Citizen social science: a methodology to facilitate and evaluate workplace learning in continuing interprofessional education

Abstract

Workplace learning in continuing interprofessional education (CIPE) can be difficult to facilitate and evaluate, which can create a number of challenges for this type of learning. This article presents an innovative method to foster and investigate workplace learning in CIPE - citizen social science. Citizen social science involves clinicians as co-researchers in the systematic examination of social phenomena. When facilitated by an open-source online social networking platform, clinicians can participate via computer, smartphone, or tablet in ways that suit their needs and preferences. Furthermore, as co-researchers they can help to reveal the dynamic interplay that facilitates workplace learning in CIPE. Although yet to be tested, citizen social science offers four potential benefits: it recognises and accommodates the complexity of workplace learning in CIPE; it has the capacity to both foster and evaluate the phenomena; it can be used in situ, capturing and having direct relevance to the complexity of the workplace; and by advancing both theoretical and methodological debates on CIPE, it may reveal opportunities to improve and sustain workplace learning. By describing an example situated in the youth health sector, this article demonstrates how these benefits might be realised.

What does it mean to conduct participatory research with Indigenous peoples? A lexical review

“…For scholars, given the importance of impact, this review would suggest that there is much scope and opportunity to actively engage Indigenous peoples in all research phases to improve public health initiatives and redress longstanding health inequalities. Several methodologies have a demonstrated capacity to enhance engagement – consider for instance, citizen social science [76] and video reflexive ethnography (VRE, [77, 78]). Informed by both crowdsourcing and citizen science, citizen social science involves avocational researchers who examine social phenomena by collecting and analyzing data, disseminating the associated findings, and translating these into practice.…”

Using simulation to help healthcare professionals relaying patient information during telephone conversations

“…[ 77 ] facilitated in-depth interprofessional discussions by helping teams to establish video filming and reflective discussions of the filmed every day practice. Dadich described technology-based ideas, drawing on “crowd sourcing” concepts to make healthcare professionals co-researchers and reporting on effects on educational interventions [ 78 ]. Whatever direction is taken and method used for further investigations, we agree with Kitto et al.…”

Patient Involvement in Healthcare-Associated Infection Research: A Lexical Review

“…Several methodologies can promote such engagement, including citizen social science 36 and video reflexive ethnography (VRE) 30 37 Drawing from crowdsourcing and citizen science, citizen social science involves the examination of social phenomena, the systematic collection and analysis of related data, and the dissemination and translation of these activities to practice by researchers on a primarily avocational basis.…”