Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 2, 2026
Emergency Undocking in Robotic Surgery: A Simulation Curriculum
Published on: May 20, 2018
Mastery Learning - does the method of learning make a difference in skills acquisition for robotic surgery?
Karen L Siroen1, Christopher D W Ward1, Abelardo Escoto1
1London Health Sciences Centre, Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics, London, Ontario, Canada.
Background:
Few studies compare the effectiveness of blocked vs random practice conditions in minimally invasive surgery training, and none have evaluated these in robotic surgery training.
Methods:
The dV-Trainer® and the da Vinci® Surgical System (dVSS) were used to compare practice conditions. Forty-two participants were randomized into blocked and random practice groups. Each participant performed five tasks: Ring Walk, Thread the Rings, Needle Targeting, Suture Sponge and Tubes Level 2. Transfer to the dVSS was also assessed.
Results:
No significant differences were observed between the two groups, except for a few instances. For example, during Ring Walk, the random group performed significantly faster than the blocked group (100.78 ± 5.26 s vs 121.59 ± 5.26 s, p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
The study results do not follow the current evidence presented in the education literature. This is the first time that blocked versus random practice was tested for robotic surgery training.
