Can Strategies from Cognitive Psychology Improve Self-Directed Learning in Residents?
A Two-Center Multidisciplinary Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Trial
Daniel Saddawi-Konefka, MD, MBA; Jennifer Cottral, MD; Pooja Agarwal, PhD; Jeffrey Karpicke, PhD; Gabriele Oettingen, PhD; Peter Gollwitzer, PhD; Keith Baker, MD, PhD
3 The Action: A Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Trial
• Self-directed learning (SDL) is a
process that involves learner-directed
selection and follow through of learning
goals.
• Effective SDL is essential to lifelong
professional development.
• Strategies to improve SDL have been
explored in cognitive psychology, but
their application to medical education is
infrequent.
2
• Residents from eighteen
programs at MGH and
BWH will be randomized to
receive training on two
separate strategies.
• Residents will be enrolled
six months before their
respective
in-training
exams and followed until
after the exam.
4
The Aims
• Our aim is to improve SDL among
residents.
• We will train residents with two
evidence-based
strategies
from
cognitive psychology.
• To measure self-directed learning, we
will examine achievement of learning
goals, time spent studying, and
change
in
pre/post
in-training
examination performance.
Scan this
with your
smartphone
to watch a
promo video
for this study.
Project Significance
The project is
transformative because…
Condition 1
Intervention 1
Condition 2
Intervention 2
Months after enrollment
0
Interim
survey
Interim
survey
2
4
I
T
E
Final
survey
6
The Impact: Developing self-directed resident learners
• Data from a pilot project employing
strategies (to improve follow-through
goals) was performed in 2015. The
shown below. The setting was
residents during their intensive
rotations.
Hours spent reading over threeweek observation period
1 The Problem
6
5.5
5.0
5
4.25
one of the
of learning
results are
anesthesia
care unit
• The current study is ongoing, so no comparison
data is available at this time. As part of the study,
we are learning about how residents currently
study. Aggregate data to date is shown below.
2
p = 0.02
1.5
1
0
• Low cost dissemination of
premade online training
materials.
• A high degree of external
validity given involvement
of residents from eleven
different specialties.
Intervention
Unanswered question
from pilot study:
Does increased reading
produce more
meaningful or durable
learning?
Reading
Medical reading
toward goals (not toward goals)
Less commonly used
ECOTE Pilot Project Grants: April 2015-September 2016
This project is scalable
by…..
Comparator
4
3
• It provides insight into the
development
of
selfdirected lifelong learners.
• It applies strategies from
cognitive psychology to
medical
education
in
novel ways.
More commonly used
This project is
sustainable by…
• Training instructors on
effective strategies
• Maintenance
of
web
resources on free publicly
available sites (after study
completion)
• Publication
of
study
results