Collaborative Online Learning in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Scoping Review

Background: Collaborative online learning is an active learning method that stimulates interaction between learners and teachers and fosters interest and motivation in learning in a virtual learning environment.Aim: The primary aim of this scoping review is to examine the extent and nature of academic publications on collaborative online learning in undergraduate medical education.Methods: We used a standardized framework for conducting scoping reviews to identify suitable publications and to analyze the content.Results: Thirty-six published articles from January 1990-March 2019 met the inclusion criteria. There were 16 interventional studies, 8 reviews, 7 commentaries and 5 survey studies. Most work originated in the UK or the US. These studies found that collaborative online learning demonstrated educational value by personalizing learning to fit individual needs, promoting social interaction and active learning, and helping to build professional networks Connectivity, ease of use, and accessibility were enablers of collaborative online learning while technical challenges were the main barrier.Conclusion: There is a relatively small but promising body of work currently published on collaborative online learning in undergraduate medical education. Further work and innovation in this area may be forthcoming in response to the need for alternatives to traditional learning in times of crisis.