The use of information and communications technologies in the delivery of interprofessional education: A review of evaluation outcome levels

Abstract

Interprofessional education (IPE) in health and human services educational and clinical settings has proliferated internationally. The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the facilitation of interprofessional learning is also growing, yet reviews of the effectiveness of ICTs in the delivery of pre- and/or post-licensure IPE have been limited. The current study's purpose was to review the evaluation outcomes of IPE initiatives delivered using ICTs. Relevant electronic databases and journals from 1996 to 2013 were searched. Studies which evaluated the effectiveness of an IPE intervention using ICTs were included and analyzed using the Barr et al. modified Kirkpatrick educational outcomes typology. Fifty-five studies were identified and a majority reported evaluation findings at the level 1 (reaction/satisfaction). Analysis revealed that learners react favorably to the use of ICTs in the delivery of IPE, and ICT-mediated IPE can lead to positive attitudinal and knowledge change. A majority of the studies reported positive evaluation outcomes at the learner satisfaction level, with the use of web-based learning modalities. The limited number of studies at other levels of the outcomes typology and deficiencies in study designs indicate the need for more rigorous evaluation of outcomes in ICT-mediated IPE.

Online interprofessional education facilitation: A scoping review

“…This experience was typified by positive factors but also highlighted challenges of facilitation, particularly in the synchronous environment. Both positive factors and challenges have similarly been reported as part of the student's online IPE experience (Curran et al 2015) and for facilitators in other online learning environments (e.g. Cornelius 2014).…”

“…While accounts of online IPE are increasingly reported in the literature (e.g. Curran et al 2015), this review identified only 10 studies that discussed online IPE facilitation in some depth. These studies provide some insights into a range of aspects of online IPE facilitation, however this limited number clearly highlights the need for further exploration of this expanding area of health professions education.…”

“…A key focus was related to the types of contributions the facilitators made in guiding learners on an asynchronous basis using discussion boards (five of the ten included studies). This is not surprising given asynchronous discussion boards are the most commonly used ICT to deliver IPE (Curran et al 2015) and that a facilitator's presence is critical in creating and maintaining a dynamic collaborative online learning environment (Garrison 2017). The review found that the online IPE facilitators made a variety of contributions to their team discussion to instigate further dialogue among learners, to add knowledge or provide instruction.…”

“…In recent years, however, online delivery of IPE has become more prevalent (Curran et al 2015). This increase reflects an acknowledgment that online delivery can overcome a range of complicated scheduling and geographical challenges associated with face-to-face IPE delivery (e.g.…”

“…Over the past decade there has been a growth in studies examining the effects of online IPE. For example, a recent review of 55 papers that used information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the delivery of IPE reported that learners reacted favourably to these new methods and experienced positive attitudinal and knowledge changes related to collaborative practice (Curran et al 2015). While this review provides useful evidence to support the potential effectiveness of the online delivery of IPE for learners, there remains limited attention placed on examining the role of the facilitator in this process.…”