A randomized education trial of spaced versus massed instruction to improve acquisition and retention of paediatric resuscitation skills in emergency medical service (EMS) providers

Simulation-Based Arthroscopic Skills Using a Spaced Retraining Schedule Reduces Short-Term Task Completion Time and Camera Path Length

“…First, previous studies have demonstrated that spaced learning is superior to massed learning of motor skills for several reasons. 10,11,25,26 Except for mental fatigue during massed learning, anterograde interference and consolidation were considered as the main mechanisms that resulted in the superiority of spaced learning. 12 In terms of the setting of a time interval, Smolen et al 10 demonstrated that memory reactivationdthat is, repeated stimulid reinforces long-term memory formation.…”

2020 Korean Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Part 9. Education and system implementation for enhanced chain of survival

“…2). 8,17,[42][43][44] BLS skills decline within 3 to 12 months after initial CPR training, but evidence suggests that more frequent retraining improves CPR skills, responders' confidence, and willingness to perform CPR (Fig. 3) (Class IIb, Level C-LD).…”

Education, Implementation, and Teams

“…Seventeen studies in courses with manikins and simulation were included in the narrative synthesis: 13 randomized studies 172À184 and 4 nonrandomized studies. 185À188 As shown in Table 7 for spaced learning and Table 8 for booster learning, the included studies covered a range of resuscitation courses: 8 studies in BLS, 173,174,177,178,180 À182,186 with the latter 3 studies reporting results from the same cohort of participants; 3 studies in pediatric ALS 172,175,185 ; 5 studies in neonatal life support 176,179,183,184,188 ; and 1 study in emergency medicine skills course. 187 In all identified studies, practical skills were assessed using manikins.…”

“…The second study 172 randomized EMS providers to either a spaced (4 weekly sessions) or massed (2 sequential days) format. At 3 months' testing, infant and adult chest compressions were similar in both groups, but bag-mask ventilation and intraosseous insertion performance was superior in the spaced learning group (spaced learning group bag-mask ventilation score mean, 2.2 [SD, 7], P = 0.005; intraosseous score mean, 3.1 [SD, 0.5], P = 0.04; massed learning group bag-mask ventilation score mean, 1.8 [SD, 0.5], P = 0.98; intraosseous score mean, 2.7 (SD, 0.2), P = 0.98).…”

“…In an RCT of spaced versus massed learning in EMS providers, a 33-question standardized Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada pediatric ALS multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) test was used immediately after training and 3 months after the course. 172 In the spaced group, there was no decay in the mean MCQ score 3 months after the course compared with the immediate postcourse score (immediately after, 30.3 [SD, 0.5] versus after 3 months, 29.7 [SD 0.5]; P = 0.39); however, there was a statistically significant decay in the MCQ scores in the massed learning condition (immediately after, 31.1 [SD, 0.5] versus after 3 months, 29.6 [SD 0.5]; P = 0.04).…”