An Authentic Learning and Assessment Strategy for Interprofessional Education

BY JAMES THOMPSON

Think of the term “huddle” and you probably think of professional athletes gathered shoulder to shoulder in a circle, intensely discussing their next play strategy, often at critical junctures of the game. If we explore some of the core elements present, themes of communication, problem solving, strategizing, teamwork, and uniting members in shared goals emerge.

Beyond the sporting fields of play, the huddle concept has been widely adopted within health care settings, where it can take various forms. These can include clinical “time-outs”, when workplace events prompt staff to come together, reflect, and reset their practice goals. Elsewhere, the huddle can be seen as a routine interdisciplinary forum that brings together professionals from different healthcare disciplines to plan patient care collaboratively.

Interprofessional Health Care Education

Educators increasingly recognize the benefits of bringing together students from different health-care disciplines in a shared learning environment. However, simply gathering students does not ensure effective interprofessional education (IPE). A growing body of research emphasizes the importance of central IPE competencies, including professional roles, ethical practice, conflict resolution, communication, and collaboration. These competencies can serve as a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of IPE activities. As they are often part of the hidden curriculum, they may not be explicitly assessed.

Introducing the Huddle as a Continuous Authentic Assessment Strategy

We implemented the huddle as an assessment strategy for a blended cohort of first-year allied health students. The format consisted of a short, weekly summative quiz, simultaneously adopted across several courses. To contextualize the activity, we provided real-world examples of how huddles are used in various healthcare disciplines, helping students understand the relevance of the task to their future professional roles.

Students were only allowed to start the quiz once they had formed interdisciplinary groups, with new group compositions encouraged each week. Unlike traditional summative assessments that discourage collusion, the huddle promoted discussion and consensus-building. Students engaged in open debate before submitting responses that reflected their group’s collective agreement.

Key Findings

IPE-Based Grouping: Initially, many students were reluctant to move beyond their established classroom friendships. However, over time, new cross-disciplinary collaborations formed, expanding their learning networks.
Attendance and Engagement: Class attendance significantly increased following the introduction of the huddle. Although students had the option to complete the quiz independently, many preferred attending in person and group discussions often extended beyond class time.
Cross-Disciplinary Problem Solving: Students not only used the Huddle to try to optimize their grades through collaboration but also recognized the value of interdisciplinary debate in enhancing their learning.
Teamwork and Leadership: While no formal group leader was assigned, groups organically developed their own structures. In many cases, a spokesperson emerged to facilitate discussion and confirm group decisions.
Preference for Consensus Answers: Although students were required to submit individual responses online and had the option to diverge from their group’s consensus, nearly all students chose to align with their group’s final decision.

Recommendations

Make the Real-World Context Clear: Student engagement in IPE is hindered when the relevance of tasks is not apparent. This is especially challenging for students with limited professional experience. Educators should explicitly link classroom activities to real-world health-care practice.
Students as Professional Representatives: Left to their own devices, students often form discipline-specific silos, limiting interdisciplinary learning. Structured IPE activities should encourage students to actively engage as representatives of their future professions.
Use Higher-Order Questions: Simple recall questions fail to stimulate meaningful discussion. Instead, questions should require application, reasoning, and consideration of diverse professional perspectives to foster deeper engagement.
Embrace Conflict as a Learning Tool: Students often view conflict as adversarial. However, professional disagreement is a natural and beneficial aspect of health-care collaboration. Educators should guide students in developing respectful problem-solving and negotiation skills.
Close the Loop: Reinforce learning by summarizing what students accomplished, how they engaged with key skills, and why the activity is relevant to their future professional roles.

By integrating the huddle as a continuous, authentic assessment strategy, educators can foster collaboration, enhance engagement, and better prepare students for real-world interprofessional practice.

James Thompson is a senior lecturer in the College of Health at Adelaide University. His scholarship and research focus on the innovative use of authentic and programmatic assessment within the health professions.