Results

Through this project, a digital student preparatory course consisting of a set of innovative and informative video-based modules will be developed, produced, and made available online in several versions and in several languages. The content of each course module will be based on the results of a survey which will be sent to all new students at the partner universities in the first year of this study and on interviews with academic staff involved with first-year students.

Expected results during the project include:

• Reaching a consensus among Norway, Lithuania, and Iceland about the selection of a set of at least 10 general challenges first-year students meet in higher education in all three countries.

• Developing a common pedagogy of preparing the students for their studies.

• Identifying a strategy for the production of the digital content in the preparatory course across the three countries and producing the videos in four European languages (Norwegian, Lithuanian, Icelandic, and English).

• Implementing the videos and other digital content.

• Testing, evaluating, and refining the content, concepts, and solutions.

• Implementing the preparatory course for all incoming students in the three participating organizations.

• Evaluating student use and the feasibility of the preparatory course at all three participating organizations and comparing how the tool is used, how it supports variation in learning, and how it affects learning outcomes.

Expected results at the project’s completion include:

• Developing the concept and technical solution for a new preparatory course accessible online through PCs, tablets, and smartphones, representing a methodology generally suitable for skills training at different educational institutions.

• Publishing the newly developed preparatory course as an open educational resource on the web in Norwegian, English, Icelandic and Lithuanian. The course will be available and free to students and the public at large.

• Publishing recommendations for use concerning the pedagogical use and implementation of the course.

• Publishing a paper or submitting a paper for publication on the development, implementation, and outcomes of the preparatory course.

• Presenting the project and results at national and international conferences.

• Establishing a strategic partnership between the three partners which will form the basis of extended collaboration and transfer of knowledge among the participating organizations and beyond.

Intellectual outputs:

O1 Design and analysis of online survey for students

O2 Concept, overview and storyboards

O3 Manuscript production

O4 Technology and media development

O5 Implementation and recommendations for use

O6 Evaluation and dissemination