“Okay, Very Good - Just One Little Thing” An Interactional Analysis of Feedback Design in Maritime Communication Simulation Debriefing

Abstract

Purpose: This thesis aims to investigate how instructors design and deliver feedback in Maritime Communication simulations, both during and after simulation activities (in-role and out-of-role), and how students engage during these encounters. Particular attention is given to the dialogic dimensions of these interactions and their potential to support student learning. Theory: This thesis draws on Yang and Carless’ (2013) architecture of dialogic feedback to explore the cognitive, social-affective, and structural dimensions of feedback. Johnson et al.’s (2017) feedback categories in simulation-based training also provide a practical lens to identify and label different features of feedback events. Method: A design ethnography approach was used, involving video-recorded observations of a Scandinavian Maritime Communication simulation course, two subsequent collaborative interaction analysis sessions, followed by an in-depth analysis of selected feedback episodes. The analysis focused on talk, gestures, and spatial arrangements to understand how feedback unfolded in practice and how students engaged. Results: The findings revealed the use of short, focused debriefings, referred to as microdebriefings, as the main format for feedback. The feedback designed by instructors was primarily terminal, detailed, face-to-face, and adapted to students’ needs. While dialogic feedback opportunities occurred, they were often brief and instructor-dominant. Instructors also fostered a supportive environment by employing a friendly and positive approach. While in-role, disguised feedback helped maintain realism and sometimes encouraged reflection, it was not always recognized by students as feedback, suggesting the need for clearer explanations. Student responses and reactions varied throughout the episodes, ranging from brief moments of dialogue and self-reflection to more passive or uncertain reactions. This was possibly influenced by the clarity, format, and delivery of the feedback.