Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Investigating Motor Skill Learning Processes with a Robotic Manipulandum
Published on: February 12, 2017
Proficiency development for graduating medical students, using skills-level-appropriate mastery learning versus
Amy E Liepert1, Andrew J Velic1, Brooks Rademacher1
1University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison.
Background:
Mastery learning is an effective educational tool to assess basic procedural skill proficiency and may also be beneficial for more complex skills along the continuum of surgical training. In addition, anxiety and confidence have effects on cognitive and decision-making performance, both in educational and clinical settings. This study evaluates anxiety and confidence in a skills-level-appropriate mastery learning module for chest tube insertion in graduating medical students.
Methods:
A 2-week intern preparatory course was held 2 consecutive years, with 10 and 14 students, respectively. Learners completed a pretest on day 1, didactic session and supervised deliberate practice followed by a Posttest on day 4, and a retention test on day 10. Year one used a traditional educational methodology, and year two provided for remediation as per mastery learning methodology. The chest tube scoring checklist was validated by faculty trauma surgeons to reflect an intern-appropriate skills level. Before and after each test, learners reported state anxiety. Immediately after each test, learners also completed a confidence scale.
Results:
No learners in either year achieved mastery on the pretest. A total of 40% of the learners achieved the mastery standard on the posttest in year one. All (100%) of the learners achieved the mastery standard after the posttest in year two. Overall, after state anxiety decreased significantly in both years, confidence increased significantly in year two.
Conclusion:
A skills-level-appropriate mastery learning module resulted in higher performance and increased confidence compared with a traditional education model for chest tube placement for incoming surgical interns.
Related Concept Videos
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a...
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
Purposive Learning
Observational Learning
Introduction to Learning
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...

