Evaluating group dynamics through peer assessment during a global student collaboration of interprofessional healthcare education: A longitudinal study across 33 universities

With the advent of healthcare globalization, interprofessional collaboration has become increasingly important on an international scale. This longitudinal study evaluated group dynamics in the International Collaboration and Exchange Program, a global online program of students across 33 universities from diverse healthcare backgrounds, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and biomedical science. In groups of 4 to 6, participants engaged in regular discussions and projects relating to anatomy education and global health. Peer assessment was used to determine (1) whether a relationship existed between group cohesiveness and disparities in individual contribution levels and (2) whether group cohesiveness and individual contribution levels changed over time across varying group sizes. Two student cohorts were studied using the Individual Peer Assessment of Contribution methodology. Peer assessment surveys were distributed at two time points for the first (2021-2022) and second (2022-2023) cohorts, respectively, yielding 423 responses from 126 groups. Collaboration quality and effectiveness were evaluated through numerical ratings and qualitative feedback. Peer assessment is a viable tool for evaluating the dynamics of group interactions in virtual collaboration on a global scale. A reduction in group cohesiveness was associated with greater imbalances in individual contribution levels (r = -0.71, p < 0.001). Furthermore, larger groups (n = 6 students) demonstrated improved cohesiveness and equality in individual contribution levels over time compared to smaller groups (n = 4 students). This study on international healthcare student collaboration provides insights into sociocultural and educational factors impacting virtual group interactions and offers strategies for enhancing interprofessional collaborative practices in global health education.