected in the decline of the number of comments related to areas needing improvement as the sessions progressed. Having the faculty provide more written comments will further deepen the value of the feedback provided to the students.