A Cognitive Load Theory Perspective of the Undergraduate Anesthesia Curricula in South Africa.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional descriptive survey study without a control group
PubMed 39046910 · doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000007033
What was done
In a constructivist cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in South Africa between November 2017 and February 2019, researchers explored qualitative factors influencing undergraduate medical students' curricular experiences in anesthesia training. Data from student responses were analyzed using Cognitive Load Theory (evaluating intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive loads) across coding rounds to develop the COLOAD (COgnitive LOad in Anesthesia eDucation) framework.
What was found
A total of 1336 respondents completed the study (79% participation rate). The abstract reports no numerical outcome scores, effect sizes, or inferential statistics. Novice students experienced high cognitive load during anesthesia training, with intrinsic load driven by task number, complexity, and interactivity; extraneous load driven by ineffective instructional methods and internal/external distractors; and germane load influenced by program design, metacognition, and learner motivation.
Why it matters
In resource-constrained environments where junior non-specialists provide independent anesthesia, understanding cognitive overload helps educators refine curricula, eliminate extraneous instructional noise, and support effective learning strategies.
Limits
The study relies entirely on self-reported qualitative experiences without objective assessments of clinical competence, knowledge retention, or patient outcomes. The abstract provides no quantitative metrics beyond participant count and response rate, and data reflect a single country's educational context.