gms | German Medical Science

Objective: High quality feedback helps medical students to set goals and structure their learning. Students receive feedback through a variety of channels, so it can be difficult to keep track and maintain motivation. In 2017, we set out to design a programmatic assessment tool that integrates multi-source feedback, with the aim of helping Charité medical students to keep track.

Methods: LevelUp, was released to students in November 2019. The tool integrates formative and summative results on a central platform in the form of attractive graphic visualizations. The tool was evaluated by students using a variety of qualitative methods.

1.

Volunteers (n=22) tested the prototype,

2.

A dashboard survey garners feedback from active users (n=71)

3.

We interviewed students on campus (n=9) about their use of the tool,

4.

Matomo web-analytics software monitors the number of visits to the page and clicks on individual features.

See tool-demo at [levelup.charite.de].

Results: So far, 61% of students are registered users.

1.

Prototype testing led to improved design and usability.

2.

Active users rated LevelUp positively while emphasizing the need for speedy data import,

3.

Interviews revealed that students’ requirements of the tool vary depending on semester.

4.

Web-analytics revealed 57,000 visits to the site since release with peak times prior to assessments.

Discussion: Results suggest that students rated LevelUp positively overall, while also indicating several areas for improvement. In particular, data needs to be as up to date as possible. The number of users will grow as new students are introduced to the tool, while a communication strategy is needed to attract students in later semesters. Further development should take into consideration the needs of different semester cohorts, further integrate Entrustable Professional Activities, teacher evaluations, and integrate a clerkship logbook.

Take home message: Students welcome an online tool integrating multi-source feedback and with their input it can be further optimized to align with their needs.