The Perceived Effectiveness of Various Forms of Feedback on the Acquisition of Technical Skills by Advanced Learners in Simulation-Based Health Professions Education

Simulation-based health professions education (SBHPE) is a valuable approach for healthcare professionals to develop and refine technical skills in a safe environment. Feedback plays a crucial role in the acquisition of these skills, but little research has explored the effectiveness of augmented (knowledge of results (KR) and knowledge of performance (KP) versus intrinsic feedback types for advanced learners. Therefore, this study aimed to determine what type of feedback is perceived to be most effective by advanced learners when acquiring complex technical skills in SBHPE. The study followed the test and evaluated phases of the design-based research (DBR) framework. A total of 23 advanced care paramedics (ACPs) participated in the study and received feedback in the form of KR, KP, and intrinsic feedback while using the intraosseous (IO) access simulator. Participants completed a survey to evaluate their learning experience and rank the perceived effectiveness of each feedback type. The results of this study indicated that KP was perceived as the most effective type of feedback and KR was perceived as the least effective feedback, with intrinsic feedback being in the middle. This work provides insights into the use of augmented and intrinsic feedback for advanced learners in an SBHPE environment, but future work to assess the actual learning effects of these types of feedback is needed.