Promoting knowledge work practices in health informatics education : exploring students’ and teachers’ views and expectations

Abstract

Background: Education is challenged to offer new type of competencies. Especially in health informatics this need is also emphasized. Trialogical learning is a strategic educational approach that targets towards the development of work related competencies through the implementation of a set of design principles. Objective: This study has two major purposes: (1) to investigate students’ and teachers’ views and expectations on knowledge work practices in health informatics and (2) adapt a course by integrating the Trialogical learning design principles into it, in order to investigate the degree to which the principles can be applied in health informatics education Methods: Ten students and one teacher were recruited as participants. The students’ and teacher’s expectations were collected through web questionnaires and a semi structured interview respectively. The implementation of the design principles was investigated through pre and post semi-structured interviews to the teacher in the beginning and in the end of the modified course. The students were approached through a standardized open-ended group interview in the middle of the course, observations on their online work and seminars which complemented the group interviews followed, and a Contextual Knowledge Practices questionnaire in the end of the course assessed quantitatively the implementation of the design principles. Results: The participants expressed the need and importance of developing modern knowledge work practices throughout education. The implementation of the course under Trialogical learning was received quite well. In total it was agreed that the design principles were implemented to a good degree and especially the ones to which more emphasis was given throughout the course adaptation. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a novel way of transforming a course under Trialogical learning approach and where the design principles worked as a starting point to modify it. Future design-based research is suggested in order to explore in depth all the design principles.