ISP2 program 1 – 5 November 2021 Avans Breda – Network for Innovative Care Competence Learning through Labs

During the week of 1 November students from Finland, Spain and the Netherlands have been working together in the second Intensive Study Program (ISP) of NICCoLLa. Students of Nursing, Social Work, Technology and ICT joined during this week.

After the opening session and a debate about the value of technology for the professional in health and welfare and the impact for future professionals, the students attended the first workshop. During the workshop they discovered the Getlab of Avans, explored different technologies and how they are used in care. In the afternoon the student teams were formed and each team started to explore several challenges. Each challenge included the assignment to find a technological solution for the health and social-emotional issues of the client. There were different case studies: about a teenager, a person of middle age and an elderly person for example. Four days to find a solution for a complex case. With the help of the different workshops of the NICCoLLa team, representing the different IO1 courses and IO3, and workshops of professionals students worked very intense together during the week.

Different professionals gave workshops to the students about how they use technology in their work. Bart Hagtinius of the Probation services Netherlands showed students different ways of how technology is used in the field of Probation. Teun Aalbers, owner of GainPlay Studio told about the use of serious gaming in the world of health and welfare and finally Wirna van Gastel, advisor care innovation at Avoord, modern elderly care showed the students how her organization is creating innovations in elderly care at home and in the institution.

For the future professionals it was very interesting to discover the possibilities that are already used in the field, to discover that so different fields of care and welfare can use technology and that professionals are also exploring and developing their own competences regarding technology and how to use this in their work.

At the end of the ISP the different groups participated in the festival of the first year students of Social Work of Avans Breda. In a stand each group presented the outcome of their challenge to 300 students and teachers. At the same time the Social Work students presented their outcome on other topics, like intercultural working, safety in society, poverty e.d. In dialogues students discovered even more possibilities to work together. The reward of most impressive result was given to one of the NICCoLLa teams: the jury was impressed about the fact that in such short notice of time that time developed an app for a client that was tailor made, customer friendly and helped the client to overcome his problems. It was an intensive week, in so many ways. Not only because it was a full program with lots of different perspectives, but also because students really lived the language gap between professions and overcame it, learned new perspectives by working together, and found great solutions for complex cases.

How did the students experience this Intensive Study Program? Read their blogs below this article: