RESEARCH IN BRIEF Critical factors about feedback: ‘They told me what I did wrong; but didn’t give me any feedback’ Michele Groves, Marion Mitchell, Amanda Henderson, Carol Jeffrey, Michelle Kelly and Duncan Nulty Accepted for publication: 26 November 2014 Aim This study reports nursing and midwifery undergraduate and postgraduate students’ perceptions of feedback during their participation in a performance-based learning activity, either an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for patient assessment or a simulation focussed on communication skills. Background Providing feedback to students is critical to learning. The definition and process of giving feedback has significantly progressed since its initial concept of simply advising learn- ers whether an answer to a test item was right or wrong (Kulhavy 1977). Feedback is now conceived more broadly and used throughout the learning process. By providing students with a snap-shot of their current ability and advice, feedback helps to define learning goals more clearly, increases achievement and influences learning style (Sadler 1989). Feedback cultivates reflective practice and develops expertise (Albanese 2006). This is especially so in work-based learning where the provision of immediate feedback on performance can particularly enhance applied learning. The nature of feedback varies widely and includes forma- tive assessment by teachers and peers, and summative assessment required for academic progression. The most effective feedback is constructive. That is, it should focus on the task being assessed, include strengths as well as weaknesses of performance and suggest strategies for per- formance improvement. However, its effectiveness is also dependent on factors such as format, timing and the perceived expertise of the provider (Hattie & Timperley 2007, Murdoch-Eaton & Sargeant 2012). Additionally, receptiveness to, and type of feedback preferred, varies with the maturity and life experience of the learner, for example, beginning medical students have indicated a preference for positive, re-assuring feedback whereas senior students pre- ferred immediate verbal feedback (Murdoch-Eaton & Sar- geant 2012). Design Student perceptions of feedback were collected across four educational settings: two undergraduate nursing pro- grammes, one undergraduate midwifery programme and a postgraduate course for rural and remote healthcare nurses where students’ learning was centred on a practice based activity, either an OSCE or simulation session. The OSCE consisted of one scenario that required students to under- take an integrated patient assessment while the simulation session focussed on communication skills with students alternately playing the roles of patient, carer, nurse, etc. In all settings, the activities were for formative assessment and students received feedback from teaching staff. Additionally, students were encouraged to organise informal practice ses- sions and obtain peer feedback. Authors: Michele Groves, BSc, PhD, Faculty of Medicine and Bio- medical Sciences, University of Queensland, Herston, Qld; Marion Mitchell, BN, PhD, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld; Amanda Henderson, BN, PhD, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld; Carol Jeffrey, BN, MHSc, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld; Michelle Kelly, BN, PhD, Faculty of Health, University of Technol- ogy, Sydney, NSW; Duncan Nulty, PhD, Griffith Institute of Higher Education, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld, Australia Correspondence: Michele Groves, PhD, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia. Telephone: +61 401677476. E-mail: m.groves@uq.edu.au © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Journal of Clinical Nursing, doi: 10.1111/jocn.12765 1