The development of a shared e-learning resource across three distinct programmes based at universities in England, Ireland and Scotland

Abstract

Recent discourses embedded in higher education policies advocate institutional collaboration and globalisation, while inter-professional learning and student-centred learning have each found favour as good practice in educational delivery. In this article, we detail the process of developing a novel innovation that operationalized components of these key discourses and learning strategies. The innovation itself, a case study based set of vignettes, was created and rolled out across higher education institutions in England, Ireland and Scotland. The purpose of the innovation was to enable students from health sciences programmes at the three institutions in question to share resources in developing culturally sensitive care, and to communicate remotely with one another through a shared discussion board. The aspiration was to position students to develop their thinking from a wider repertoire of discourses than those immediately culturally and professionally available to them. We conclude that collaborations of this kind, though not without their drawbacks, can serve to mitigate tribalism, facilitate openness and increase transparency in higher education teaching.