Learning theories and IPE

What learning theories are interprofessional education based upon?

Regardless if you have a behaviourist approach, believing that proved changes in behaviour are the only way of knowing students have learned, or if you have a constructivist approach, where learning is perceived more like an experiential and cognitive work-in-progress, you need to underpin your interprofessional education by one or more theories.

Do you agree with the following statement: "only what can be measured can be regarded as learning"?

This article explores learning theories and IPE:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1473-6861.2009.00227.x/abstract;jsessionid=BDE04E7592102B1D7D95C2A6A5A37A19.f03t04?userIsAuthenticated=false&deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=

Norwegian IPE equals TPS

In Norway, interprofessional education is termed tverrprofesjonell samarbeidslæring, abbreviated TPS. There has been done interesting IPE/TPS projects in Norway.

At the University of Bergen, they have had a project abbreviated TVEPS for several years. TVEPS has its own website which can be visited here:

http://www.uib.no/tveps


At the University of Tromsø there have been held several pilots including real patient encounters. Also, the University of Tromsø has had an introductory course for all health profession students for many years. You can read more about this introductory course here:

https://uit.no/utdanning/emner/emne?p_document_id=368344


Interprofessional e-learning is still new in Norway. Here is an article discussing current experiences with e-learning and IPE:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mette_Toien/publication/261092985_Evaluering_av_klinisk_stige_ved_intensivseksjonen_Rikshospitalet-Norge/links/53d89dd80cf2e38c63318099.pdf#page=19

e-IPE as a solution?

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a priority to establish for many higher education institutions. Most institution are faced with the dreaded logistics of IPE. How can we ensure hundreds or even thousands of students are given the possibility to work together in order to learn from, about and with each other?

Some institutions have tried e-IPE as a solution to this challenge.

Underneath are some links to their experiences:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=no&lr=&id=RxAdBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA107&dq=An+e+learning+model+of+interprofessional+education&ots=w_iQw5EdpR&sig=0jivkxsWyWSCPN87ySBG_lG_X4c#v=onepage&q=An%20e%20learning%20model%20of%20interprofessional%20education&f=false


https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260404329_The_Impact_of_an_Online_Learning_Resource_Designed_to_Enhance_Interprofessional_Collaborative_Practice_in_Palliative_Care_Findings_from_the_Caring_Together_Pilot_Project

The nightmare of logistics

For many higher education institutions, logistics remain the biggest obstacle to providing interprofessional education. The students are scattered between institutions, at different locations on placements or have timetables leaving little space for other activities than the occasional lunch.

At the University of Tromso, Norway, all health care students are studying within the same Department of health, and yet, no more than pilots of interprofessional clinical encounters have been possible to arrange.

I have suggested that all studies should have one designated day every few weeks available for participation in different projects, but so far no good.

Here is where e-learning may be a possible solution. But what is e-learning?

Here is a link trying to explain:

http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/introduction-to-elearning

Introduction

This blog is made as part of a student project for a masters degree in medical education at the University of Dundee, Scotland. The aim of this blog is being a resource for knowledge about possibilities for technology enhanced learning, or e-learning, in the field of interprofessional education.

This blog will be directed to an international audience, but some posts will discuss Norwegian interprofessional issues in particular, and here some of the articles will be in Norwegian. These posts will have Norway or Norwegian in its title. The remaining posts will have a broader audience, and only articles in English.

Some of the links may not work unless you have access to articles through your employer or otherwise. If links are broken, please let me know by commenting on the post.

To set the scene for the theme interprofessional education I will recommend this great article by Jill Thistlethwaite about where interprofessional education is at the moment and where it could go in the future:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04143.x/abstract;jsessionid=AD9AE131629498BDA477B53A33CEF73C.f04t02

For those wanting a quicker, easier introduction, try this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-83eDYlFP4