Occasioning learning in the workplace: The case of interprofessional peer collaboration

Abstract

In this study, we explore the potential of peer collaboration as a means of promoting continuous learning at work. Six peer collaboration groups comprised of 18 employees in a large urban health region in Canada participated in small collaborative inquiry groups over a period of 6 – 8 months. Using a collective case study design, each group provided one instrumental case that when combined with the other five served a supportive role in studying peer collaboration in continuous professional education. In this article, drawing on analysis of transcribed group conversations, we provide portraits of two interprofessional peer groups for in-depth discussion and further illustration. While one group used peer collaboration to: (1) retrace and reconsider their practical judgments; and (2) identify and explore breakdowns in practice, the other group demonstrated that peer collaboration can provide a space in which to identify and explore issues related to (1) workplace conflict, (2) professional boundaries and (3) emotional pain. The power of peer collaboration as an informal vehicle for continuous learning seems to lie in interprofessional conversation. This study suggests that unstructured but focused conversations about daily practice, among close colleagues from other professions, can yield surprising possibilities for learning.