The Partnered Learning Project
IPC Team Resource Kit:
An Aid to Designing and Implementing Interprofessional Collaboration Workshops for Clinical Healthcare Teams
7.0 Workshop Evaluation
Process | Materials | Experience/Lessons | Ongoing Challenges
The purpose of the PLP workshops was to enhance capacity for interprofessional collaboration among clinical team members in their daily practice and in their role of supporting interprofessional collaboration learning by students on placement with their teams. Formal evaluations were administered at the end of each workshop, which provided useful quantitative data. However, careful attention was also given to informal feedback from participants and to descriptive (qualitative) evaluations of the workshop by the facilitators and by any other PLP researchers who observed the workshop. Each workshop was informed by the accumulating experience of those designing and implementing the workshops, as well as new and unique information gathered about the clinical team. In this way the evaluation of each workshop was contextually sensitive.
- The pilot workshop revealed that participants were quite keen to provide feedback and input about how to effectively deliver IPC training to (other) professionals. Subsequent workshops included specific opportunities for participants to provide both verbal and written evaluation of the workshop experience. The written evaluation were anonymous and aimed at addressing the participant’s self-assessed learning in terms of knowledge, understanding, and application. The evaluation form also included several questions about the workshop logistical elements and the competency of the facilitators. During the workshop and in short, voluntary interviews conducted several weeks later, participants were asked semi-structured questions about their perception of the learning value of the workshop in relation to their contact with IPE students on placement with their team.
- The workshop facilitators also evaluated each workshop. Immediately after the workshop the facilitators discussed the assessed success of the workshop, the design and facilitation strategies that were used, the areas where the actual workshop deviated from the plan, and any surprising or unexpected results. Approximately a week after the workshop the facilitators met again to further evaluate the workshop and discuss how the experience could inform the design of future workshops.
- The written participant’s evaluation was completed before the workshop adjourned.
- The PLP Team Training Lead completed a Facilitator’s Summary within a week of the workshop.
- The full PLP team observed the pilot workshop. A fair bit of time (30 minutes) was dedicated to receiving feedback from the pilot team. The team members were very engaged in this process and had a lot of comments to offer, appearing to take their role as a pilot group very seriously.
- For the subsequent workshops, written evaluations received a fairly high rate of completion and return while verbal evaluation questions during the workshop resulted in fewer comments. (Fatigue or restlessness may have been one factor in this.)
- The facilitator evaluation provided a way of capturing valuable information both for the consideration of the research analysis and also to support the design enhancements of future workshops. Using a form to structure this information was a useful approach.
- Participants in continuing education programs bring with them certain expectations about such a program. These expectations may soliciting learner input about the design and content of the learning activity as well as some follow-up actions to support the transfer of knowledge into the daily work context. Such expectations may not necessarily fit within the scope of a research mandate. Groups contemplating a similar research study or pilot project may find it beneficial to consider how to identify and address any differences in expectations at the outset.
