Teaching and learning of practical skills in social and health care in challenging times
Published: 21.06.2023 / Pedagogical development work
When communities worldwide were closed in the spring of 2020 as the COVID-19 disease pandemic hit the world, the consequences for higher education in Europe were extensive. In a flash, higher education activities were moved online without enough time for neither preparation nor planning. Both students and the universities' staff had to adapt to major changes in daily life. Follow-ups and evaluations showed that the universities coped with the change surprisingly well, but also that the challenges in teaching and learning were many, both for students and staff – this shows the newly Arcada and Ditepract published Best Practice Guide on the topic.
The ERASMUS+ project between six European universities DITEPRACT (Digital and Hybrid Teaching and Learning of Practical Skills in Higher Education) , which Arcada is coordinator for, has come towards an end by publishing its Best Practice Guide Digital and blended teaching and learning of practical skills in social and health care External link. The guide is the final output of the project, presenting results, recommendations and scenarios regarding online and hybrid teaching and learning of practical skills in social and health care education.
The researchers behind the guide specifically identified teaching practical skills online as challenging, as academic staff have been forced to acquire new digital competencies and act on a new virtual arena.
“Practical skills in the field of social and health care have proven to be particularly challenging when it comes to online learning. Therefore, not only students' good use of technology, but also the role of academic staff is crucial. The importance of having various technical resources and qualified academic staff is indispensable for a high-quality education. The competencies of effective academic staff in discipline, pedagogy and technology come to the fore, while others argue that the adequacy of more complex approaches, such as safety and ethics, should be considered holistically to increase productivity”, vice dean Camilla Wikström-Grotell sums up the findings in the guide.
One of the project’s strengths have been to collectively develop knowledge from different contexts; six countries and universities contributing to different scenarios, which can be applied in simulation environments for digital and hybrid teaching and learning of practical skills in health and social care in higher education. The scenarios are presented here.
