Applications are now being accepted for Health’s EDU IT funding pool, so that all tenured teaching staff at the faculty can apply for funding to digitise next year's teaching. The deadline for applications is 12 October 2020.

2020.09.16 | Sabina Bjerre Hansen

Now is the time to apply if you are thinking of digitising your teaching with financial support from the faculty. Photo: Lars Kruse, AU Photo.

With the onset of the corona pandemic back in March, there was suddenly an urgent need to digitise large parts of the teaching activities, and the teaching staff at Health quickly reorganised their teaching into various online formats. This provides a good starting point for further developing the digital teaching.

"During the spring, many members of teaching staff gained experience of using digital tools, which is a good launch pad for new development projects. I hope that this has whetted their appetite to take digitalisation a step further, so we can reach a situation where the digital teaching element contributes something extra to students learning and academic development," says Vice-dean for Education Lise Wogensen Bach.

She encourages teaching staff to apply for funding of specific digitisation projects via Health's EDU IT funding pool totalling DKK 500,000 and/or AU’s equivalent pool of DKK 2.5 million. It is possible to apply for initiatives that take place during 2021.

Think in broad terms for a successful application

Last year, Research Programme Director Anja P. Einholm received DKK 70,000 from the faculty's EDU IT funding pool to develop an interdisciplinary online course for supervision and talent development. The money was used on graphics and video tutorials, and she has some good advice for others who are thinking about applying.

"Think in broad terms when you write your application. You should always apply for funding for a specific project that is relevant for your own teaching. But it’s also important to think about whether other members of teaching staff at Health will also benefit from what you wish to develop," she says.

In her own project, she has worked with Associate Professor Mette Krog Christensen from the Centre for Health Sciences Education (CESU) to develop an online course based on individual modules which can be taken independently and used for e.g. elective courses on the faculty's ordinary degree programmes.

"Our project is currently a pilot project on the faculty's honours programme. The teaching staff on this programme face a challenge because the students come with very different backgrounds, as they are enrolled on various degree programmes at Health. The idea behind the new course is for it also to benefit other members of teaching staff and supervisors who deal with an interdisciplinary learning space," says Anja P. Einholm.

Three criteria for assessing applications

Once the application deadline has passed, Lise Wogensen Bach will assess the applications together with Liza Strandgaard and Mads Ronald Dahl from CESU on the basis of three criteria; quality, impact and breadth. The applications must include pedagogical and didactic considerations.

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

She also explains that the faculty's goal is to implement EDU IT evenly on as many of Health's degree programmes as possible. Members of teaching staff, course managers, degree programme directors and others who have responsibility for designing courses can apply.

The implementation of IT-based learning technologies is a focus area for the entire university, and a total of DKK 60 million is earmarked for EDU IT at AU in the period 2018-2023. Health is supplementing the pool with DKK 2.75 million in total during the same period.

How to apply

You can apply for funding from Health’s and AU’s EDU IT-funding pools by filling out the application form and sending it to lis@cesu.au.dk. The application deadline is 12 October 2020 at 12:00 noon.

CESU offers idea sparring

Members of teaching staff considering applying for EDU IT funding can find inspiration and specific help with developing a project idea at a workshop which CESU is holding on 6 October 2020 between 09:00 - 14:00. Participation is free of charge after registration via CESU’s website.

Contact

Vice-dean for Education Lise Wogensen Bach
Aarhus University, Health
Email: lwb@au.dk
Mobile: (+45) 25 48 85 22

Head of the pre-graduate area Liza Strandgaard
Aarhus University, Health - Centre for Health Sciences Education (CESU)
Email: lis@cesu.au.dk
Mobile: (+45) 20 33 47 77