Fig. 1.
Spaced education Randomized controlled trial. Kerfoot et al 2008.
Since 2006 Harvard Medical School has used a straightforward spaced education tool to deliver sets of questions to medical students. These multiple choice questions are both the resource and the test, they teach as you go through the 'pack'. In the case of urology there are 100 questions. A randomised controlled test shows how those who use the system do so much better than those who do not. It helps to lodge information in the long term memory, by feeding questions back to participatns, even once they have got them right, the natural tendency to forget is thwarted.
FURTHER READING
Kerfoot, B, P (2008) Interactive Spaced-Education to Teach the Physical Examination: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Armstrong,E.G., O’Sullivan,P.M., JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE Volume 23, Number 7 Harvard Medical International.
Kerfoot, B, P., & Brotschi, E (2009a), ‘Online spaced education to teach urology to medical students: a multi-institutional randomized trial’,American Journal Of Surgery, 197, 1, pp. 89-95
Matzie, K, Kerfoot, B, P., Hafler, J, & Breen, E (2009b), ‘Spaced education improves the feedback that surgical residents give to medical students: a randomized trial’, American Journal Of Surgery, 197, 2, pp. 252-257
Kerfoot, B, P., Armstrong, E, & O'Sullivan, P n.d., (2009c) 'Interactive spaced-education to teach the physical examination: A randomized controlled trial', Journal Of General Internal Medicine, 23, 7, pp. 973-978, Science Citation Index, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 February 2013.
Shaw, T, Long, A, Chopra, S, & Kerfoot, B,P. (2011), ‘Impact on clinical behavior of face-to-face continuing medical education blended with online spaced education: A randomized controlled trial’, Journal Of Continuing Education In The Health Professions, 31, 2, pp. 103-108