Digital Lab for Education in Dietetics combining Experiential Learning and Community Service

N1: PROVIDE A RESPONSE TO THE INCREASING HEALTH ISSUES RELATED TO HUMAN NUTRITION. Skills in human nutrition are crucial since they are the basis of good health practices. Educators must provide specific insights and tools in order to enhance diet and physical activity orientations to dietitian learners. N2:TO HAVE ACCESS TO PRACTICAL DIETETICS EDUCATION. The practical education in HEIs is not as good as it should be. Practical education is complex, difficult to organize and physical workplaces offering clinical internships are very scarce, while this is and has always been a large part of the dietetics work field. N3: IMPROVE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS OF DIETITIANS AND LEARN FROM THE GENERATED INTERACTIONS. Difficulty of following a diet treatment without a proper connection dietitian-patient. N4: PROMOTE THE THIRD MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY: SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY It is necessary to give protagonist to the third mission of the University: its social responsibility related to solve community problems and promote students’ social commitment. N5: ALIGN EDUCATORS, HEALTH SYSTEM AND POLICY-MAKERS TOWARDS HUMAN NUTRITION HEALTH The health and education systems must promote healthy eating.

GENERAL OBJETIVE:To improve practical trainings in Dietetics Education and the promotion of a community/service-learning approach related to nutrition and healthy habits as a social responsibility of the university. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES SO1: to produce practical scenarios of EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING around the most relevant clinical cases and general practice of the community dietitian. SO2:to produce educational technologies for training practical and INTERPERSONAL SKILLS in health issues related to dietetics. SO3:to increase SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY of the higher education institutions giving response to the third mission of the University and promoting healthy and sustainable eating habits. SO4:to promote and better ALIGN EDUCATION IN DIETETICS with the health systems and policy-makers

As an OVERALL VISION of the activities implemented during the project: Year 1 Digital tool co-design and training materials collection. Digital tool development: self-learning tool with digital patient (avatar). Year 2 Digital tool co-design: trainer’s tool Digital tool development: trainer’s tool Piloting of Result 1 with learners in Dietetics: self-learning tool (all HEIs) Multiplier event (online) Year 3 Piloting with learners in Dietetics and potential patients: trainer’s tool (all HEIs) Data analysis Report on recommendations Syllabus development Multiplier events The project's development exceeded the expectations expressed in the original proposal, for three (3) main reasons: (1) A total of 1,168 people participated in the pilot (students, dietitians, teachers, and community members). The R1 and R2 platforms were integrated into practical classes, student projects, and simulated consultations. Pre- and post-pilot evaluations demonstrated significant improvements in technical and interpersonal skills. (2) Social Impact: 3 multiplier events were held with a total of 498 participants, exceeding the initial target, we received 16 letters of commitement from external institutions. (3) The project generated academic publications.

R1: Self-Learning Tool: By offering interactive, case-based practice, the tool enhances users confidence and skills in patient assessment, preparing them for real-world consultations.Impact: Piloted by 910 people, it improved students' clinical skills and confidence in a safe simulated environment. Available: https://virtualpatient.edietinglab.eu/ R2: Service-Learning Platform (Service-Learning Tool): This telehealth platform simulates real-world dietetic practice by allowing the creation of dedicated dietetic telehealth clinics to allow dietetic students and dietitians to provide nutrition services to community members and facilitates supervision and mentoring by allowing teachers and trainers to supervise these consults.Impact: Piloted by 270 people, it extended nutritional services to underserved populations through telemedicine. Available: https://clinic.edietinglab.eu/ R3: Multiplier Toolkit: This toolkit is a set of report and awareness materials designed to obtain a multiplier effect of our activities and to engage HEIs,public health organisations and other interested parties in the adoption of project results. Available: https://edietinglab.eu/downloads/