Abstract:

Learning is a complex process of continuous reengineering of the explicit and implicit components of the memory that make up the spatial-temporal mental frames. Since cognition is not only thinking, but also involves other complex mental processes, which are not necessarily conscious, we refer to Metacognition in a broad sense, and Metathinking as a synonym and component of the process called critical thinking. Doctors need and want time to cope with patient’s process. The clinical process of any patient is characterized by its volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Therefore, doctors need critical thinking to practice their medical practice. Good preparation of medical doctors requires both provide knowledge as develop appropriate competences; a challenge for the education institutions. E-Learning is teaching and learning conducted via electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT). The implementation of the possibilities of e-learning are intimately linked with critical thinking. However, as a tool for learning, it suffers from being based on basic understanding of how one learns. New technologies aimed at e-learning in medicine should be based on metacognition. In other words, if our long-term memory is consolidated, incorporating explicit but also implicit components, the latter must be incorporated into the training options of e-learning. E-learning should be based on learning pills or microlearning, accompanied by both non-declarative pills for the observer, and by declarative pills. Structured in such a way that in the end the student has the necessary implicit and explicit resources, so that he or she, by himself or herself, accedes to exercise metathinking both implicit and explicit. Hence, video-learning should enable this implicit and explicit metathinking. E-learning can easily provide this complex and multiple behavioral situations before which a doctor will ever find himself or herself in the exercise of his or her professional life. Therefore, e-learning cannot only help us "teach to teach", "learn to learn", also to develop implicit and explicit metathinking capabilities. Our paper is analytical and conceptual. Based on a neuroscientific analysis of how human memory works, this paper advances the understanding on the use of e-learning for medical education under an integrative and holistic view, to contribute to the proper preparation of current and future medical doctors, and of health care professionals in general.

Keywords:

e-learning, critical thinking, education, health-care, medical, metacognition, neuroscience.