Learning Activity Sequence, Simulation, and Productive Failure in Anti-Harassment Education

Introduction Despite the high prevalence of harassment in health professions education, empirical investigations into effective anti-harassment interventions remain scarce. Our study examined the effectiveness of an innovative anti-harassment intervention that featured instructional videos and high-fidelity simulation training for medical residents. We drew from the knowledge-learning-instruction framework and the idea of productive failure to conceptualize our research questions and discussion. We examined how the sequence of educational activities may be linked to simulation performance and increases in knowledge levels. Method Our pretest posttest study contacted all 88 eligible internal medicine residents, randomly assigning them to the intervention (n = 60) or equivalent training later (n = 28). Of those assigned to the intervention, 52 (86.6%) consented and were further randomized to a video-first or simulation-first group. We provided educational activities in different sequences accordingly. We assessed knowledge via a questionnaire, and simulation performance via a performance checklist. Results The video-first group demonstrated significantly better initial simulation performance compared with the simulation-first group, aligning with traditional learning sequential benefits. Both groups showed significant postintervention knowledge gains. Notably, the simulation-first group, despite starting with lower performance, ended with significantly higher knowledge levels than the video-first group, suggesting the efficacy of the productive failure approach in fostering deeper learning. Conclusions The sequence of educational activities may impact the effectiveness of anti-harassment training. The video-first approach enhances immediate performance, while the simulation-first approach fosters better knowledge retention. Further research should investigate the long-term effects of such educational strategies and their applicability in diverse healthcare settings.