The Problem With Feedback | Dr. Kevin Eva | Sibley Lecture | MERIT Rounds
The Problem With Feedback: Why after a Century of Research We Still Can't Get It Right - April 25th, 2023
Often cited as the most influential factor in learning, feedback is so central to education that training in how to deliver it well is usually the foundation on which faculty development programs are built. Our understanding of how to offer such advice has evolved over decades of study with increasing emphasis placed on the feedback receiver’s role and the value of relationship-centered dialogue rather than simple data provision. For all that, we continue to overlook both the risks inherent in feedback conversations and the role that our educational systems play in making feedback threatening. In this talk I will explore various complexities surrounding the evidence and application of feedback provision, comment on feedback's insufficiency, and outline strategies for thinking better about performance improvement goals across the continuum of training.
Dr. Kevin Eva is Associate Director and Senior Scientist in the Centre for Health Education Scholarship, and Professor and Director of Educational Research and Scholarship in the Department of Medicine, at the University of British Columbia. He completed his PhD in Cognitive Psychology (McMaster University) in 2001 and became Editor-in-Chief for the journal Medical Education in 2008.
Dr. Eva maintains a number of international appointments including Honorary Skou Professor at Aarhus University (Denmark), Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne (Australia), and visiting professor at the University of Bern (Switzerland).
The core theme of his diverse research interests is the question of how can we improve decision-making in the context of health professional training and practice? Awards for this work include the Karolinksa Institute Prize for Research in Medical Education (Sweden), an Honorary Fellowship from the Academy of Medical Educators (UK), MILES Award for Mentoring, Innovation, and Leadership in Education Scholarship (Singapore), and the President’s Award for Exemplary National Leadership from the Association of Faculties of Medicine in Canada.
About McMaster Education, Research, Innovation and Theory (MERIT):
MERIT produces evidence to develop health professional expertise by advancing (1) Research on education in clinical, classroom, digital, and simulated learning environments (2) Innovative designs and policies for teaching, learning and assessment and (3) Theories of social, professional, and cognitive skill development for high-quality healthcare.
The Rounds profile emerging topics of interest and controversy in health professions education. Using a facilitated, interactive format, local and international presenters share ideas for discussion and debate.
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Edited by:
Sneesha Anandkumar