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New Project to Enhance Students' Well-being, Learning, and Completion Rates

6,2 million DKK from Novo Nordisk Foundation to ensure that all students at the Faculty of Science can build a digital competence portfolio, increasing awareness of their own skills.

By Birgitte Svennevig, , 1/10/2025

When students are aware of their competences and have confidence in their abilities, they are more likely to make the most of the teaching, complete their studies, and secure good jobs afterward.

This is why the Faculty of Science is now investing in even more well-being and competence awareness across its 25 science programs.

- We know from studies focusing on the academic and social aspects of student life that there is a direct link between increased well-being and study completion. Moreover, students often struggle to articulate their skills. Therefore, we are launching a project specifically aimed at enhancing competence awareness to improve our students’ well-being, says Associate Dean Poul Nielsen, who is the project owner of the new initiative.

This is an innovative approach to addressing retention and employment opportunities

Berith Bjørnholm, The Novo Nordisk Fondation

The project will run over the next four years, supported by a grant of DKK 6,216,700 from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

The project, titled "My Digital Competence Portfolio," builds on positive experiences from a pilot project at the Faculty of Science, conducted between 2022 and 2024 across all programs.

- In the Novo Nordisk Foundation, we are pleased to support this project, which, through an interactive digital platform, aims to enhance students' awareness of their own competencies and thereby boost their confidence. This is an innovative approach to addressing retention and employment opportunities, says Berith Bjørnholm, Senior Vice President for the foundation's initiatives in Education & Outreach.

Protection against negative emotions and stress

According to Poul Nielsen, the project fundamentally focuses on increasing students’ awareness of their competences.

- Becoming aware of what you have learned and are capable of can foster confidence in your abilities and increase engagement. It can also build resilience, which can protect against negative emotions and stress, he explains.

The project team includes Linette Sønderby (project leader), Michael Petersen (Centre for Research in Science Education and Communication) and responsible for accompanying research), and several other coordinators: Fleur Bernburg (SDU RIO), Lise Junker Nielsen, Jane Ebsen Morthorst, Eva Bang Harvald, Nadja Skarnager Andersen, Jakob Lykke Andersen, and Benjamin Jäger.

Reflection will be integrated into teaching

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for University Science Education at SDU will play a key role as a partner in refining the project, particularly in the follow-up research aspect, and in disseminating the project's results to STEM environments at other universities.

To support students' well-being and confidence in their abilities, the project will offer workshops and activities designed to encourage reflection on the students’ competencies. Reflection will also be integrated into teaching, achieved through collaboration between instructors and the project team.

Additionally, students will build a digital competence portfolio—a tool to document and reflect on their skills and learning throughout their studies.

- Our goal is to make reflective practices and competence awareness a core element of our science programs. This will help students better understand their learning and skills, enabling them to complete their studies more effectively and prepare for the job market, where their STEM skills are in high demand, says Poul Nielsen.

 

Editing was completed: 10.01.2025