Table 2 Illustrative quotes and associated motivating factors to engage with open feedback

Motivators to engage with open feedback

Acknowledgement from teachers in response to feedback given; someone is accountable for responding to student feedback

aM3: Regularly updating the website and just answering feedback questions, just to make people know that we [teachers] have looked at it…. to reinforce, to give them that reassurance that things are being done.

Transparency of the evaluation process

bM2: You write your feedback and you know exactly who it is going to … with other feedback systems you are writing it but you don’t know who you interacting with and [who is] reading it.

bF1: You can see what the faculty is thinking

Higher likelihood of students directly benefitting from the feedback they give

aM2: If [students] get engaged early on they [CTFs] can then see the feedback, change, adapt to it.

aM1: If…everyone is confused about something in gastro, then that week’s [teaching is focused on] upper limb… we could deliver some gastro there as well and make it [the teaching] focused more on what the group want.

Having dedicated time to provide feedback

aM2: I don’t think anybody would…just fill out feedback…spontaneously…there has to be a time and a place.

CTF1: They all engage when we are in a session and then dedicate the last 5 minutes to giving feedback.

Seeing evidence of other students’ participation

aM1: I’m more likely to put a response in if I know that other people have written stuff as well.