How teachers can help learners build storage and retrieval strength

Abstract

Aim: To be an effective teacher, content expertise is necessary but alone does not guarantee optimal learning outcomes for students. In this article, the authors discuss ways in which medical teachers can shape the learning of their students and enable them to become more efficient and effective learners.

Methods: Using Bjork and Bjork's new theory of disuse as their framework, the authors discuss strategies to improve storage strength of to-be-learned information and strategies to improve retrieval strength of learned information.

Results: Strategies to improve storage strength include optimizing cognitive load, providing causal explanations, and giving effective feedback. Strategies to improve retrieval strength include situated cognition and various types of retrieval practice.

Conclusions: Adopting these teaching strategies should hopefully help teachers improve the learning outcomes of their students, but there is still a need for further research into the science of learning and the science of instruction, including comparative effectiveness of different teaching strategies and how best to translate findings from the psychology literature into medical education.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Glossary

Retrieval failure: Describes the situation where an item stored in long-term memory cannot be accessed (temporarily or permanently). The typical explanation for retrieval failure is insufficient retrieval strength, which may be due to the absence of external (e.g. contextual) or internal (e.g. emotional) retrieval cues or interference from other items stored in long-term memory.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Janeve Desy

Janeve Desy is a clinical lecturer in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Calgary.

Kevin Busche

Kevin Busche is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Calgary and is Assistant Dean of preclerkship for the Undergraduate Medical Education Office at the University of Calgary.

Ronald Cusano

Ronald Cusano is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Calgary and is Director of Student Affairs for the Undergraduate Medical Education Office at the University of Calgary.

Pamela Veale

Pamela Veale is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary and is Assistant Dean of clerkship for the Undergraduate Medical Education Office at the University of Calgary.

Sylvain Coderre

Sylvain Coderre is a Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Calgary and is the Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Medical Education Office at the University of Calgary.

Kevin McLaughlin

Kevin McLaughlin is a Professor in the Division of Nephrology at the University of Calgary and is the Assistant Dean of Research for the Undergraduate Medical Education Office at the University of Calgary.