Anticipation Guides: A Tool to Highlight Knowledge and Promote Reflection on Learning.

Abstract

Introduction: Anticipation guides (AGs) are an active learning tool with broad benefit for both learners and instructors. Though AGs have been more extensively studied in the primary and secondary education contexts, their development and implementation, as well as the benefits that they offer to medical education are not as well understood. The objective of this study was to explore the benefits that AGs afford to resident learners and instructors in the resident-led didactic conference setting.

Methods: We performed a qualitative study of the use of anticipation guides in the resident-led didactic conference setting. Participants included 47 resident learners and three chief resident instructors. Data included learner response sheets, instructor reflective journals, and field notes from nonparticipant observation. Data analysis followed guidelines for content analysis.

Results: Results indicate that AGs highlight changes in knowledge and thinking, prompt learners to reflect on their learning, and offer valuable insight into learner achievement and uncertainty to instructors. This input promotes formative assessment of learners and encourages instructors to improve their practice.

Conclusions: Anticipation guides are an easy-to-implement active learning strategy with multiple benefits in the resident didactic conference setting. Their use helps learners recognize strengths and weaknesses and identify gaps in knowledge-behaviors consistent with the goals of residency as espoused by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Including AGs in instruction also benefits instructors in that they provide insight into learners' thinking and knowledge development and allow educators to assess the efficacy of their instruction.