Psychomotor Clinical Skills Learning: Using Self-Monitored Video Feedback as an Adjunct to Traditional Learning

Background: Current undergraduate health science learning environments have led to anxiety and frustration in students during clinical skill acquisition and performance due to increased program demand and resulting increased enrollment, leading to decreased access to faculty feedback and clinical placements. Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover if student self-video used as an adjunct or supplement to traditional teaching would impact student skill evaluation scores compared to traditional teaching alone. Additionally, the study examined student perceptions of the method and what functions of the process were valuable to skill acquisition. Methods: Data was collected using Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE’s) performed by students in undergraduate 4-year nursing, athletic training, and exercise science programs. OSCE scores were compared after use of self-video as an adjunct on specific psychomotor clinical skills (ECG administration, ankle taping, conducting a 3-site skinfold measurement and Y-balance test) to student data on the same specified skills with traditional teaching methods alone. A Likert scaled survey was used to determine student perceptions of self-confidence with self-video as an adjunct method and the value of each function within the self-video process. Results: The results showed a significant difference in exam results on 2 out of 4 of the OSCE’s, with the self-video as an adjunct group scoring higher than the traditional teaching group on 3 out of 4 of the skills. Survey mean results showed agreement by respondents that all functions of the self-video process were helpful to their skill development and that the method improved their self-confidence in performing the assigned clinical skill. Conclusions: Student self-video as an adjunct to teacher centered learning proved valuable as an alternative teaching method for teaching psychomotor clinical skills as well as improving students’ perceptions of confidence in skill performance.