Exploring online learning interactions among medical students during a self-initiated enrichment year

Abstract

Introduction: A novel initiative allowed third year medical students to pursue experiential learning during a year-long Enrichment Year programme as part of the core curriculum. ‘connect*ed’, an online virtual community of learning was developed to provide learning and social support to students and to help them link their diverse experiences with the common goal of being a doctor. This study examined the nature, pattern, and content of online interactions among medical students within this community of learning to identify features that support learning and personal growth. Methods: This was a quantitative-qualitative study using platform data analytics, social network analysis, thematic content analysis to analyse the nature and pattern of online interactions. Focus group interviews with the faculty mentors and medical students were used to triangulate the results. Results: Students favoured online interactions focused on sharing and learning from each other rather than structured tasks. Multimedia content, especially images, attracted more attention and stimulated more constructive discussion. We identified five patterns of interaction. The degree centrality and reciprocity did not affect the team interactivity but mutual encouragement by team members and mentors can promote a positive team dynamic. Conclusion: Online interactions that are less structured, relate to personal interests, and use of multimedia appear to generate the most meaningful content and teams do not necessarily need to have a leader to be effective. A structured online network that adopts these features can better support learners who are geographically separated and engaged in different learning experiences.