Department of Clinical Medicine

TY - JOUR

T1 - Distributed practice. The more the merrier? A randomised bronchoscopy simulation study

AU - Bjerrum, Anne Sofie

AU - Eika, Berit

AU - Charles, Peder

AU - Hilberg, Ole

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Anne Sofie Bjerrum et al.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Introduction: The distribution of practice affects the acquisition of skills. Distributed practice has shown to be more effective for skills acquisition than massed training. However, it remains unknown as to which is the most effective distributed practice schedule for learning bronchoscopy skills through simulation training. This study compares two distributed practice schedules: One-day distributed practice and weekly distributed practice. Method: Twenty physicians in training were randomly assigned to one-day distributed or weekly distributed bronchoscopy simulation practice. Performance was assessed with a pre-test, a post-test after each practice session, and a 4-week retention test using previously validated simulator measures. Data were analysed with repeated measures ANOVA. Results: No interaction was found between group and test (F(4,72) < 1.68, p > 0.16), except for the measure 'percent-segments-entered', and no main effect of group was found for any of the measures (F(1,72) < 0.87, p > 0.36), which indicates that there was no difference between the learning curves of the one-day distributed practice schedule and the weekly distributed practice schedule. Discussion: We found no difference in effectiveness of bronchoscopy skills acquisition between the one-day distributed practice and the weekly distributed practice. This finding suggests that the choice of bronchoscopy training practice may be guided by what best suits the clinical practice.

AB - Introduction: The distribution of practice affects the acquisition of skills. Distributed practice has shown to be more effective for skills acquisition than massed training. However, it remains unknown as to which is the most effective distributed practice schedule for learning bronchoscopy skills through simulation training. This study compares two distributed practice schedules: One-day distributed practice and weekly distributed practice. Method: Twenty physicians in training were randomly assigned to one-day distributed or weekly distributed bronchoscopy simulation practice. Performance was assessed with a pre-test, a post-test after each practice session, and a 4-week retention test using previously validated simulator measures. Data were analysed with repeated measures ANOVA. Results: No interaction was found between group and test (F(4,72) < 1.68, p > 0.16), except for the measure 'percent-segments-entered', and no main effect of group was found for any of the measures (F(1,72) < 0.87, p > 0.36), which indicates that there was no difference between the learning curves of the one-day distributed practice schedule and the weekly distributed practice schedule. Discussion: We found no difference in effectiveness of bronchoscopy skills acquisition between the one-day distributed practice and the weekly distributed practice. This finding suggests that the choice of bronchoscopy training practice may be guided by what best suits the clinical practice.

KW - Bronchoscopy

KW - Curriculum design

KW - Medical education

KW - Simulation

KW - Training methods

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85007087223&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3402/meo.v21.30517

DO - 10.3402/meo.v21.30517

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27172423

AN - SCOPUS:85007087223

VL - 21

JO - Medical Education Online

JF - Medical Education Online

SN - 1087-2981

IS - 1

M1 - 30517

ER -