From the Field: Relating Education Theory to Milestones/EPAs for Resident ‘Master Learners’

Check out this post "From the Field" by Jack R Scott, EdD, MPH, -- Assistant Dean, Winthrop University Hospital on Long Island; Stony Brook SOM Clinical Campus and a partner in educational scholarship. Use it as a springboard to think about your practice, and how much you allow - gulp! - learning theory to influence your teaching. Enjoy!

Developing the Master Learner: Applying Learning Theory to the Learner; the Teacher and the Learning Environment. Schumacher DJ, Englander R, Caraccio C. Acad Med. 2013; 88: 1635-45. Available online from the Baystate Health Sciences Library or from PubMed at your institution.

When we think of competency-based learning for medical students and residents the concept of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) naturally comes to mind. After all, this is how they become ‘master learners’. These authors pose an appealing and appropriate correlation between theory and the inherent factors of SDL, namely accuracy of self-assessment and self-efficacy that gauge one’s achievements to mastery.

OK, before you stop here and dismiss the banal aspects of education theory, please consider that well-accepted constructs in adult learning are at the cornerstone of medical education – collaborative and contextual learning, simulation practice and individualized learning plans, among others.

The article’s section on self-determination theory relates well to our specific expectation for residents’ success in Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). Furthermore, reliance on self-assessment (another prime adult learning principle) must isolate reflection on action from the more critical and accurate reflection in action. So, kindly consider the practical applications inherent in education theory that create credible teacher-learner relationships, supportive learning environments and above all – reliable self-directed master learners to attain the explicit goals in our comprehensive resident training.

Bottom Line:

Read the article and share a meaningful discussion on achieving mastery in teaching and learning. Discover the meta-cognitive practice of thinking about our teaching practices as we develop each resident’s unique competencies.