Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory as a Theoretical Underpinning for Interprofessional Education

It is imperative to incorporate education on interprofessional competencies into the curriculum of healthcare provider students in order to meet the individual program accreditation standards. However, what is missing is a theoretical foundation for the education. The purpose of this paper was to examine if the qualitative data from a mixed-methods study using low-fidelity simulation of a case study that demonstrated changes in interprofessional attitudes and behaviors in healthcare provider students aligned with Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). First-year students (n=515) from 8 professional healthcare programs participated in the 90-minute study which included a scripted scenario of the patient care rounding process. Using thematic analysis, the qualitative results demonstrated a significant alignment with the four stages of Kolb's ELT. Based on the results of this study, ELT appears to provide a solid theoretical underpinning for the education through which to teach interprofessional competencies to healthcare provider students.