Conceptualizing Learning Environments in the Health Professions

The learning environment (LE) is an important and frequently discussed topic in the health professions education literature. However, there is considerable inconsistency in how the LE is defined and described. The authors propose a definition of the LE and a conceptual framework to facilitate health...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Academic medicine Vol. 94; no. 7; p. 969
Main Authors: Gruppen, Larry D, Irby, David M, Durning, Steven J, Maggio, Lauren A
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01.07.2019
Subjects:
Concept Formation
Education, Medical - methods
Environment Design
Health Occupations - education
Humans
Models, Educational
ISSN:1938-808X, 1938-808X
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:The learning environment (LE) is an important and frequently discussed topic in the health professions education literature. However, there is considerable inconsistency in how the LE is defined and described. The authors propose a definition of the LE and a conceptual framework to facilitate health professions educators in understanding, studying, and designing interventions to improve the LE. To arrive at this conceptual framework, the authors employed a living systems perspective that draws on various frameworks and theories, including ecological psychology, workplace learning, situated cognition, and sociomateriality theory. The conceptual framework identifies five overlapping and interactive core components that form two dimensions: the psychosocial dimension and material dimension. The psychosocial dimension comprises three components: the personal, social, and organizational. Intertwined with the psychosocial dimension at each level is the material dimension, which encompasses physical and virtual spaces. This theoretical lens can facilitate identifying and analyzing problems in the LE and guide development of interventions to mitigate them. The authors conclude with several practical suggestions for health professions educators, investigators, and editors.
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ISSN:1938-808X
1938-808X
DOI:10.1097/ACM.0000000000002702