Collaboration and teamwork: Interactions for RT’s professional practice

Purpose\ud \ud This paper outlines a structured approach used in a medical imaging degree program to scaffold the generic skills of collaboration and teamwork that are essential for professional practice. In particular, the activities used in a final year unit will be described and the outcomes presented.\ud \ud Materials & Methods\ud \ud The strategies and tools adopted to assist the student learning experiences include interprofessional learning in a first year unit, small group peer learning experiences during practical sessions and tutorials across multiple units in second and third year, through to a final fourth year unit conducted in a workshop format using a collaborative learning space. The use of social learning spaces instead of formal lecture theatres enables students to interact and engage with peers and tutors. A number of activities requiring collaboration and teamwork are used in these learning experiences.\ud \ud Results\ud \ud Students learn about teamwork in Foundations of Clinical Practice, a first year unit which incorporates interprofessional tutorials where students work together on activities and participate in a team assessment of interdisciplinary practice. The final year unit, Review of Contemporary Practice, requires students to work as a team to select and research a topic related to medical imaging and to present the results as an oral conference presentation and as an electronic poster. This unit is timetabled into a collaborative learning space equipped with multiple tables and computers with large screen monitors.\ud \ud Conclusions \ud \ud Student interaction and collaboration is essential to completing the tasks and activities assigned to the units described. The use of social learning spaces enables a teamwork approach and collaborative environment to engage students in skills essential for professional practice