Student Resiliency & Instructor Feedback:

Increasing the Likelihood of Success

Sharon Younkin, Ph.D.September 12, 2014

Annual Experienced PBL Tutor Conference

Having the capacity to respond to stressors and setbacks in a healthy way, such that goals are achieved at minimal psychological and physical cost.

Resilience:

Self-efficacy Internal locus of control Problem solving skills Openness to learning from mistakes Commitment/Persistence Flexibility Reflection skills Emotional self-regulation Availability of social support Willingness to seek assistance

Components of Resilience

What qualities and/or characteristics do you notice in resilient students?

Group Discussion

Having a sense of personal control◦ “My behavior can influence this situation.”

Flexibility◦ “I can change my……study habits, time management strategies,

etc………to increase my effectiveness.”

Having the ability to de-construct adverse experiences and focus on lessons learned◦ “I can use this information to improve my performance.”

Persistence◦ “Setbacks are inevitable but surmountable-I didn’t do well on this exam

but I will figure out how to do better on the next exam.”

Having the ability to identify emotional reactions and modulate them ◦ “Critical feedback makes me uncomfortable, but I can manage those

feelings and use them as motivation.”

The Resilient Student

Utilizes reflection skills ◦ “What can I learn from this setback that will increase the likelihood

of future success?”

Possesses self-awareness—does not confuse self with behavior◦ “Failing at this task does not mean I am a failure—I have the

capacity to succeed.”

Seeks help when needed◦ “I can pass this class but I’ll need some assistance.”

Maintains a sense of optimism and hope◦ “Working hard is worth the effort, I can do this.”

The Resilient Student:

Establish a feedback culture Help students set clear, specific goals

◦ Challenging but within reach Give students choice and control over some

aspects of their learning Use peer modeling

◦ Observing peers succeed can help motivate students

Helping PBL Students Develop Resilience

Provide frequent, straightforward, explicit feedback◦ Use a coaching model, incremental steps toward

mastery Verify understanding and the development

of an action plan Facilitate accurate self-evaluation

◦ Ensure that students are able to accurately judge their performance and adapt accordingly

Helping PBL Students Develop Resilience, Continued

What have been your experiences with resilient and non-resilient students?

What behaviors have you discovered that have helped develop resilience in your students?

Group Discussion

Feedback

◦Formative v. Summative◦Directive v. Facilitative◦Bi-directional v. Uni-directional◦Challenge v. Support◦Immediate v. Delayed ◦Delivered v Received◦Verifying v. Elaborative

Feedback: The Reader’s Digest Review

Feedback success stories◦ Share examples of your feedback conversations

that have resulted in improved student performance.

Large Group Discussion

Challenging experiences assist in the development of resilience

Recurrent experiences of overcoming difficulties and achieving goals increases resilience and self-efficacy

Feedback and coaching convey that improvement is possible

Positive feedback about quality work and effort provides information about strategies that are working

The Relationship between Feedback and Resilience

Reflection◦ Self-evaluation + external evaluation

Goal-setting ◦ Specific learning goals + instructor identified aspirational goals

Locus of control◦ Identifying what behaviors need to change in order to improve

performance Motivation

◦ Willingness to utilize feedback and persist through challenges Self-esteem

◦ Confidence in ability to utilize feedback Emotional self regulation

◦ Receive feedback in a neutral fashion

The Relationship between Feedback and Resilience, continued

Creating a culture of feedback On the fly, verbal input

◦real-time feedback in class Frequent written feedback on written work Summative—PBL Evaluation forms

Feedback in Problem Based Learning

How can we improve feedback content and feedback delivery strategies in PBL?

Large Group Discussion

Questions?

Thank you!

Archer, J. State of the science in health professional education: effective feedback. Med Educ (2010) 44:101-108.

Artino, A. Academic self-efficacy: from educational theory to instructional practice. Perspect Med Educ (2012) 1:76-85.

Bandura, A. Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev. (1977); 84: 191-215.

Dyrbye, L. et. al. Factors associated with resilience to and recovery from burnout: a prospective, multi-institutional study of US medical students. Medical Education (2010): 44: 1016-1026.

Howe, A., Smajdor, A., Stockl, A. Towards an understanding of resilience and its relevance to medical training. Medical Education, (2012): 46: 349-356.

References

Kluger, A, DeNisi, A. The effects of feedback interventions on performance: a historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psycho Bull (1996); 119 (2): 254-84.

Watling, C., et. al. Learning culture and feedback: an international study of medical athletes and musicians. Medical Education (2014); 48:713-723.

Wood, D. Understanding medical education: evidence, theory and practice, second edition. Edited by Tim Swanwick. (2014). The association for the study of medical educaiton. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. Pp 317-328.

References,Cont.