Learning environments for interprofessional education: A micro-ethnography of sociomaterial assemblages in team-based...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education research
• Sociomateriality in learning environments
• Interprofessional collaboration studies

Background:

• Fostering teamwork in large undergraduate interprofessional education (IPE) cohorts presents significant challenges.
• Understanding the interplay of material and intersubjective factors in IPE group learning is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the complexities of IPE group learning processes in a blended, team-based learning environment.
• To investigate how material and intersubjective elements intertwine in newly formed interprofessional groups.
• To analyze the synchronous engagement of diverse healthcare students (Chinese medicine, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work) in face-to-face and online learning.

Main Methods:

• A micro-ethnography study employing a sociomaterial theoretical lens.
• Contrastive video analysis of two undergraduate interprofessional healthcare student groups.
• Examination of synchronous spatial/physical configurations, associated talk, and online activity.

Main Results:

• Group B exhibited more even spatial grouping and orientation towards a leader, despite peer evaluations suggesting distributed leadership.
• Group A experienced spatial disruption and subgrouping after a critical event, yet peer evaluations identified a defined leader.
• Online scores indicated peer identification of leaders influenced learning processes, not immediate learning outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Peer leadership identification may impact initial interprofessional team learning processes but not necessarily learning outcomes in the first meeting.
• The design of both physical and virtual learning spaces significantly contributes to the sociomaterial processes of group cohesion.
• Effective blended learning environments are key to developing successful interprofessional team-based learning.