gms | German Medical Science

Background: Gaining cross-cultural experience and learning about midwifery from a different perspective promotes critical thinking in midwifery students. A partnership between the BSc Midwifery program of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the MSc Midwifery program of Reykjavík University has been established to facilitate a student exchange within the EU Erasmus+ funded blended mobility program. The exchange takes place within the framework of the Erasmus+ funded Blended Mobility Program of the European Union. In the Blended Intensive Program (BIP), physical mobility is combined with a virtual component and students must earn a minimum of three ECTS credits.

Aim: 1) Develop an attractive learning environment for students from both universities. 2) Develop learning content that meets the requirements of the Blended Intensive Program and is relevant to students from both universities.

Methods: The Edubreak learning platform was used to create a virtual learning environment that meets the requirements of the Blended Intensive Program.

Interactive and asynchronous virtual learning components were developed.

Results: Using social video components and blog posts, a learning environment was designed to allow students to interact with other students and faculty from the partner university before, during, and after the physical component of the exchange. The learning content was structured into three phases by applying also the Bass Model (2017): a) preparation before the exchange, b) physical exchange phase, and c) assessment as well as reflection after the exchange.

Conclusion: International exchange programs provide multiple opportunities for midwifery students. Learning environment and learning content must be well adapted to the organizational and content requirements of each exchange program. The learning environment developed for the program, as well as the learning content, meet the requirements to earn ECTS under the Blended Intensive Program (BIP). Students will also write reflective reports recording their experiences, educational gains, and personal development during the exchange. Using the “Bass Reflective Model”, they will summarize their two-week trip in two different formats. This reflective medium could also serve as the basis for an article to be published in midwifery journals, both in German and Icelandic.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: A vote on ethics was not necessary. The research was financed by third-party funds. There are no conflicts of interest.