Active learning in medical education: strategies for beginning implementation

Medical educators often deliver complex material in a format that does not allow the positive learning engagement recommended by cognitive researchers and theorists. Intentional engagement and active learning pedagogies change the nature of learning, while simultaneously improving knowledge gain and recall abilities. Students find the work more interesting and thereby put more effort into it. Historical perspective reveals that medical faculty need to make changes in their teaching methodologies. However, transforming pedagogical practice is difficult, as medical faculty have not had much exposure to pedagogical theory or training. While simple steps can be taken to alter basic lecture formatting, these steps may be unfamiliar to medical faculty. Seven methods for adapting parts of lectures are described. Practice with such methods may engender exploration of epistemological and cognitive aspects of deeper understanding.