Applying Cognitive Learning Strategies to Enhance Learning and Retention in Clinical Teaching Settings

Cognitive learning strategies are strategies that improve a learner's ability to process information more deeply, transfer and apply information to new situations, and result in enhanced and better-retained learning.

We developed an interactive workshop for a national conference of pediatric educators to teach five cognitive learning strategies. The specific strategies were (1) spaced retrieval practice, (2) interleaving, (3) elaboration, (4) generation, and (5) reflection. Each strategy was taught using an active learning exercise. We evaluated the effectiveness of the workshop through a commitment-to-change exercise in which we asked participants to commit to making a change in their teaching as it related to the workshop and then queried them 6 weeks later about their implementation successes and barriers.

Of the 161 participants registered for the workshop, 52 completed the voluntary workshop evaluation. All 52 participants committed to making a change in their teaching as a result of the workshop. Of those 52 participants, 24 completed the 6-week follow-up survey. Eighty-two percent of those respondents (n = 18) reported implementing a change based on the workshop, with 77% of respondents implementing a change that they had committed to directly after the workshop and 55% implementing a change that they had not originally committed to at the end of the workshop.

This workshop successfully led to behavioral change in the teaching of cognitive learning strategies. We anticipate that this will lead to improved learning among the trainees whom participants teach.