Making the Rich Even Richer? Interaction of Structured Reflection With Prior Knowledge in Collaborative Medical Simulations

Abstract

Collaborative diagnostic reasoning refers to knowledge and skills involved in complex individual and collaborative activities with which medical students and physicians often struggle. This study examined the effects of structured reflection and collaboration scripts on collaborative diagnostic reasoning in medical students depending on their prior knowledge level. 151 advanced medical students were asked to diagnose patients with the help of an agent- based radiologist. In the meantime, students received either collaboration scripts, reflection prompts, or both, or no instructional support. The results showed that structured reflection with and without collaboration scripts enhances the collaborative diagnostic skills only of learners with high prior knowledge. These findings cast doubts on the generally positive effects of structured reflection for learning with simulations put forward by prior research.