The importance of educational theories for facilitating learning when using technology in medical education

Sandars, John; Patel, Rakesh S.; Goh, Poh Sun; Kokatailo, Patricia K.; Lafferty, Natalie

Abstract

Background: There is an increasing use of technology for teaching and learning in medical education but often the use of educational theory to inform the design is not made explicit. The educational theories, both normative and descriptive, used by medical educators determine how the technology is intended to facilitate learning and may explain why some interventions with technology may be less effective compared with others.

Aims: The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of medical educators making explicit the educational theories that inform their design of interventions using technology.

Method: The use of illustrative examples of the main educational theories to demonstrate the importance of theories informing the design of interventions using technology.

Results: Highlights the use of educational theories for theory-based and realistic evaluations of the use of technology in medical education.

Conclusion: An explicit description of the educational theories used to inform the design of an intervention with technology can provide potentially useful insights into why some interventions with technology are more effective than others. An explicit description is also an important aspect of the scholarship of using technology in medical education.

Citation

Sandars, J., Patel, R. S., Goh, P. S., Kokatailo, P. K., & Lafferty, N. (2015). The importance of educational theories for facilitating learning when using technology in medical education. Medical Teacher, 37(11), 1039-1042. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159x.2015.1019438

• Journal Article Type: Commentary
• Acceptance Date: Jan 27, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Mar 17, 2015
• Publication Date: Nov 2, 2015
• Deposit Date: Mar 28, 2020
• Journal: Medical Teacher
• Print ISSN: 0142-159X
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-187X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 1039-1042
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159x.2015.1019438
• Keywords: Education; General Medicine
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3258906
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/0142159X.2015.1019438
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=imte20