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Desirable Difficulty: Theory and application of intentionally challenging learning
1Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Medical Education
|August 11, 2022
Summary
Incorporating desirable difficulties, or challenges that require effort, enhances long-term learning for health professions trainees. This strategy, though counterintuitive, improves knowledge retention and clinical skills acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive science and educational psychology principles applied to health professions education.
Background:
- Health professions trainees require effective learning strategies for vast clinical knowledge and skills acquisition.
- Deliberate instructional design is crucial for optimizing trainee learning outcomes.
- Desirable Difficulties, though impeding short-term learning, foster superior long-term retention.
Approach:
- Synthesizing theory and research from psychology, cognitive science, and Health Professions Education.
- Examining Desirable Difficulties through three theoretical lenses: New Theory of Disuse, Challenge Point Framework, and Cognitive Load Theory.
- Illustrating the application of retrieval practice, spaced practice, and interleaved practice as key Desirable Difficulty strategies.
Key Points:
- Desirable Difficulties enhance long-term learning and skill retention in health professions trainees.
- Understanding theoretical underpinnings (New Theory of Disuse, Challenge Point Framework, Cognitive Load Theory) is key.
- Evidence-based strategies like retrieval, spaced, and interleaved practice are effective applications.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive understanding of Desirable Difficulties promotes deliberate instructional design.
- Optimizing learning for health professions trainees requires strategic implementation of these effortful learning techniques.
- Emerging research offers further avenues for enhancing Desirable Difficulty-based learning.
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