21st century learning. This is a follow up and an expansion on what Martin touched on the other day. There will be a separate post that follows with an easy means of implementation.

Background information:

Or skip to a Life in the fast lane post which provides similar info:

A Wired magazine article on spaced repetition software:

A review of spaced recall with numerous citations:

A department of education report illustrating the implementation of spaced repetition:

Free open source, cross platform, spaced repetition software, Anki:

A guide to making flashcards for effective spaced repetition:

A couple general articles on spaced repetition:

Donovan, J. J., & Radosevich, D. J. (1999). A meta-analytic review of the distribution of practice effect: Now you see it, now you don’t. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(5), 795-805.

Stahl SM, Davis RL, Kim DH, Lowe NG, Carlson RE, Fountain K, Grady MM. Play it Again: The Master Psychopharmacology Program as an Example of Interval Learning in Bite-Sized Portions. CNS Spectr. 2010 Aug;15(8):491-504. PMID:20703196.

Several articles by a Harvard Urologist about the implementation of spaced repetition in medical education:

1: Kerfoot BP. Adaptive spaced education improves learning efficiency: a
randomized controlled trial. J Urol. 2010 Feb;183(2):678-81. doi:
10.1016/j.juro.2009.10.005. PubMed PMID: 20022032.


2: Kerfoot BP. Interactive spaced education versus web based modules for teaching
urology to medical students: a randomized controlled trial. J Urol. 2008
Jun;179(6):2351-6; discussion 2356-7. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2008.01.126. Epub 2008 
Apr 18. PubMed PMID: 18423715.


3: Kerfoot BP, DeWolf WC, Masser BA, Church PA, Federman DD. Spaced education
improves the retention of clinical knowledge by medical students: a randomised
controlled trial. Med Educ. 2007 Jan;41(1):23-31. PubMed PMID: 17209889.


4: Kerfoot BP, Brotschi E. Online spaced education to teach urology to medical
students: a multi-institutional randomized trial. Am J Surg. 2009
Jan;197(1):89-95. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.10.026. Epub 2008 Jul 9. PubMed
PMID: 18614145.


5: Kerfoot BP, Fu Y, Baker H, Connelly D, Ritchey ML, Genega EM. Online spaced
education generates transfer and improves long-term retention of diagnostic
skills: a randomized controlled trial. J Am Coll Surg. 2010
Sep;211(3):331-337.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2010.04.023. Epub 2010 Jul 13. 
PubMed PMID: 20800189.