How can I encourage my student to 'take on' the information I am giving him?

The Feedback Cycle (Price & Donovan, 2006) combines many of the features of effective feedback into a practice framework. It is very applicable to occupational therapy practice placement experience and aligns well with the features of the SPEF-R^©.

The feedback cycle emphasises the importance of students understanding and engaging with both the evaluation criteria and feedback in an ongoing way to enhance learning. Consequently you are encouraged to start this process from the very beginning of your student's practice placement. It is not meant only to apply to times of formal evaluation, but to all the opportunities you have to focus your student's attention on what you are hoping he will learn, and how he's performing throughout the practice placement.

You will find the 'basics' of this model presented below with examples specifically targeted to occupational therapy practice placement. We'll start by looking at the cycle as a whole, then systematically explore each process with ideas that make it practical.
 

The Feedback Cycle

As you can see the feedback cycle incorporates four processes.

1. Having explicit criteria and standards. The SPEF-R^© provides this foundation, and it is further strengthened by your own customised examples.
    
2. Encouraging students to engage actively with the criteria and standards. This can begin during orientation and continue throughout the practice placement, informally as opportunities naturally arise, and more formally during supervision and at times of evaluation.
    
3. Facilitating feedback processes, including practice educator and peer feedback and self-assessment.
    
4. Encouraging active engagement with the feedback. Your student may need you to structure activities to assist him to take on board feedback and to 'action' behaviours/activities that grow from reflecting on and understanding the feedback given.
    

Reference

Price, M., & O'Donovan, B. (2006). Improving performance through enhancing student understanding criteria and feedback. In C. Bryan & K. Clegg (Eds.), Innovative Assessment in Higher Education (pp. 100-109). London: Routledge p.107.

Next ---> The Feedback Cycle in Practice: Step One