Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec 26;13(1):654-665.
doi: 10.5334/pme.1416. eCollection 2024.

Enhancing Reflective Practice Using Prompts in Online Submission of Case Reports (OSCAR): An Exploratory Study Among Medical Students in Rural Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships

William MacAskill  1   2 , Hannah Woodall  1   2 , Claire Dorothea Nicholls  3 , Kay Brumpton  1   2 , Janani Pinidiyapathirage  1   2
Affiliations

Enhancing Reflective Practice Using Prompts in Online Submission of Case Reports (OSCAR): An Exploratory Study Among Medical Students in Rural Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships

William MacAskill et al. Perspect Med Educ. .

Abstract

Introduction: Medical students learn to reflect to gain new insights into self and practice; however, allowing for reflection within a busy curriculum is challenging. In this study we embedded reflective writing prompts (RWP) into an existing assessment item, Online Submission of Case Reports (OSCAR), to investigate whether this minimalistic scaffolding intervention could develop students' reflective capacity and increase their exposure to rural social determinants of health.

Methods: This study is framed by ontological realism and informed by an interpretivist stance. Focus group transcripts (medical students and educators) were inductively analysed using thematic analysis. Written OSCAR reflections were analysed in a deductive top-down method to provide a contrasting perspective and triangulation.

Results: Focus groups included 27 students, 10 educators, and 52 OSCAR reflections. Inductive analysis generated three themes: Scaffolded Learning, Affording Diverse Responses, and Maximising Learning Opportunities. Deductive analysis indicated that most students (87%) demonstrated lower-order thinking.

Discussion: Most participants valued the impact of RWP on students' learning. Though the RWP did not assist students to demonstrate higher-order thinking, they did increase the breadth of rural social determinants of health topics reflected upon by students, thereby increasing student knowledge of the impact of rural context on patient care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Scaffolding assists learners to reach proximal development zone
Figure 1
Scaffolding supports learners to develop new skills which are otherwise beyond their capabilities.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Sandars J. The use of reflection in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 44. Med Teach. 2009; 31(8): 685–95. DOI: 10.1080/01421590903050374 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kolb DA. Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT Press; 2014.
    1. Finlay L. Reflecting on ‘reflective practice’. Practice-based professional learning paper 52. The Open University. 2008; 0–27.
    1. Wood D, Bruner JS, Ross G. The role of tutoring in problem solving. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1976; 17(2): 89–100. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Vygotsky LS, Cole M. Mind and society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press; 1978.

LinkOut - more resources