As we step into the new (project)year, it’s a moment to reflect on the journey we’ve embarked on in our international research project. The past year has been filled with milestones, challenges, and most importantly, a warm and productive collaboration among the five participating project partners. Let’s take a moment to recap our endeavours in a nutshell.
One of the initial tasks we tackled was the allocation of tasks and budgets among the partners. This involved careful planning and coordination to ensure the smooth execution of our project objectives.
In the era of virtual meetings, we’ve had the opportunity to get to know each other, albeit mostly online. Despite the challenges posed by remote communication, we’ve managed to foster strong relationships and set agreements regarding the tasks to be carried out.
Our project kicked off with the initiation of several work packages, each with its unique focus:
Work Package 1: Coordinating the entire research project. This involved setting the groundwork for collaboration and ensuring alignment with our overarching goals.
Work Package 2: Developing a framework of occupational therapy competencies and guidelines for the implementation of simulation-based learning in occupational therapy. This crucial component laid the foundation for our research efforts in this field.
Work Package 3: Conducting a systematic review on available measurement tools for assessing simulation-based education. This comprehensive review aimed to provide insights into the existing landscape and guide our research direction.
Work Package 4: This work package started with various activities, including:
- Good practice visits to organizations experienced in simulation-based education, whether in occupational therapy or other fields. These visits provided valuable insights and best practices to inform our own approach.
- Developing our project website, a central hub for sharing information and updates with stakeholders.
- Conducting a scoping review on learning methods in simulation-based education, which aimed to explore diverse approaches and methodologies in this domain.
Phew, quite a handful, isn’t it? Fortunately, after a year, we can proudly say: what a beautiful project with a dedicated and hardworking project staff.
A portion of our team had the pleasure of meeting face-to-face for the first time at the ENOTHE conference, and what a delightful encounter it was! The project staff of Work Package 2 presented their method on the development of the framework and guidelines in a poster. Meanwhile, the project staff of Work Package 3 presented their progress of the systematic review on available measurement tools in an oral presentation. Results to be proud of indeed!
In January 2024, we had the wonderful opportunity to gather in person with our entire project group at Zdravstveno veleučilište in Zagreb, Croatia. These two days were filled with intensive work as each Work Package presented their latest results, but amidst the hustle there were also moments of personal connection. This face-to-face interaction fuelled our enthusiasm and strengthened our resolve to push forward with our research project.
As we reflect on these activities, we are confident that they lay a solid foundation for our upcoming endeavours. Each task completed brings us closer to our goals, and we are excited to embark on the next phase of our journey.
The framework and guidelines for simulation-based education in occupational therapy (Work Package 2), systematic review on available measurement tools (Work Package 3) and scoping review on learning methods in simulation-based education (Work Package 4) are all nearly finished. We will proudly publish all outcomes on our website soon. Keep an eye on our website as we keep you updated!
2023 has been a year of progress, collaboration, and achievements, and we look forward to continuing this journey together. Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on the next phase of our project. Thank you to everyone involved for your contributions and commitment to advancing simulation-based education in occupational therapy and beyond. Here’s to a successful year ahead!
Kuni Vergauwen
is project coordinator of the SIMBA-project, and a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Heath and Science in the Degree Program of Occupational Therapy (BA) at AP.