Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 10 | Page 42

JADE | 42 ARTICLE #3 Title An evaluation of the use of peer review as a formative feedback process in reflective writing within physiotherapy education Authors Carole Watkins & Valerie Ball DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.21252/ KEELE-0000031 Contact [email protected] Keywords Peer review; reflective writing; formative feedback Abstract Reflection is integral to developing Health and Social Care students to become autonomous practitioners. Formative assessment and peer review can increase student engagement and improve attitude to learning. Module assessment indicated that first year physiotherapy students were poor at reflective writing. Evidence of the efficacy of peer review as a formative feedback process for reflective writing is lacking. Two cohorts of first year physiotherapy students evaluated the formative feedback process by anonymous questionnaires using Likert scales and free text. In Phase 1; students were introduced to the concepts of formative and peer assessment, and then critiqued each other's work. Phase 2: as Phase 1 plus previous summative submissions for students to critique using the assessment marking criteria and identification of action points to develop their own reflections. Evaluations were compared. After Phase 1 students felt more confident in developing their own reflections, but tutors noted that most students lacked sufficient knowledge of critical reflection to give constructive feedback. Phase 2 evaluation showed that adding exemplars and a formalised action plan, the student’s ability to identify good reflective writing improved. This evaluation suggests that peer review can be effective in providing formative feedback in reflective writing, but strategies need to be in place to ensure that the learning process is successful. Context and objectives In Health and Social Care programmes reflection has been recognised for decades as being integral to the development of the student in becoming an autonomous practitioner (Cross, 1993, Heath, 1998) and the development of the post registration professional (HCPC 2012). In the professional practice component of the Keele University BSc (Hons) physiotherapy programme the Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle was used as a basis for students to begin this journey, with a reflection on a communication experience being the assessment for the module. Formative feedback can be described as a form of writing support, providing critical feedback to enable students to enhance future written work (Wingate 2010). Formative assessment aims to “guide and accelerate students’ learning by providing them with information about the gap between their current and the desired” assessment performance (Wingate 2010). This process enables them to act to reduce this gap, improving their performance and facilitating self-regulated learning and development (Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick ARTICLE #3 | 43 AN EVALUATION OF THE USE OF PEER REVIEW AS A FORMATIVE FEEDBACK PROCESS IN REFLECTIVE WRITING WITHIN PHYSIOTHERAPY EDUCATION 2006). Formative feedback on assessments may be provided by tutors, the writer themselves or via peer review. Peer review has been demonstrated to increase student engagement (Willey & Gardner, 2010), increase students’ recognition of the benefits of learning from each other (Patton 2012) and improve their attitude to continuing professional development (Welsh, 2012). There is also some evidence of improved performance in summative assessment following formative peer review (Eldridge et al, 2013). However there are limitations in using peer assessment with novice students as they require significant tutor involvement (Rourke, 2012) Formative feedback processes are embedded within all assessments on the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme. As reflective practice is an integral part of autonomous practice within physiotherapy, and that peer review enables students to learn from their peers via the process of applying assessment criteria to each other's work and placing their own work in more context (Race 2005b) the decision was made to utilise formative peer review feedback for the Year 1 professional practice reflective assignment. Based on the need to ensure effective development of student learning in relation to reflective practice, this evaluation aimed to explore the efficacy of peer review as a formative feedback process for reflective writing. This paper will describe, evaluate and discuss the ongoing development of peer review as a formative feedback process within the year 1 professional practice module as part of the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme at Keele University. Method Two cohorts of first year physiotherapy students took part in the evaluation. In Phase 1 students were introduced to formative and peer assessment, the peer review session took the form of a 1 hour seminar with groups of 22 students working in pairs. Students were reminded of information given in previous lectures on what constitutes reflective writing and constructive criticism. They were introduced to the concepts of formative and peer assessment. Students then worked in pairs to critique each other's work. Students evaluated the formative feedback process by anonymous questionnaires using Likert scales and free text. Based on evaluation of Phase 1, for Phase 2 the peer review session was increased to a 1.5 hour workshop with smaller groups of 12 students. In addition to the activities in Phase 1 students were given copies of previous (anonymised) summative submissions for the module; one had achieved a high mark and the other a fail mark. Students worked in pairs to critique these reflective pieces and