Page 232 - International Perspectives on Effective Teaching and Learning in Digital Education

Manuel Lillo-Crespo

or user levels – such as the patients or the students – in which providers
must continue to improve their quality of communication (Au & Kawakami,
1994). When it comes to learning initiatives, a culturally sensitive and con-
gruent learning environment is, according to the previous statements and
definitions published by many authors along the years, understood as the
context – real, online or virtual scenarios – where a exposure to cultural
differences and similarities takes place, by working in multicultural con-
texts, by recognising others’ education and trainingships in health profes-
sions used to focus on one’s own cultural aspects and settings throughout
face-to-face learning in simulated and real practice. Additionally, mobility
programmes have contributed to such traditional learning with a comple-
mentary view of other cultural perspectives though being a limited option,
only available for some students (El-Messoudi et al., 3). However, in the
last years digital learning initiatives facilitated by distinct forms of technol-
ogy have appeared providing potentially all students with some element of
control over time, place, path and pace; being no longer restricted to the
school day or the academic year; and no longer restricted to one’s own cul-
ture or just very few cultural perspectives (Stork, 18). These digital learn-
ing initiatives may allow people to learn wherever or whenever they choose
since these learning materials are online and accessible at any time and
can provide students with a broader cultural perspective, consequently
preparing future health professionals, whatever their condition is, not only
for a professional free mobility across Europe but also for a wider cultural
competent professional mobility in a global world. Thus, along the years
mobile devices have become especially enticing to educational institutions
because of their portability, flexibility, and intuitive interfaces. A growing
number of organizations have begun using tablets as a cost-effective stra-
tegy in a digital learning environment. Other institutions have embraced
a bring your own device (BYOD) policy, which addresses pedagogical goals
as well as the lack of funds many schools struggle with to support digital
learning. BYOD makes digital learning easier by leveraging the devices stu-
dents already have.
The digitalisation process understood as the material process of convert-
ing analog streams of information into digital bits and consequently the way
many domains of social life are restructured around digital communication
and media infrastructures (Brennen & Kreiss, 16) is an-umbrela concept that
falls not only on the side of education and training but also on the communi-
ties’ and organizations’ side. Under the umbrella of digitalization the concept
of digital health represents one important branch that continues to evolve

3