E-learning for healthcare students: developing the communities of practice framework.

Area of Science:

• Online learning environments
• Healthcare education
• Communities of practice framework

Background:

• Limited research exists on applying the communities of practice framework to online learning.
• The framework's applicability in healthcare education settings is unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if healthcare students develop communities of practice characteristics in an online module.
• To assess the suitability of the communities of practice framework for online healthcare education.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase case study approach was used.
• Phase 1 involved a questionnaire for 109 healthcare students.
• Phase 2 used online diaries, discussion board interactions, and interviews for data collection.

Main Results:

• Students demonstrated elements of communities of practice (mutual engagement, joint enterprise, shared repertoire), though not consistently.
• Online access and identity presentation posed challenges to mutual engagement and trust.
• The virtual classroom supported collaborative endeavors, and professional understanding/computer skills improved.

Conclusions:

• The communities of practice framework is applicable to online learning for students and professionals globally.
• Ensuring student access to online communities and adequate computer skills is vital.
• Course design must actively support the development of essential communities of practice components.