The second round of applications for Health's EDU-IT pool begins now. Lecturers at the faculty are encouraged to apply for funding for digitisation of next year's teaching. The application deadline is 1 December 2018.

2018.11.01 | Anton Brander Lichtenberg

The second round of applications for Health's EDU-IT pool begins now. Photo: Lars Kruse, AU Kommunikation

Lecturers can now apply for funding from a new DKK 500,000 pool which is dedicated to digitising teaching at Health. The application deadline is 1 December and applications can be made for initiatives that will take place in 2019.

"Every time we can increase student learning outcomes by incorporating new digital tools, we will do so. The faculty's teaching staff know their own areas best of all, and therefore the ball is in their court, but I would encourage everyone to look at EDU-IT as an opportunity to be creative and innovative for the benefit of the students," says Vice-dean for Education Charlotte Ringsted.

Currently there is a lot of focus on implementing IT-based learning technologies throughout AU. A total of DKK 60 million is earmarked for educational IT at the university in the period 2018-2023.

Three criteria for assessing applications
Applications for funding from the EDU-IT pool are assessed based on the following criteria; quality, impact and scope. The quality requirement means that the application must contain sufficient educational and didactic considerations.

"The applications need to demonstrate the specific purpose of making part or all of the teaching digital. This could e.g. be initiatives that encourage better interaction between the students, bridging the gap between theoretical and practical learning or making the teaching more dynamic and dialogue-based," says Liza Strandgaard, who is the head of the pre-graduate area at CESU.

The two other application criteria, impact and scope, relate to how many courses and students the idea covers. The goal is to implement EDU-IT evenly on so many of Health's study programmes as possible.

Associate professor received grant for EDU-IT course at CESU
In the first round of applications, Associate Professor Bodil Hammer Bech and four of her colleagues received a grant for a course at CESU on how they could use digital tools to increase student activation in the epidemiology and biostatistics course. The course is part of three different degree programmes at the Department of Public Health and also part of the Bachelor's degree programme in Medicine.

"Now we’ve got some inspiration about how we can implement EDU-IT as part of the course. During the coming year, we will develop course material for digital peer feedback in connection with case assignments that the students have to do in groups, and we can also see good opportunities for using online tests," says Associate Professor Bodil Hammer Bech.

Use of video applications can be met if there is a specific purpose
Several initiatives from the first round of applications had to do with implementing video. But before an application to use video can be met, there must be a specific purpose.

For example, individual applicants received resources to produce video that shows students how to act in practice.

Associate Professor Helle Damkier from the Department of Biomedicine received a grant to produce video sequences for the teaching in dissection showing how to use instruments. Another approved application which used video came from Professor Hans Kirkegaard from the Department of Clinical Medicine. He received resources to illustrate techniques in practice in the teaching of emergency medicine.

Projects that were typically rejected in the first round of applications were simple video recordings of lectures.

How to apply for funding from the EDU IT pool
You can apply for funds from the 2019 pool by using the Application form EDU IT, Health (in Danish). CESU’s guideline Pool for the EDU-IT initiative (in Danish) can be used by interested parties to help with applications. Lecturers, course managers, degree programme directors and others who have responsibility for designing courses can apply.

In 2018, grants were typically between DKK 15,000-47,000 per project, but there is no limit to the size of grants that can be applied for.

Read more about Health's EDU-IT initiative (in Danish) on the CESU website .

Contact

Manager for the pre-graduate area Liza Strandgaard
Aarhus University, Health – Centre for Health Sciences Education (CESU)
Email: lis@cesu.au.dk
Mobile: (+45) 2033 4777

Vice-dean for Education Charlotte Ringsted
Aarhus University, Health
Email: charlotte.ringsted@au.dk
Mobile: (+45) 9350 8222