Refine your scenarios
Realism scores and improvement comments, grouped by scenario, tell you which ones need new props, clearer briefs or a different flow. Keep a form per scenario and compare them over a term.
SIMULATION SESSION FEEDBACK TEMPLATE
Feedback for simulation teaching that measures what changed.
Simulation teaching is expensive to run and hard to justify with a satisfaction score alone. This template asks participants about the scenario, the debrief and their confidence before and after, so you can show what the session achieved, not just whether people enjoyed it.
Free plan available. No card required.What this form is for
Most of the learning in simulation happens in the debrief, so this form treats the debrief as the thing to evaluate. It asks whether participants felt able to make mistakes and talk about them openly, because a debrief where people did not feel safe to be honest teaches very little, however good the scenario was.
It also measures confidence in a way that works with one form. Rather than a survey before and a survey after, it asks participants to rate their confidence before the session and now, side by side. This “retrospective pre/post” approach is widely used in education evaluation because people often judge their starting point more accurately once they know what they did not know.
Finally, it asks what participants will do differently in real practice. That moves the evaluation beyond reaction towards intended behaviour change, which is what education leads and funders increasingly want to see.
The questions, and why they’re there
8 questions · every one can be edited- 01
What is your role?
Multiple choice · Medical student · Foundation doctor · Specialty trainee · Consultant or GP · Nurse or midwife · AHP or ODP · Other
Why it’s asked. Simulation is often interprofessional. The breakdown shows whether a scenario worked for everyone or only for one profession.
- 02
How realistic did the scenario feel?
1 is not at all realistic, 5 is very realistic.
Rating, 1–5
Why it’s asked. Realism is what makes the scenario feel worth engaging with. Low scores point to props, information flow or role briefs to fix.
- 03
I felt safe to make mistakes and discuss them in the debrief.
1 is strongly disagree, 5 is strongly agree.
Rating, 1–5
Why it’s asked. Psychological safety in the debrief is the strongest single signal of whether participants learned anything. It is also the most useful score for faculty development.
- 04
Before today, how confident were you managing this kind of situation?
1 is not confident, 5 is very confident.
Rating, 1–5
Why it’s asked. The “before” half of a retrospective pre/post measure, asked after the session when participants can judge their starting point more honestly.
- 05
And how confident do you feel now?
1 is not confident, 5 is very confident.
Rating, 1–5
Why it’s asked. The “after” half. The shift between the two scores is the clearest summary of what the session achieved.
- 06
Which of these did the session help with?
Multi-select · Clinical knowledge · Practical skills · Communication · Teamwork and leadership · Situational awareness · Decision making under pressure
Why it’s asked. Maps the learning to human factors themes, so you can check that the session teaches what the scenario was designed for.
- 07
What will you do differently in real practice?
Long text
Why it’s asked. Intended behaviour change is a step beyond satisfaction, and these answers make the best quotes for reports and funding bids.
- 08
How could we improve the scenario or the debrief?
Long text
Why it’s asked. Specific suggestions for the faculty: timings, cues, roles and how the debrief was run.
What you can do with the results
When the form closes — on a date you set, or when you close it — BetterForms writes the report for you: a chart for every question and every written answer, plus themes and an executive summary on plans that include analysis. Print it or save it as a PDF, share a read-only link, or export the raw responses to CSV or Google Sheets. Here is what people do with it.
Develop your faculty
Share the debrief scores and comments with the faculty who ran the session. Psychological safety ratings give debriefers a concrete measure of their own practice to reflect on.
Report to education governance
A confidence shift across a cohort, with intended changes in practice in participants’ own words, is the kind of outcome a trust education committee, simulation lead or funder can act on. Share the report link or print it as a PDF.
Evidence for your own portfolio
If you are a simulation fellow or a trainee who teaches on a course, the report is evidence of teaching and of evaluating teaching. Upload it to your e-portfolio for ARCP or bring it to appraisal.
Support quality standards work
If your centre is working towards recognised standards for simulation-based education, routine participant evaluation and showing how you act on it is part of the picture.
Getting good responses
- Hand out the QR code at the end of the debrief, not at the end of the day. Feedback is sharpest straight after the scenario.
- Use one form per scenario rather than per day, so the reports compare like with like.
- Keep the two confidence questions next to each other and do not reword them. They only work as a pair.
- Read the debrief scores with the faculty soon after the session, while they can still remember the conversation.
Questions
- Is a retrospective confidence rating reliable?
- Self-rated confidence is not the same as competence, and the report should not claim it is. It is, though, a recognised and practical way to show that participants left feeling better prepared, especially alongside what they say they will do differently.
- Does it work for in-situ simulation?
- Yes. In-situ sessions are short and teams are busy, so the QR code and a one-minute form suit them well. You may want to drop the scenario realism question, since the setting is real.
- Can participants see the faculty’s scores?
- No. Only you see the results, and anyone you share the report link with.
Start with this template
It opens in the editor as your own form. Change any question, then share it with a link or a QR code. Or start from a blank form and let AI draft the questions for you.
Related templates
See all templatesMedical education
Medical student teaching feedback
Anonymous feedback from the medical students you teach, turned into a report you can upload to your portfolio for ARCP or appraisal.
Medical educationGrand round presentation feedback
Feedback on a grand round, M&M or departmental presentation, with a report you can attach to your portfolio as evidence of presenting.
Medical educationJournal club feedback
Feedback on a journal club presentation and critical appraisal, for presenters building a portfolio and organisers improving the meeting.