Rosie Shea

Background: This study presents a novel virtual health-humanities approach to collaborative online international learning, developed and delivered between 2023 and 2025. The approach, which we describe for the purposes of this study as a “Health Humanities Global Classroom” (HHGC), aimed to raise health professions students’ awareness of intercultural perspectives, potentially fostering more interculturally attuned health professionals. In the HHGC, students across 3 international universities participated synchronously in a virtual object-based learning seminar using shared teaching expertise and digitized artworks and museum objects drawn from the universities’ diverse art and cultural collections. Objective: This mixed methods research study aimed to assess the HHGC’s impact on encouraging a deeper awareness of intercultural perspectives in participants. Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted, involving 58 health professions students from universities in Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong in February 2025 and March 2025. All students participated in a 2-hour online seminar with the theme of global health and well-being, during which they undertook guided exploration of virtual museum objects and artworks. Data on students’ seminar experiences were collected through presurveys and postsurveys, written reflections created during the seminar, and online focus groups conducted immediately afterward. Results: All 58 students participated in the focus groups. Among the participants, 84% (49/58) completed the postseminar survey; 96% (47/49) agreed that the seminar increased their awareness of how they communicate and exchange meanings with peers from diverse cultures; 98% (48/49) agreed that engaging with the museum objects in the seminar with peers heightened their awareness of diverse perspectives; and 86% (42/49) agreed that the seminar increased their awareness of local health in interprofessional contexts. Four primary themes were identified through qualitative analysis, including (1) key learning outcomes (intercultural, analytical, and empathic capacities, and knowledge acquired), (2) enabling factors (pedagogy, environment, and peer interaction), (3) barriers to learning (pedagogical approach, learning resources, time factors, and virtual constraints), and (4) novel and distinctive experiences (international, arts-integrated learning). Conclusions: This study provides early evidence for an innovative and accessible pedagogical approach. The HHGC is promising as a valuable educational activity, with positive student engagement in a safe environment for intercultural dialogue mediated by virtual museum objects and artworks. This approach may be useful to enhance participants’ awareness of cultural humility.

Clinicians who take on formal teaching roles in clinical settings – crucial for shaping the practice of future health professionals – are often ill-prepared to teach (Bleakley Bligh & Browne, 2011)...

This paper outlines the initial development and delivery of a Global Classroom (GC) experience using COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) pedagogy for students studying in health and health sciences, that capitalises on the opportunities for interdisciplinary health humanities experiences using the campus museums and galleries of participating partners at The University of Melbourne, National University of Singapore, and The University of Hong Kong. The goal of the curriculum is to enhance students’ intercultural capabilities, including effective communication and effective teamwork skills, and to develop an understanding of different cultural and global perspectives on healthcare. The innovations of this project relate to the transplantation of museums-based interdisciplinary pedagogy for students studying in health into a virtual learning environment, using digital surrogate objects and collections. Technology-enhanced learning is integral to the project design, in the creation of shared digital collections in synchronous online learning.