Development and implementation of an objective structured teaching exercise (OSTE) to evaluate improvement in feedback skills following a faculty development workshop.
BACKGROUND
Faculty development programs focusing on teaching have become widespread.


OBJECTIVE
Despite the popularity of such programs, evidence as to their effectiveness is limited. This article reports on the development of an objective structured teaching exercise (OSTE) and its pilot implementation in an evaluation of a faculty development program module. A written test intended to measure feedback skills was also developed and pilot tested.


METHODS
A separate-sample, pretest-posttest design was used to pilot test both instruments.


RESULTS
The results showed some evidence of significant differences between groups tested preworkshop and postworkshop. Higher scores were observed for the posttest group compared to the pretest group only for OSTE items focusing on prioritizing and limiting the amount of feedback given at one time and on action planning.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that an OSTE may be sensitive to changes in preceptor skill level for skills that are relatively easy to incorporate immediately into practice. Lack of differences in other skill areas may be due to lack of sensitivity of the measure or to need for practice and reflection before changes in performance on other feedback skills are evident.
Stone
Sarah
S
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Community Faculty Development Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
Mazor
Kathleen
K
Devaney-O'Neil
Sarah
S
Starr
Susan
S
Ferguson
Warren
W
Wellman
Scott
S
Jacobson
Eric
E
Hatem
David S
DS
Quirk
Mark
M
D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013192:Staff Development / Q000379:methods*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States