How cognitive psychology changed the face of medical education research—Schmidt 2020

In this article, cognitive psychology's contributions to medical education research are examined. The cognitive psychology of learning involves activating past knowledge while processing new information and elaborating on the new knowledge to aid long-term memory storage. It's restricted by working memory. Six cognitive theory-based strategies that promote learning and expertise development are discussed: fostering self-explanation, elaborative discussion, and distributed practice; reducing cognitive load, boosting retrieval practice, and supporting interleaving practice. Problem-based learning, team-based learning, working examples, mixed practice, serial-cue presentation, and thoughtful reflection all benefit from these treatments. The essay concludes that comprehensive research on how these notions apply to medical education is inadequate and should be expanded.

Schmidt, H. G., & Mamede, S. (2020). How cognitive psychology changed the face of medical education research. Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice, 25(5), 1025–1043. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-020-10011-0