Does Online Interprofessional Case-Based Learning Facilitate Collaborative Knowledge Construction?

Abstract

Introduction

COVID-19 pandemic has caused an impact on various sectors of life, including the education sector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, education from various levels could only be carried out online by utilizing various on-line media. In Health professional education context, one of the learning activities that must be shifted in online format was interprofessional education (IPE) program. This study aimed to evaluate students’ collaborative knowledge construction to evaluate the effectiveness of online interprofessional case-based learning (CBL) activities.

Methods

This interventional study using quantitative and qualitative method involved a total of 476 students; consisted of 204 medical students, 39 midwifery students and 233 nursing students; who took part online interprofessional CBL. All students were divided into 34 mixed profession groups with 14 students each. To evaluate students’ collaborative knowledge construction during CBL, data were collected using the Maastricht Peer Activity Rating Scale (MPARS). Qualitative data exploring students’ perception regarding online IPE activity and their online CBL process were collected using Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Quantitative data were analysed using statistical tests, and the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Students’ scores for constructive, collaborative, and motivational activities evaluated using MPARS were considered as average to high. However, nursing students scored the lowest compared to the other two fellow professions: medical and midwifery students, on all items of the MPARS. Medical students had the highest MPARS scores. Several themes could be explored during the FGD.

Discussion

This study revealed that students could engage in collaborative knowledge construction in interprofessional education implementing online interprofessional CBL. However, students thought that offline collaborative practice will better improve team bonding which is considered as prominent aspect for collaboration. This thought gives idea to the implementation of hybrid online offline learning for IPE.

Keywords:

• interprofessional education
• IPE
• case-based learning
• CBL
• online learning
• Maastricht Peer Activity Rating Scale
• MPARS

Data Sharing Statement

Materials and supporting data are deidentified; however, they are available for download on the website: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1hHDC85QL4imcpLe4GbSwKPMji66wsEya. All files may be used for research and education with further consent.

Ethics

Ethics approval and consent to participate in the study was approved by the Bioethics Committee for Medical/Health Research Faculty of Medicine Islamic University of Sultan Agung Semarang (Letter No. 130/IV/2022/Komisi Bioetik) and was conducted at Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Semarang, Indonesia. Taking part in the study posed no physical risk to participants. All participants provided informed consent which included publication of anonymized responses.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of Republic of Indonesia, for funding the project and all students who participated in the study; Interprofessional Education Champions of Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, for their assistance in conducting the study.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of Republic of Indonesia.