The overall purpose of the project "Digital education in nursing" project (DEN) is to modernize the existing curriculum for nursing students by developing digital modules regarding lectures / examinations into new forms of education. The project will run for 24 months and the expected results are supposed to have long-term positive effects on nursing education in the EU. The pandemic has been the reason why the traditional academic education in nursing has forced to be transformed into digital forms without the lecturers being given the opportunity to adapt the pedagogy to the digital education. If we do not make this transformation in a systematic and student-friendly way, we will have fewer nurses / specialist nurses and deteriorating patient care that is not in line with the EU-s recommendations and goals. The lecturers need support to develop their pedagogical skills from the traditional way to a more digital way in order to maintain the required and necessary high quality in nurse education. The traditional way is not sufficient, or applicable, to meet today's requirements especially not for satisfactory examinations. Previous research has shown, that the kind of examination methods chosen, are important for how the education is designed, and in the next step in what way the examination is able to test the required knowledge in order to guarantee that the students will fulfill the requirements of the teaching's goals. The traditional pedagogical method is not sufficient, or applicable, to meet today's requirements with digital teaching. This can have a negative impact on students' fulfillment of learning goals and reduce the students possibilities to succeed in their examination. In the long run, this may contribute to a reduction, i.e. a deficiency, of nurses in the whole EU. The project consortium consists of five partner organizations representing five EU countries (Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia and Sweden). The consortium's strength is based on the competence of each partner organization that represents different skills, knowledge and experiences from nursing education and digital education and relevant development areas to ensure a successful delivery of the project's results. All partner organizations have a strong tradition in nursing education and have already successfully collaborated in a European (Erasmus +) project (see project references). All partners organisation have worked with the digital nursing education at different level during pandemic 2020. The primary objectives of our project are to enhance the ability of lecturers at the involved universities, and participating organisations, to provide high quality education, including digital education • to focus on building teaching capacity to implement, with both blended, and on line, teaching and learning; • to develop digital pedagogical competences of lecturers, enabling them to deliver high quality digital education; and to develop and/or use high quality digital content such as innovative online resources and tools. • to share and exchange experiences, expertise, and resources, and in collaboration, create a digital course of mutual interest • to collaborate regarding digital technology by using different providers and experts in educational technologies and with experiences in relevant pedagogical practice. The expected results of the DEN project are the following: 1. teachers and lecturers will have an increased understanding of digital teaching pedagogic; 2. to identity, adapt to, and develop the necessary measurements, assessments and actions required for quality enhancement of digital teaching and learning processes; 3. to train lecturers and other teaching staff for harnessing pedagogical and methodological principles and new modes of teaching and learning to be able to adapt to higher nursing education. 4. to develop methodology and platforms for broader integration between digital teaching and learning for postgraduate studies in nursing. Our project will have long-term benefits both for our PO as well as other universities. We will modernize and renew and make flexible curricula with innovations for nursing education. We will publish our results and our handbook online, thus enabling other universities to use the results of our project.
The objective of this project was to promote the integration of digital teaching in nursing education, while concurrently acknowledging the value of traditional teaching methods. Our aspiration was to afford students in the EU the freedom to select educational institutions without being constrained by geographical barriers. Through the establishment of digital international classrooms, our aim was to broaden students' opportunities for international experiences, consequently advancing the mobility of nurses within the EU. Simultaneously, our commitment was to uphold the high standards of quality in nursing education. This initiative unfolded irrespective of varying levels of digital competence among teachers and students, resulting in a diverse range of approaches to problem-solving. Each participant in the project navigated this uncharted territory uniquely, contributing to a rich and multifaceted experience. In order to capitalize on the wealth of diverse insights, a joint evaluation was conducted during a hybrid LTT2. This collaborative platform brought together students from all participating faculties, providing an invaluable opportunity to assess and enhance our strategies. Through this multi-faceted approach, our goal extended beyond the improvement of digital learning integration to the cultivation of a collaborative culture.
The DEN project aims to address the urgent need to adapt nursing education to the digital era that has emerged as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The transition required from traditional "face-to-face" teaching to digital formats was necessary to meet the unexpected challenges posed by the pandemic. This rapid shift created challenges for both teachers and students at all levels of nursing education. The specific needs that the project seeks to address include a pedagogical adaptation within nursing education to effectively integrate digital learning environments. The project's focus is on interacting with students in the digital realm, particularly with a focus on international student groups. This strategic approach is motivated by the goal of reducing the shortage of nurses in the EU by providing students with opportunities for cross-border education. To achieve this, a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the need was required, involving both students and teachers. Their opinions have contributed to the selection of appropriate digital tools with tailored pedagogy that would contribute to high-quality learning.