Teaching and Learning on the Job: Maximize Your Efficiency Using Learning Theories By Shaila Quazi, DO Shifts can get busy and an additional hurdle is blocking time to read and learn outside of work while juggling other responsibilities. One way to gain back some time is to maximize learning while on the job. Here’s a method I use with myself, my residents, and my students. 1. Plan. Give everyone a sheet of paper to write down three things they learned throughout the shift. 2. Discuss. Sometime during the shift, discuss what folks have written down on their papers. Items can include dosages of meds or other pearls learned from utilizing references through self-directed learning or from information learned directly from faculty, staff, or any other emergency department team member. 3. Save. Each learner takes a picture of his or her list and saves it (in a separate album, typically) to review again later.
Applied Theories
Critical reflection. Recognizing and identifying when new knowledge is gained is reflection in action. Later during discussion, reflection-on-action occurs. This allows us to process the information in a way that leads to better understanding and retention. Elaboration. Elaboration is a strategy (under cognitivism) to process information. It involves writing and/or discussion. Elaboration occurs two times in this activity. Learners paraphrase what they learned from websites, phones,
online textbooks, etc. when they write down the pearls, thus processing the information the first time. Then, by explaining it in discussion later, elaboration recurs. Spaced repetition. If new information is not reviewed within three days of acquisition, more than 40% is lost. By saving the pearls on our phones, we can review it again later, to minimize learning loss. Social learning. Group learning can be very effective since the positive emotions and feedback from the group will also be tied into the information being processed. We also learn from multiple sources, rather than just a faculty member. Other applied theories include humanism and constructivism.
Additional Reading • Overview of current learning theories for medical educators • Adult learning theories: Implications for learning and teaching in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 83 • Applying the science of learning to medical education • Applying Cognitive Learning Strategies to Enhance Learning and Retention in Clinical Teaching Settings • Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher
Sometimes, we turn it into a game and if multiple people have the same pearls, we say “jinx” and it doesn’t count for points. Sometimes we write the pearls on a marker board and draw pictures or come up with mnemonic devices to help remember the information. Use your own creativity to amplify the learning and make it useful in your own setting.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Quazi is a practicing emergency medicine physician at Tower Health in Reading, PA. As a previous art major, she enjoys the creative aspect of her current job as the director of the simulation program. She also serves as director of faculty development and cochair of the faculty development committee for the seven-hospital health system. She loves teaching and is presently pursuing a Master’s in Education of Health Professions through Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, she is an instructor for a clinical skills course at Drexel University for second year medical students. She will serve as course director for the Reading campus in the upcoming academic year. She is most proud of being a mom to two super kids.
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