Recommender Systems in Health Professions Education (HPE): Protocol for a Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Healy Padraig Mark , O’Tuathaigh Colm , Heavin Ciara , McCarthy Nora , Latifi Syed 
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND

In the field of health professions education (HPE), the concept of precision education is being explored, with the intention of tailoring learning experiences to the unique needs of learners. Recommender systems are one tool which can play an important role in assisting academic decision making. They can be used to personalise content delivery, suggest appropriate learning pathways, propose schedules, recommend suitable institutes, supervisors, and courses, and provide learner feedback. Given the abundance of learning resources available to HPE learners, selecting the right resource can be daunting. Recommender systems can address this challenge by offering tailored suggestions that align with the learners’ requirements and ability.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review is to examine the literature relating to the use of recommender systems within health professions education (HPE). This scoping review will identify gaps and future directions for research on this subject.

METHODS

This review will be conducted following methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). A comprehensive search will be conducted across selected scientific databases and grey literature. These searches will focus on the period from January 2000 to December 2024. In addition, backward and forward citation searching will be carried out. The screening of articles will be performed independently by two reviewers, with any discrepancies resolved through consensus or discussion with a third reviewer. The source of evidence selection process will involve an initial screening of titles and abstracts to identify potentially relevant articles. If the initial screening does not provide a definitive answer, a full-text review will be conducted to ensure that the articles meet the inclusion criteria. Data extraction will be performed using a customised data charting template. The extracted data will be analysed and displayed in both tabular and graphical formats, supplemented by a narrative interpretation. This reporting will be in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses—Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Data extraction and analysis will be conducted using Covidence.

RESULTS

The current phase of the study involves selecting studies for the systematic review as specified in this protocol. The search, screening, and data extraction began in December 2024. The results of the study and the submission of a manuscript for peer review are expected in the summer of 2025. The review will provide a synthesis and overview of the various use cases of recommender systems in HPE, the filtering techniques employed, and the attributes of these systems.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review aims to comprehensively map the extent of recommender systems in HPE. By identifying effective practices and existing gaps, it will serve as a valuable resource for health professions educators, enabling them to make informed decisions about integrating these systems into educational applications.