Thread by @GStetsonMD

1/ Welcome back to #TweetorialTuesday with the #MedEdTwagTeam!

We are in our #EffectiveQuestions series.

Thanks for joining us, #MedTwitter, #MedEd, & #MedStudentTwitter Friends!

2/ This week we continue talking about my favorite uses of questions in the clinical learning environment.

Last week was questions as a needs assessment. Go back and check that out if you missed it.

This week is questions for retrieval practice.

3/ Much of today’s thread is derived from a favorite book...Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.

It is very approachable and has super useful content. Today, we will talk about retrieval practice, and briefly touch on spaced learning and interleaving.

4/ Here is what they say about retrieval practice…

5/ Some might read the above quote and think I am advocating for ”pimping”, which is a reasonable interpretation of the text. To be clear, I am not.

One can promote retrieval practice by using the same broad & open-ended questions we discussed last week.

https://twitter.com/GStetsonMD/status/1394757163881488384

6/ A better way to use retrieval practice in the clinical setting is as a tool to consolidate learning that my team and I have done together.

This is material I know they have been exposed to, as opposed to information I am assuming they learned during their pre-clinical years.

7/ When retrieval practice is framed as a tool for solidifying memories (as opposed to evaluation), it can be a lot of fun! 🥳🎉

In this case, asking questions that have specific answers is the correct approach.

8/ To use retrieval practice, each day, make note of 3-5 specific things you have learned with your team, or taught to your team. Below are some examples, but the list is endless!

9/ Then, make time for a recall exercise. This is a great use of your teaching time or “attending rounds”.

Set the expectation that this is a fun, team-based activity, for the sole purpose of learning. Like a Jeopardy-style game. #RIPTrebek

10/ Then, pose your questions, one at a time.

🔑A key to what I do is I make everyone write down their answer to each question before anyone takes a stab at answering it for the group. Struggling to remember is the most important part of this exercise.

11/ If you teach primarily in the outpatient or emergency setting, start off each precepting session recalling learning points from the previous week or two with each preceptee. Again, frame it as a fun game, for you & the trainee, all for the sake of learning.

12/ Two other important ideas from Make it Stick are spaced learning and interleaving. Here is an explanation:

13/ My takeaways on spaced learning & interleaving:
Give your learners enough time to start forgetting information before testing it. A few days should suffice.
Interleaving is inherent in clinical training given its complexity. Your questions should reflect the varied learning.

14/ I hope this presents you all with a new tool to solidify learning for your trainees. It is backed by science & can be a lot of fun.

Have you done something like this before? How’d it go? What have you learned?

If you haven’t, try it out! Please, share your experience.

15/ Thanks for joining us!

Please, join us again next week as we dive into questions to advance clinical reasoning.

To not miss out, make sure to follow: @MedEdTwagTeam, @JenniferSpicer4, and me

Tweet you then.