ASPiH conference 2013

Interdisciplinary SBME: A case study in development of B-SBME

Armineh Shahoumian, Lancaster University, Gale Parchoma, University of Calgary, Murray Saunders, Lancaster University, Jacky Hanson, Mike Dickinson, Mark Pimblett, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Background/Context

This study examinesinterdisciplinary practices in the development a blended learning approach to Simulation Based Medical Education (B-SBME). The project team included an emergency medicine consultant, two health care professionals/simulation facilitators, an educational researcher, and an educational research student.

The terms, multi- and inter-disciplinary, are often used interchangeably. Whilst in multi-disciplinary projects members of different disciplines “work together on a joint project in a complimentary fashion with little interaction between disciplines,” in interdisciplinary projects “disciplines interact and learn from each other” (Land, 2012, p.178). In interdisciplinary projects there are “methodological and epistemological boundary crossings,disciplinary concepts become integrated” creating opportunities for “emergence of novel perspectives” (Parchoma & Keefer, 2012, p.501).

Research Questions

  1. To what extent did interdisciplinary collaborative work supported/hinder the development of B-SBME?
  2. What challenges/benefits did this project hold for team members?

Methods

This qualitative case study investigates anin situinterdisciplinary collaboration through participant observations and semi-structured interviews. Four team members were interviewed and a two-year project development process was observed. Data analysis was conducted in a five-phased cycleincluding compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding.

Results

Results indicatemembers valued participating in interdisciplinary development work toward a common goal. Disciplinary language barriers, varying theoretical and methodological perspectives, and linking theory to existing practices within a hierarchical, fast-paced organisational setting were challenges. Clinicians report their understandingsof educational theories increased over time and positively influenced individual practices and effectiveness of B-SBME at the research site.

Discussion/Conclusions

Fordeman et al. (2001) argue research that crosses disciplinary boundaries often identifies and introduces new fields of specialisation bycreating shared understandings, rather than retreating into ontological security or methodological insularity. SBME is not only “a complex service intervention” (McGaghie, 2009, p.50), but also an emergent field for interdisciplinary study.

References

Fordeman, R., Mitchman, C. and Sacks, A.B. (2001). Questioning interdisciplinarity. Science, Technology, and Society Newsletter, 126/127, 1-5.

Land, R.(2012). Crossing tribal boundaries: Interdisciplinarity as a threshold concept. InTrowler, P., Saunders, M. & Bamber, V (Eds.) Tribes and territiories in the 21st century: Rethinking the significance of disciplines in higher education (pp. 175-185). London: Routledge.

McGaghie, W.C., Issenberg, S. B., Petrusa, E.R., & Scalese, R.J. (2010). A critical review of simulation-basedmedical education research: 2003–2009. Medical Education. 44, 50–63.

Parchoma, G., and Keefer, J.M. (2012). Contested disciplinarity in international doctoral supervision. In Parchoma, G. (2012) Transdisciplinary research in technology enhanced/networked learning practices. In V. Hodgson, C. Jones, M. ed Latt, D. McConnell, & P. Sloep (Eds.) Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Networked Learning (pp. 498-505), Maastricht, The Netherlands. Retrieved from:

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