Exploring the concepts of consumer feedback systems for occupational therapy student learning during practice placements: A scoping review.
Thomas Bevitt, Robert B Pereira, Rachel Bacon and 1 others
PMID 39039970WHAT IT FOUND
Consumers engage and give critical feedback when they are called 'co-educators' rather than 'assessors'.
Face-to-face discussion with a trusted mentor turns feedback into learning goals, whereas Likert scales produce vague, overly positive ratings that students cannot act on.
Key findings
01Consumers provide more critical and authentic feedback when labelled 'co-educators' rather than 'assessors', as the assessment label creates pressure to protect the student's progress.
02Standardised tools like Likert scales result in high ratings and generalised feedback that students struggle to use for learning, while face-to-face or open-ended questions allow for specific, actionable critique.
03Processing feedback with a trusted mentor is critical for learning, as it helps students interpret critique, manage emotional responses, and develop future-focused goals.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only one of the 46 included studies was from an occupational therapy perspective; most findings are derived from nursing and medicine. The review did not assess the research quality of the included papers, so low-quality evidence may have influenced the themes. The search was limited to English or formally translated papers. There is a lack of research on feedback systems for consumers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those with intellectual disabilities, or students with diverse learning needs.
Declared interests
The authors declare that Professor Stephen Isbel is a member of the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal Editorial Board and was blinded to the review process. He is also the primary supervisor for the first author's PhD. No specific funding grants were received, though the University of Canberra provided in-kind support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that consumer feedback systems are proven to improve student clinical competence in occupational therapy. This is a scoping review of concepts, mostly from other professions, and it does not evaluate the effectiveness of these systems on student learning outcomes or patient care.