Prior text-based learning enhances the benefits of simulation-based learning on confidence and long-term recall

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Simulation-based learning (SBL) is prevalent in medical and STEM fields, but its distinct learning impact is often unclear.
• Prior research often struggles to isolate SBL's unique contribution to learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of SBL versus structured text for learning fictitious clinical cases in adults.
• To investigate the influence of instructional order and individual imagery ability on learning outcomes.
• To assess the impact of SBL on confidence-accuracy calibration.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, counterbalanced mixed design study with 88 naïve adult participants.
• Learning occurred via live standardized-patient simulation or structured text, with matched content and exposure time.
• Evaluations of accuracy, reaction time, and confidence were conducted one month post-learning.

Main Results:

• Simulation-based learning (SBL) resulted in faster responses and higher accuracy than text-based learning.
• An order effect was observed: prior text learning enhanced subsequent SBL accuracy, but not vice versa.
• Individual imagery ability positively correlated with accuracy, particularly in the text condition.
• Participants reported higher absolute confidence after SBL, with improved confidence-accuracy alignment.

Conclusions:

• Both SBL and text facilitate durable learning, with effectiveness influenced by instructional sequence and individual differences in imagery.
• SBL offers advantages in response speed, accuracy, and confidence-accuracy calibration compared to text-based learning.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for optimizing educational strategies in clinical settings.