Abstract:

Interprofessional education (IPE) is required by accrediting bodies for a majority of health professions programs in higher education. According to the World Health Organization, interprofessional education “occurs when two or more professions (students, residents and health workers) learn with, about, and from each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes.” Best practices for interprofessional education that support this definition can present logistical issues for didactic settings including scheduling, space, technological support, collaborative work areas, etc. Computer supported team based learning (CSTBL) activities, based on social constructivist learning methodology, can be used to support the unique requirements for interprofessional education.

We created and embedded a number of CSTBL activities in our interprofessional education curriculum in the School of Health Professions at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. The School of Health Professions has a mandatory course, Interprofessional Development Education, and Active Learning (IDEAL), for all first year students (n= approximately 140 students/year) in academic programs: physician assistant studies; physical therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, clinical nutrition, clinical rehabilitation counseling, and radiation therapy. Students are assigned to small, interprofessional groups of ten to twelve students for the duration of the year-long course. These groups function as teams for a variety of active learning activities throughout the course, including activities in a technology supported team based learning space.

Students in the IDEAL course participate in CSTBL activities in cultural competency, health literacy, patient communication, and behavioral modification. The team based learning space allows for dissemination of information and discussions with all students in addition to stations for individual team collaboration. The IDEAL groups divide into smaller teams and work on the interprofessional collaborative exercises and problem solving. Assessment of the CSTBL activities demonstrated knowledge gains in the main topics, attitude gains in interprofessional teamwork, and positive feedback from students.

CSTBL activities are able to address logistical barriers associated with interprofessional education and are effective educational activities. These positive attributes support using CSTBL activities for interprofessional education in the curricula for health professions in higher education.

Keywords:

Computer supported, team based, interprofessional education, collaborative.