FH Gesundheitsberufe OÖ GmbH

SCOPE - Students Collaborating Online for Professional Education (Erasmus+ BIP)

Keywords

• - "Exchange"
• - "Digital"
• - "Erasmus+"
• - "University of Applied Sciences"
• - "University cooperation"
• - "international cooperation"
• - "International and intercultural competence"
• - "Internationalisation of the Curriculum"
• - "Virtual/physical mobility"

Short description

Objective

This BIP is designed to enable students from different European universities to identify common strengths and compensate for individual weaknesses by working together on projects. The programme connects students of Biomedical Science and related scientific fields of study. The following goals are pursued during the networking programme: - Acquiring knowledge in analytical methods - Exchange within an intercultural framework - Promoting Biomedical Science for the purposes of student recruitment - Getting to know professional representatives in Austria and European countries

Target group(s)

• - "Lecturers"
• - "Students"

Framework

The Erasmus+ BIP enables students from at least three different countries to learn together and benefit from each other. An outstanding feature of this programme is how it merges theory and practice. Students work together in group projects and practical exercises to acquire valuable skills that are essential in today's world of laboratory-based work. In addition to professional training, the programme also focuses on developing social and intercultural skills. When organising this Erasmus+ BIP, the following challenges had to be considered: - Three universities (Hochschule Niederrhein, University College Leuven-Limburg with the campuses in Leuven and Diepenbeek, and the FH Gesundheitsberufe OÖ with the campuses in Steyr and Linz) with different periods of semester break and Easter holidays are looking for dates that are feasible for everyone. - Virtual student exchange via MS Teams. International teams had to organise themselves during the virtual phase, in which the students worked on assignments in group settings. These had to be submitted within five weeks. For this purpose, it was necessary to meet independently and self-organised via online meeting platforms and to work on the assignments. To ensure that all students contributed to the assignment, they were asked to indicate how they had distributed the work. The assignments comprised around six hours of work, which was included in the ECTS credits awarded. The students received support through an online session with a native English speaker who provided advice about wording, grammar, etc.

Steps/Activities

Virtual component beforehand: - Planning the social events together with students - Introduction to the project work, including the objectives and methods - Getting to know fellow students from abroad in break-out rooms; special commitment of the buddies, who offered their help, gave directions and announced a meeting point for the arrival in Steyr and they were doing so with dedication. Each participating university appointed buddies to offer help to the incoming students. The aim of the buddy system was to establish a certain level of commitment and to shift, to a certain extent, the responsibility for a successful programme from the teaching staff to the students. - Interactive agile games to promote verbal and non-verbal communication During the physical mobility week: - Discussion of the respective project work; independent organization of work steps by the student groups; - Preparation of a presentation in which each person makes a contribution - Exchange of results in the form of a presentation - Lecture on the topic of professional association work Virtual component afterwards: - Intercultural workshop for reflection with a focus on intercultural competences in healthcare professions and STEM professions - Hybrid lecture on the work of the European Association of Biomedical Scientists (EPBS) - In addition, online sessions with a native speaker to practise writing English texts.

Impact

Students: Strengthening problem-solving skills by conducting laboratory analyses based on different levels of knowledge among students; getting to know the professional representation in Europe; promoting the profession by writing social media posts and press releases; Developing critical thinking skills, but also finding consensus. Teachers: Strengthening language skills by preparing work instructions in English and accompanying students during project work in English; deepening understanding of the networks of graduates in Europe; intensifying promoting the profession through social media posts and press releases.

Lessons learned

A BIP requires long-term planning in terms of creditability and learning content. However, it must also be possible to change plans at short notice. For example, the number of participants and therefore the group organisation and group work can change at very short notice. The financial support provided by Erasmus+ is very helpful. External teachers or trainers can be requested, and necessary materials can be purchased. This must be planned and budgeted for well in advance. The dates for the students must be planned carefully, as the timetables of the respective universities are very different. It is necessary to embed such events in courses with grading, as this ensures that students are more willing to actively participate.

Further links to the manual