The First INGENIUM Shared Module “Digital Wellbeing”, A Milestone for the Alliance
The first INGENIUM shared module began with online lectures in September 2024. Staff and students from across the Alliance came together at Munster Technological University in October for a weeklong programme of workshops, lectures and cultural activities. The ongoing module is due to finish in December.
Reconnect, a workshop to address problematic internet use was presented at the INGENIUM Staff Academy in Pescara in June 2023. The enthusiastic reception for the workshop provoked a plan for embedding an elective programme to support digital wellbeing in the INGENIUM curriculum. Thus, a collaboration on a Digital Wellbeing Blended Intensive Program to address a shared concern was born.
Work on developing a module descriptor for the programme officially started in November 2023 and the first delivery of the programme will be completed in December 2024. The collaboration has involved 20 staff and 40 students from across INGENIUM, in disciplines that span business, engineering, computer science, medicine, maths, psychology, physical education and more. The resultant programme is exciting, innovative and engaging giving students a broad and insightful perspective on the digital landscape and their place in it. The feedback from staff and students on the lectures and face to face week has been fantastic and the atmosphere of learning and engagement on the programme is fabulous.
The First Shared INGENIUM Module
The Digital Wellbeing Blended Intensive 5 ECTS programme prototyped the development and delivery of a first shared INGENIUM module. The programme tested processes and procedures within the partnership as well as identifying commonality and differences in how the partners operate. The INGENIUM Learning Management System (Moodle) supported the delivery, and it is hoped to use the INGENIUM Digital Credentials to certify the 5 ECTS achievement. A bank of resources including videos have been created to support future in house deliveries by the INGENIUM partner universities.
Ligia LIVANU work package 9 lead, highlighted that the ‘Digital Wellbeing module aligned perfectly with the INGENIUM strategy for a healthy campus, advocating for a campus culture that enables health, well-being, inclusion, equity, diversity, and sustainability. It serves as an excellent example of translating theory into practice by taking action to implement the recommendations and guidelines proposed by the group of experts within the WP9.4 task – INGENIUM for a Healthy Campus. Student and staff well-being and health are among our top priorities, and we remain eager to explore additional examples and methods to enhance them.’
Michael Loftus, Vice President of MTU External Affairs, declared that “The successful delivery of the Digital Wellbeing module is testament to the strategic success that INGENIUM is delivering for its students in Ireland and across Europe. The opportunity for in-depth student and staff engagement across the INGENIUM partners was of enormous value to all involved and has cemented the development of relationships that will lead to many new developments over the years to come. Congratulations to colleagues in MTU for driving this development and for hosting its delivery.”
A Real Success Among the Participants
Finally, some representative feedback from students and staff who participated in the programme showcases the real impact that this type of curricula can make in our community over the years to come.
“I realized I can apply what I’ve learned to cultivate a healthier relationship with the internet and social media. By prioritizing mental health and connections I can create a digital life that supports my wellbeing and that of others. Thank you!”
Mădălina-Miruna Epureanu, Engineering student at TUIASI
“This exchange program has not only been a platform for learning new skills but also a space for expressing creativity and experiencing a profound sense of community engagement.”
Polina Angelova, Phd Candidate, Disaster Medicine, at MUS
As a psychologist, a psychotherapist practitioner, and lecturer, I believe, meditative photography, digital detox, connecting to your inner self and self-care toolkit materialized in university courses that can be systematically taught to students from different majors, is simply a dream come true!
Dr. Mihaela Cojan, at Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi
A heartfelt thank you and congratulations to everyone who participated so generously and enthusiastically in this programme, which showcased the remarkable innovation, cohesion and collaboration potential in the INGENIUM partnership!
