The overall aim of the DWEL project was: to design, develop, and implement a new approach to training university teachers/lecturers and managers in digital wellbeing. The ultimate outcome of the project was to improve the digital competencies of teachers/lecturers while increasing the ability of universities to manage the transition to digital technologies in a way that combines high-quality teaching with stakeholder wellbeing. Objectives were identified: a) To develop 3 deliverables (PR1- Digital Wellbeing Report, PR2- DWEL Resource Pack, PR3- DWEL Online Course) that will enable the integration of policy and practice to support lecturers' digital wellbeing and encourage proactive behaviors at a personal level. b) Consistently use, test, and refine the deliverables in collaboration with 72 department managers/leaders and 96 lecturers, to optimise their effectiveness and prepare our consortium partners for immediate implementation. c) Ensure the use of the outputs by promoting them so that 240 managers, department heads and lecturers in universities use the outputs during the life of the project and hundreds more after its completion.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to digital technologies within colleges/universities, leading to a sharp increase in online/distance learning. Educators/lecturers in particular faced a greater risk of digital overload or burnout than ever before. Long hours of sitting in front of artificially lit screens, impromptu home environments, the challenge of communicating effectively online, and the constant flow of communication from supervisors, colleagues, and students presented them with a new set of challenges. The project emerged from discussions about the impact of the pandemic on educators, lecturers and managers in educational institutions. It became apparent that many of them were exposed to severe cases of digital overload with little or no organizational staff support. The DWEL project was designed to meet the needs of our partners and two main groups: a) university teachers, whose work had changed dramatically over the last few years during the pandemic due to remote working and teaching, for which most of them did not feel well prepared, b) university management and heads of departments who needed to know how to optimize distance/digital teaching without compromising staff performance and well-being.