Pilot Project Exploring Low-tech Collaborative Board Gaming on Student Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Education

Abstract

Objectives: The intent of this project was to explore the impact of a small, collaborative gaming experience among undergraduate students on student attitudes and beliefs about Interprofessional Education (IPE). Methods: Health sciences librarians at two state universities used a low-tech, collaborative board game to facilitate small, in-person group gaming. The authors used an adapted version of the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS), a validated instrument that measures the four domains of the 2011 IPEC Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, as a pre/post assessment of the impact of the gaming experience. Results: While anecdotal evidence indicated that playing a collaborative board game had an impact on the participating students, there was no statistically based evidence that collaborative board games increases positive or negative attitudes about IPE and interprofessional collaborative practice. Conclusions: More student participation is required for statistical significance, recruiting students and ensuring that students have enough time to complete the game play is key to future possible success.