Tricia Tooman; Curtis Olson (University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health)

Purpose

The dominant model of CPD emphasizes the packaging, distribution, and application of scientific knowledge and focuses on individuals as the social unit of change. Our case studies of how interprofessional clinical teams collectively learn and change practice have highlighted the limitations of this model and prompted a search for alternative ways to conceptualize the team learning process. Two constructs we’ve adopted are bricolage (roughly, making do with what is at hand) and intellectual workshop, appropriated from the work of Levi-Straus and Revans respectively. We will present our research in the form of stories, giving access to some of the empirical evidence that prompted us to reframe our thinking. We will then explore the relevance of bricolage and intellectual workshop to theory and practice in multiple contexts, how these constructs simultaneously complement and challenge current conceptions, and the new questions that arise when we understand team learning in this manner.

Format

A brief presentation to establish a common frame of reference and stimulate discussion, followed by a combination of methods to facilitate sharing of ideas and insights.

Expected Outcomes

To become more aware of alternative perspectives on team learning and change and consider how those perspectives might contribute to an expanded repertoire of educational strategies for facilitating change.

Declaration

Funding provided by unrestricted educational grants from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer, Inc.