About the project
The aim of the project is to develop Optometry as a new specialist graduate professional study programme in English.
University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica as the project developer and Ambito College as a partner will develop a new Specialist Graduate Professional Study of Optometry in English.
By developing a new curriculum that will be fully delivered in English, the University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica will contribute to the internationalization of Croatian higher education and stimulate an increase in student mobility.
The first target group – teachers will receive training on how to apply new learner-centered teaching methods with a focus on learning outcomes and on how to develop e-learning lesson scenarios, and a two-month English language course. Thereby teachers will strengthen their existing teaching competences, also, human resources will be improved and the institutional capacity of the University will be strengthened.
The second target group – students of the existing Optometry Study Programme will be involved in the evaluation process of the e-learning system in English. This will strengthen students competences in the field of digital literacy and language literacy. They will be stimulated to make more effective use of modern and innovative learning methods based on information technology, which will help them overcome a fear of enrollment in a study programme in English. Also, this will help them increase their mobility skills, which will also be the long-term result of the project for this target group.
Faculty and students of the University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica
The project will be managed by a project team of 6 members: project manager, project manager assistant, Head of the study programme at University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica, expert education manager, computer system administrator and project administrator at Ambitio College.
Sustainability of the project results can be seen through several aspects; enhancment of the competitiveness of the University in the European area of higher education; enhancment of the competences of teachers required to deliver a study programme in optometry using the innovative didactic materials adapted for individualized teaching approach; training teachers to deliver lectures in English language, achieving preconditions for admission of students from foreign countries, which is crucial for today's positioning of a higher education institution among modern education institutions; and creating new study programs that will enable future students to acquire competences that will increase the effectiveness in preventing eye disease.
The curriculum which will be created through this project will be publicly available and accessible to all interested parties at local, regional, national and international level. Public availability of the project results will enable their multiplication and application as models in other higher education institutions.
Financial sustainability of the project and activity results will be ensured by students' tuitions. A university of applied sciences may, in the Republic of Croatia, compete with lower prices with other higher education institutions in Europe which offer similar programmes.
Measures to achieve the sustainability of the project:
- obtain verification of the Ministry of Science and Education for the new Specialist graduate professional study of optometry,
- implement the new study programme into the regular educational offer of the University,
- agree upon a long-term co-operation with eye clinics which will enable work practice to be carried out,
- provide transfer of knowledge to other educational institutions,
- ensure public availability of the curriculum developed through the project.