<< Background >>The learning process in clinical placements involves several actors such as tutors, supervisors, teachers and students and during this complex process, tasks and mentorships must be done in a way that is synchronized with educational and clinical processes and embedded in the respective contexts. Only a structure that synchronizes processes and respective communication can prevent (some central problems) and ensure meaningful learning for students and appropriate care in the placement organizations. The project ‘4D (Determinants, Design, Digitalization, Dissemination) in the Digitalization of Learning in Practice Placement (4D Project) aims at addressing this gap by building individualized and customized mobile application (app) for students, tutors, supervisors, teacher of each participant organization through practice-based reflective learning, mobile technology, and technology adoption. Contemporary health systems are aimed at more integrated and person-centered care models and the use of technology is becoming the rule rather than the exception in most of the processes related to the provision of care. In this context, healthcare Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are introducing the use of technology in their degree programs intending to train their students in basic skills in digital health and prepare them for their future workplaces. Mobile technologies, together with respective digital literacy should allow professionals to face the complex challenges of current health systems and students to facilitate their learning during periods of clinical practice. Especially in practice-based learning scenarios, this can help to achieve competencies through identifying learning needs, the context where the practices are carried out, their purpose or the objectives to be achieved, the way of assessing the students, the practice education model and the involved actors. To address actual problems in teaching as well as learning, embed technologies in respective practices and increase acceptance, the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) solution(s) must be co-designed with affected researchers, teachers, students and administrative staff. Digitalising and transforming higher education requires a human-centred approach that promotes adoption and sustainable impact on practice. Leveraging this approach in digitalizing and transforming practice-based learning in healthcare also helps to understand determinants and factors of successful introduction of mobile learning in practice placements.To create a bridge between the different actors involved in these learning contexts (university and clinical practice placement) and to foster the best experience in practice-based learning in healthcare settings, it is necessary to introduce mobile learning approaches in practice placements and to understand the best way in their digitalization.<< Objectives >>The 4D project aims to introduce mobile technology in practice placements, creating a bridge between the different actors involved learning contexts to foster the best experience in practice-based learning in healthcare settings. The 4D project aims to address this goal by implementing the five main objectives: (i) to Determine the key factors (practice-based learning models) and the key elements (diffusion of innovation theories) to introduce mobile technology in practice placements, (ii) to co-Design a mobile learning application (app) for successful adoption of mobile technology in practice-based learning reflecting users’ core values and needs, (iii) to introduce Digitalization and to train the participating institutions through workshops and providing tutorials, (iv) to pilot and assess the use of mobile learning in practice placements in healthcare higher education in three different countries in Europe and (iv) to Disseminate the project findings as a inclusive approach to exchange and support the practice placement digitalization around universities EU Countries.<< Implementation >>WP1. Management and organization. Leader: Tecnocampus. Participants: all partners.a)Project Governance. b)Contract and financial management. Reports. c)Continual communication and cooperation management. d)Monitoring tracking deliverables. e)Continual progress report manager.Work Package 2. Developing and orchestrating the bases of the knowledge framework of the project. Leader: IGTP and Lublin. Participants: all partners.a)Review the literature to determine and analyse the key factors of the different models and theories in practice-based learning (centres, different actors, processes).b)Understand the key elements of the different theories and models of diffusion of innovation to introduce technology in practice placements and therefore need to be accounted for in any digitalisation initiative.c)Understand and select the key factors from the perspective of the various actors that influence the learning in practice placements and the introduction of technology in practice placements needed to be accounted for in any digitalisation initiative.d)Develop the 'Key factors report to digitalise practice-based learning in higher education'.e)Select the main key factors in practice settings that need to be accounted for in order to move the curve of innovation to the left side (early and late majority).f)Develop a recommendations report to ensure the introduction of mobile technology in practice placements settings.Work Package 3. Co-creation and co-design to determine the key components of the Learning Toolbox App (LTB) in practice-based learning. Leader: Kubify and Graz University of Technology. Participants: all partners.a)Introduce co-creation and co-design methods to ensure stakeholders’ ongoing participation in the design of educational innovations, which incorporate technology as critical support for the practice.b)Build upon canvas and scenario-based design processes to co-create the value (proposition) of LTB designs with all stakeholders in practice learning contexts, continuously alongside iterationsc)Promote the successful adoption of mobile technology in practice placements by co-designing for users’ needs and practices, and analyzing their appropriation of respective prototypes in the fieldd)Advocate learner-centered design and experience with mobile technology as part of education to emphasizes the need to reflect on the TEL-supported professional /vocational learning practice e)Develop a recommendations toolkit to ensure the introduction of mobile technology in different scenarios in higher education in the EU countries: 'A toolkit to introduce mobile technology in practice placements in higher education in the EU countries’.Work Package 4. Digitalization of practice placements. Evaluation and good practices. Leader: University of Duisberg-Essen. Participants: all partners.a)Designs the methodological and research aspects of the feasibility study.b)Validate the digital contents with the other partners involved in the pilot study.c)Organize complementary activities as additional training, organization support, conference calls, and complementary materials.d)Provide recommendations in PR1, PR2, PR3. Work Package 5. Dissemination, exploitation, and communication. Leader: TecnoCampus. Participants: all partners.a)Introduce the project to the public and professionals. b)Public communication of the deliverables and outputs of the project. Exploitation and communication activity package. Guidelines. c)Define and organize the multiplier events that we will organize to release the project and disseminate the results.d)Coordinate the dissemination plan.<< Results >>During the project, three project results will be produced:(1) “Determinants to introduce mobile technology in practice placement”. This result will be a combination of two reports. -The 'Key factors to introduce mobile technology in practice-based learning'. This report will include an overview of the different models and theories in practice-based learning and a determination of the main factors to introduce mobile technology in practice-based learning. -The 'Recommendations to ensure the diffusion and introduction of mobile applications in practice placements in higher education'. This report will include an overview of the diffusion and adoption of technological innovation and will select the main key factors to introduce mobile apps in practice placements to move the curve of innovation to the right side (from innovators and early adopters to early and late majority). (2) “Design and implement a mobile learning application in practice-based learning” The design, development and test of mobile apps were at the focus of the second project result. The design and the development of mobile learning applications will be using co-design and co-creation methodologies and producing a digital toolbox to help other interesting parts in the digitalization of practice placements. (3) “Evaluation and good practices on introducing technology in practice placement”. The third project result will be the test of the mobile apps that will be carried out in a pilot study with participants (students, clinical mentors, academic teachers, and stakeholders) from Poland, Germany and Spain in three different hospitals. The results of the pilot study will be used to improve the design and the development of mobile technology in a reiteration phase and let the project evaluate the good practices and the base of knowledge on digitalization of learning in practice placement.Therefore, the impact of the project is intended to help European Universities that are interested in introducing mobile applications in practice placements to design the best mobile app proposals based on the different actors involved (students, clinical and academic tutors, managers, and others) from different contexts (universities and centres of practices). In this sense, the project considers the exchange and mutual support of universities in terms of learning resources and support of healthcare professionals in terms of peer review, thinking in terms of a major benefit beyond supporting the individual meaning, to leverage the power of the emerging network. The project supports the reflection of communication and interaction processes between different actors within and across different organizations and countries. Additionally, the project is intended to be an improved provision and assessment of basic and transversal skills in practice placements settings and to digitize the different administrative and management processes related to clinical practices to reduce the time dedicated to these processes and in this way to be able to use this time in the teaching and learning of our students. The potential longer-term benefits will be related to improving the communication and interaction processes in a digital era, reinforcing the bridge between the different actors involved, and fostering new ways of cooperation between these with the use of technology.