In the current project, our main focus was to test the effectiveness of different training interventions and their impact on skill acquisition and long-term retention of laparoscopic motor skills.... Show moreIn the current project, our main focus was to test the effectiveness of different training interventions and their impact on skill acquisition and long-term retention of laparoscopic motor skills. Based on the research in this dissertation and the existing literature, I recommend instructors to design training with predetermined proficiency targets, patient-oriented (adaptive) feedback on a spaced schedule with intervals of a week instead of smaller time frames. Instructors may experiment with larger spacing intervals, but more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of more time in between training sessions. I urge instructors to be cautious in increasing training variability in training novices, since laparoscopy is an inherently complex task and can be overwhelming at the start of training. Fractionation of training of the different facets of laparoscopic surgery may be fine initially, but training focused on skill integration is desirable at a later stage. In examination, a dual-task setup can be used to assess the degree of automatization of the acquired skills. Trainers can implement the use of force measures as an additional metric, to ensure that trainees also learn how to handle different tissues safely. Show less
