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

J Interprof Care. 2021 Sep-Oct;35(5):791-793. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2020.1806217. Epub 2020 Nov 15.

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 categorized initially as positive or negative, with sub-themes then 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. 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.

Keywords: Wiki; collaborative practice; interprofessional collaboration; interprofessional education; summative assessment.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Interprofessional Education*
  • Interprofessional Relations*
  • Students