Learning Curves and Simulation in Health Sciences Education

Abstract

Simulation has been implemented in Health Sciences education in response to limitations of daily clinical practice. Through simulation it is possible to create a safe learning environment, where the conditions of the deliberate practice model can be implemented. However, there are several challenges associated with the emergence of these teaching resources that should be addressed, such as the best strategies for the curricular integration of simulation programmes, the optimization of resources and training time, and methods to evaluate new practices.
Learning curves are representations of the relationship between training and the performance level, which allows the longitudinal inspection of the learning process.
This article aims to review the concept of learning curves and describe potential benefits of its use in Health Sciences education and biomedical simulation.