An online module evaluation of the role and effectiveness of wikis in fostering collaborative practice skills in interprofessional education: a short report

Abstract

This short report focuses on student feedback relating to the use of online group wikis as a means of a summative assessment intended to foster skills in collaborative practice for a large interprofessional education (IPE) module. Electronic feedback from 112 (72.2% response rate) students suggested wikis were a key area of the module. Open text comments relating to the wikis were extracted and categorised initially as positive or negative with sub-themes then being identified within these two broad categories .Findings showed that students valued the experience of a novel type of assessment but felt the amount of work required was too great. We concluded that digital capabilities need to be part of the developmental skill set of students and this raises important issues for further research to consider whether wikis themselves as a computer supported collaborative learning tool are appropriate for large scale IPE delivery.

Rethinking assessment for interprofessional learning during COVID-19: steering a middle course

“…For example, e-assessment using poorly designed multiple-choice questions has been subjected to criticism, whereby students tend to adopt a surface approach, attempting to recall and reproduce information, rather than adopting a deep approach, seeking to make sense of the learning and to apply to professional practice (Gibbs, 2006;Hutchings et al, 2013). Other examples of assessment, some of which have been successfully used in the assessment of interprofessional learning and facilitated through technology, include the use of blogs, wikis, and include self and peer assessment (Burns et al, 2021). These more discursive and reflective forms of eassessment, in addition to role plays, simulation and observations are deemed capable of assessing students' higher order thinking and practical skills (Timmis et al, 2016;Appiah and Van Tonder, 2018).…”

“…The preparation for professional practice (PPP) module team at GCU has utilised this experience to amend assessment strategies. The team were used to utilising wikis within interprofessional education modules (Burns et al, 2021) and they have amended practice to enable students to develop an e-portfolio within a wiki platform. The e-portfolio allowed students to demonstrate the completion of mandatory placement materials, reflective practice and collaborative work within an IT platform.…”