The impact of course design features, gender, and academic level on student attitudes towards “Introduction to IPE” course: Mixed-methods analysis / Der Einfluss von Kursgestaltung, Geschlecht und akademischem Niveau auf die Einstellungen der Studierenden zum Kurs „Einführung in IPE: Mixed-Methods-Analyse”

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Interprofessional education (IPE) has been increasingly emphasized as a potential factor in high-quality health care. Despite a rising trend in online IPE courses, less attention has been given to how interactional formats intersect with learner characteristics. This study was to examine the impact of the introductory IPE online course on student attitudes about IPE and identify students’ perceived value of specific instructional course components, such as Student–Student (SS) and Student–Content (SC) aspects, with respect to different academic levels and gender. Methods A mixed-methods design was used and involved quantitative data about the attitudes measured by the SPICE-R2 survey and qualitative open-ended questions about students’ opinions. Participants completed the pre- and post-survey, before and after completing an online course. Results 2,373 students completed the online course and consented to have their responses in this analysis. The two-way ANOVA showed significant effects of academic levels on all three subdomains (Roles, Teamwork, and Outcomes; all p < 0.001), highlighting varied gains across levels, and the qualitative data were confirmatory or confirmatory plus expansive. Students preferred SC more than SS interaction. Conclusion This online course was an effective learning activity for improving students’ attitudes toward IPE. Learning components focusing on real-life patient experience was the most valued and thus impactful course component. Mixed method findings highlighted important awareness of the impact of learner characteristics on the perceived value of course components. Tailoring IPE course content and delivery to meet diverse learners’ learning needs and expectations would be more impactful.