Development and evaluation of shared learning wiki in an Interprofessional context

Development and evaluation of shared learning wiki in an Interprofessional context

Date or referenceDenis McGrath, Leslie Robinson and Melanie Stephens

Aims and Objectives

• To demonstrate an overview of the wiki project and its outcomes for HE / Interprofessional Education

• Define and review the importance of Interprofessional Education

• Internet Landscape (Godwin Jones, 2003)

• Methodology• Findings• Discussion• Test drive• Feedback

Interprofessional Education

• Healthcare delivered by multiple professionals and support workers

• Community Care Act (DH, 1990), The New NHS Modern and Dependable (DH, 1997), NSFs (DH, 2001 onwards).

• Professional Tribes (Maben et al, 2007)• Focus on holistic, humanistic,

compassionate and co-operative care and embrace collective responsibility (Wilcock and Headrick, 2000)

Internet Landscape

• New Technologies such as, wikis, social book marking, blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds.

• Transformation of isolated static information stores to dynamic applications.

• A social phenomena: an approach to generating and distributing Web content in a social context.

• Flexible open communication, – decentralisation of authority, – allows the freedom to share and

re-use information,– simple to use

• Embodies the flexible socio-centric approach to learning (Vygotsky, 1920)

Methodology

• 125 nurses and 50 radiography undergraduate students

• Face-to-face • Problem-based trigger• 5 on-line wikis• Mixed professional groups• Wiki Champions

What is a wiki?

• A web site that can be individually or collaboratively edited

• No special tools and no special IT skills are required.

• Participants collaboratively work on the content of the site without needing to exchange word processor documents.

• Gaining rapid acceptance in education (Pereira and Soares, 2007, Long, 2006, Rafaeli, 2006, Fisher and Baird, 2005, Lamb, 2004).

• Technologies used:– Blackboard VLE– Learning Objects “Wiki

Tool”– University & Remote PCs.

• Closed System : Log on / off• Group wiki access only.

We took some students from different disciplines: radiography (2nd years) &

nursing (3rd years)

Step 1

GROUP 1: Mary Seacole Inter-disciplinary group

Step 2

We put the selected students into a group comprised of the two professions: 25 from nursing & 10 from radiography

Mary Seacole Inter- Disciplinary group

A Learning Champion from each of the two professions

Step 3

Identification and nomination of wiki champions

Step 4

Four additional similar groups were created

Viewing and editing rights

Hive Brain (Levy 2001)Hive Brain (Levy 2001)

Tutor monitoring of process

Interaction between student and wiki

Tutor observation of and Contribution to wiki / student progress

Complete Overview of wiki construction

Number of contributors

Number of page edits

Number of page views -

Identities of contributors

Editing history in complete detail

Complete Overview of wiki construction

Detailed journal of revision history Slide 1

• Complete Oversight of wiki construction

Editing history in detailing, participant, date of change and version information

Detailed journal of revision history Slide 2

A full range of statistics can be drawn from the monitoring tools.

Including

Access time of day Access days of week

Detailed journal of revision history Slide 3

A full range of statistics can be drawn from the monitoring tools.

Including

Access time of day Access days of week

Findings (Quantitative)

Views, edits and contributors

Findings (Qualitative) Online Questionnaire

• General Attitude• “It’s fun and I really enjoyed it”

• Shared & Inter-professional learning• “is great for interdisciplinary collaboration, sharing of

info And most importantly made us more aware of the nurses knowledge”

• Teamwork• “It encourages online teamwork• “The concept is a good one but not everyone

participated”

Findings (Qualitative) Online Questionnaire

• Student Engagement• “Not everyone would feel comfortable putting work on [The

Wiki]”• “..being able to share information without the pressure of being

in a group discussion in uni”

• Flexibility• “It was great to participate from home

• Outcome & application to other areas• “The outcome of the wiki was great, I could see how many would

benefit from this”

Limitations of study

• Number of respondents• On-line questionnaire skewing

sample

Benefits and limitations of wikis

• Benefits wikis for teaching and learning– Students enjoy it– IT skills development– Critical peer review and collaboration– Resource material

• Limitations– Engaging non participants– Technical support– Summative assessments– Selling benefits of wikis– Resources

Test Drive

Wiki Races

Feedback

• Open Mic

Contacts

• Denis McGrath• d.m.mcgrath@salford.ac.uk• Leslie Robinson• l.robinson@salford.ac.uk• Melanie Stephens• m.stephens@salford.ac.uk