Towards a multimedia simulation for interprofessional learning: Using activity theory to inform design

This thesis reports on a pilot case study that used activity theory in a pre-experimental phase of design-based research. The purpose of this study was to inform the initial design of a multimedia simulation for interprofessional education in the field of health and social care. Five subjects from five different health science disciplines participated in an observational study. Data collection focused on interactions between participants over three problem-based learning (PBL) sessions. Modified grounded theory coding techniques were applied within an activity theory analytic framework to illuminate structural tensions in PBL activity. Interviews with six participants were used to illuminate and corroborate findings. The results suggest three sets of structural tensions that affected interprofessional learning. These tensions suggest opportunities for instructional design improvement in which multimedia simulation could play a key supportive role. Simulation-based design alternatives are presented to resolve these tensions and to suggest new approaches to facilitating interprofessional learning.