‘Media will never influence learning’: but will simulation?

In this edition of Medical Education, Norman, Dore and Grierson present a review of the association between simulation fidelity and transfer of learning. The review addresses a practical question, references literature from several disciplines, and tackles important limitations in a manner that can enlighten medical educators. In this commentary, we expand upon some of the theories cited with the aim of including research and practical implications. Our goal is to begin a thoughtful debate among medical educators about what the findings might mean, how they relate to evidence from other lines of inquiry, and the direction research in this area might take in the future.