Design and evaluation of a 3D virtual environment for collaborative learning in interprofessional team care delivery

Abstract Background Collaborative learning in interprofessional team care delivery across different healthcare courses and institutions is constrained by geographical locations and tedious scheduling. Three dimensional virtual environments (3D-VE) are a viable and innovative tool to bring diverse healthcare students to learn together. Aim The aim of this study is to describe the development of a 3D-VE and to evaluate healthcare students' experiences of their collaborative learning in the environment. Method A mixed method study design was employed. Participants from six healthcare courses (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Medical Social Work) were recruited from three institutions to form six interprofessional teams to participant in team care delivery via a 3D-VE. Pre- and post-tests were conducted to evaluate the students' attitudes toward healthcare team and interprofessional collaboration. Four focus groups were conducted with 27 healthcare students after they completed questionnaires to evaluate their perceived usability, the sociability of computer-supported collaborative learning, and senses of presence. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Result The students demonstrated significant improvements in their attitudes toward healthcare teams ( p p Conclusion Given its flexibility, practicality, and scalability, this 3D-VE serves as a promising tool for collaborative learning across different healthcare courses and institutions in preparing for future collaborative-ready workforces.