Work

Comparing Peer vs. Near Peer Feedback in an At-Home Laparoscopic Curriculum

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Skilled faculty instructors for laparoscopy are limited. Previously we observed that learners give effective asynchronous feedback to their peers, on par with faculty. We hypothesize that senior resident near-peers can give superior feedback compared with peers by exhibiting advanced technical knowledge, while sharing educational benefits seen in peer feedback. DESIGN: Junior surgical residents completed a 9-stage curriculum of laparoscopic tasks, with videos uploaded to an online platform. In experimental design, residents were randomized for video review by peers (same level) or near-peers (PGY4). Performance assessed with a task-specific rubric and completion time on an in-person final assessment was compared with t-test. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with participants compared peer and near-peer feedback. SETTING: A single academic institution with residency programs in 2 cities. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-one invited PGY1-2 residents from 3 specialties (general surgery, OB-GYN, urology). RESULTS: Final assessment performance was similar among peer (N = 10) and near-peer (N = 7) cohorts as seen in mean (SD) total points (56 [5.5] and 60 [4.3], p = 0.160) or total (SD) time taken (1029 [289] and 887 [278] seconds, p = 0.355) during the assessment. Interviews with 3 participants from the peer group and 5 from near-peer identified 3 major themes. First, different accountability mechanisms relate to assessor role, noting that participants were motivated to maintain reputation in front of their senior resident near-peers; in contrast, working with peers felt more collaborative and supportive. Second, participants noted they learn as they gave and received feedback, and evaluating one's peers provided a sense of community. Third, the value of the curriculum is largely in the curriculum design, including video examples or rubrics which standardize feedback regardless of assessor expertise. CONCLUSIONS: Social learning and the learning environment appeared stronger in the peer feedback group relative to the near-peer group. Additionally, no particular advantage was noted in feedback quality given by near-peers.

Source: Journal of surgical education

DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103638

Authors: Brandon Cowan, Riley Brian, Tushani Illangasekare, Hueylan Chern, Patricia O’Sullivan

Institution: University of California, San Francisco

Language: English

Topic: Innovations in Medical Education

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,420