Connect*ed: promoting inter-professional communities of learning using an online team collaboration tool

Abstract

With the emphasis of higher education shifting beyond the physical boundaries of the university, it is important to have a means for students to connect with their disparate learning experiences in order to make meaning of these experiences beyond individual, solitary reflection. We introduce connect*ed, a project to facilitate on-the-move communication, social learning and collaboration among inter-professional teams of medical students and education students engaged in a diverse range of activities including community placements, overseas exchange, service and humanitarian work or research. This aims to serve the dual purpose of building student communities of learning while also providing psychosocial support for students who are away from their home environs.