Educating Vaccination Competence Erasmus Project

Project Title

Educating Vaccination Competence

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Health and wellbeing; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

Context/background of the project: Vaccinations are globally one of the most cost-effective public health interventions. The recent situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected every aspect of life, has stressed even more the need of vaccinations. Vaccinating requires special education and vaccination professionals should be competent and qualified professionals to provide high quality and safe care, which is cost-effective.

EDUVAC objectives: fostering internationalization of each partner/Higher Education Institution (HEI) by the mobility of staff and students; enhancing the quality and relevance of the learning program in vaccination; developing and implementing a web-based course (3 ECTS) and an Intensive Course (2 ECTS) for vaccination for international use; and finally, strengthening the knowledge, skills and attitudes of students in the four EU strategic partner Universities in vaccinating the clients with the ultimate goal to increase vaccination coverage.

Number and type/profile of participants: The partners of EDUVAC project were 5 HEIs which share the same goals and needs in vaccination education among their students. The partners involved from each HEI are highly educated with many years of experience in educating students and they have excellent working experience in the field of health care and immunization, in particular. In EDUVAC project participated 19 teachers and 439 students in total. Students were studying community health, public health, public health nursing, nursing and midwifery, in the 5 HEIs/partners. There are also 7 associated partners involved in the project which are mainly the national health professional associations and (public) health institutes (see section 2.2), all of which share the same goals in promoting vaccinations and also have the expertise to provide their input to the project.
Description of undertaken activities: The EDUVAC project main activities included the development and implementation of a web-based course and an Intensive Course (IC). These were tested and revised in order to be improved according to the feedback received by students, associated partners, the Steering Group (SG), the external reviewer and the National Agency (NA). Different pedagogical approaches and learning material have been developed which are available for open access. Two syllabi are also open access available in order to provide the overall description of the web-based course and the IC and present the different pedagogical approaches and suggestions for their implementation. For the development of the final outcomes, the web-based course took place three times. In addition, two Intensive Courses were implemented (one face-to-face and one virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions). In addition, simulation cases have been developed that can be integrated in any learning process (IC, blended). Evaluation and feedback in EDUVAC project have been core in its process in order to develop the final outcomes. Several dissemination activities during the project cycle and a Multiplier Event at the finalization of the project took place in order to increase the visibility of the project and also inform different stakeholders about project’s goals and outcomes. Finally, throughout the 36 months, meetings were held in order to support and work on the different phases of the project.

Results and impact attained: The results and material of the project have been disseminated and they are available for open access (for more info, see www.eduvac.eu). EDUVAC project had a major impact in the education vaccination competence among the students HEIs/partners. The academic community of the HEIs/partners got familiar to work in a multicultural environment and in English language. Furthermore, new pedagogical approaches have been developed and implemented in the curricula with enhancing the digital skills of everyone involved in the project.

Longer-term benefits: EDUVAC project strengthens the education of vaccination competence and thus, train the future health professionals who promote health by increasing the vaccination coverage and ultimately promote vaccinations worldwide, especially with the need of the current circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, one of the longer-term benefits was the internationalization of the HEIs/partners which is a process that goes beyond the project life cycle. Finally, EDUVAC project motivated more members of the HEIs/partners to be engaged in this kind of European projects.

Project Website

http://www.eduvac.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 169487,6 Eur

Project Coordinator

PANEPISTIMIO DYTIKIS ATTIKIS & Country: EL

Project Partners

• FUNDACIO UNIVERSITARIA BALMES
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA
• TRNAVSKA UNIVERZITA V TRNAVE
• METROPOLIA AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY