Cooperative learning in interdisciplinary education for the allied health professions

The need for interdisciplinary education in allied health has often been cited, but few studies have been made concerning appropriate learning strategies in such courses. This study examines the concept of cooperative goal structuring and assesses the effect of one cooperative learning technique (group consensus examinations) on the perceptions and achievement of allied health students in an interdisciplinary course. The results indicated that when compared with the traditional (individual) mode of testing, group consensus examinations had a significant positive effect on the perceptions of students regarding the clarity and importance of course topics. Achievement on the unit quizzes was higher, and although no difference was found between the two treatment groups on final examination scores, student performance was superior to that of previous years. A large majority of students indicated they preferred group consensus examinations in this type of course.