About the Organization
Artevelde University of Applied Sciences (AUAS, Arteveldehogeschool) is a major university of applied sciences based in Ghent, Belgium. It was formed in 2000 via a merger of several Ghent regional colleges and today counts ~14,000 students across its various programmes.
AUAS offers degree programmes in fields such as education, business, health & care, social work, communication, media & design. It is a member of the Ghent University Association (AUGent), which facilitates collaboration among higher education organizations in the region.
The institution emphasizes practice-oriented, project-based and co-creative learning, with strong links to professional contexts, internships, and the local/regional community. Its campuses foster close integration in the urban environment, and AUAS is active in promoting international mobility, interdisciplinary programmes, and English-taught offerings.
AUAS also participates actively in entrepreneurship, innovation, and participating in 40+ EU-funded projects and 900+ partnerships. It introduced Medbook ePortfolio across bachelor programmes.
Key Staff & Team
Lecturer/researcher in leadership, innovation, and clinical education. Leads Medbook supervision and helps integrate digital tools into AUAS curricula.
Lecturer/researcher focusing on evidence-based midwifery, thesis supervision, and aligning clinical internships with ePortfolio tools.
Senior researcher and expert in workplace learning, ePortfolios, mentorship, and educational innovation.
Work Package Overview
AUAS leads WP 3 – Effective Onboarding and Mentorship for Career Transition, building structures that support newly qualified midwives (NQMs) as they move from study to employment. It is also responsible for carrying out activity 2 in WP2 and WP3: Scaffolding Continuous Professional Development (CPD). AUAS contributes to the other activities from WP 1 to 4 through the development of job application trainings, CPD scaffolding activities, well-being monitoring tools for students and graduates, digital mentorship frameworks, and studies investigating EPortfolio user digital readiness and digital acceptance.
Work Package Objectives
Embed CPD tracking and reflective practice in Medbook to support lifelong learning.
Pilot well-being self-assessment modules and peer-support features for final year students and NQMs.
Develop and test structured onboarding and mentorship frameworks adaptable across partner institutions.
Support the creation of train-the-trainer programs for workplace mentors using blended formats.
Document and share implementation lessons across EU contexts for scalability.
Key Milestones & Events
Related Publications & Resources
Embo M. Integrating workplace learning, assessment and supervision in health care education [doctoral dissertation]. Maastricht (NL): Maastricht University Press; 2015. Available from: https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/integrating-workplace-learning-assessment-and-supervision-in-heal
Janssens O, Haerens L, Valcke M, Beeckman D, Pype P, Embo M. The role of ePortfolios in supporting learning in eight healthcare disciplines: a scoping review. Nurse Educ Pract. 2022;63:103418.
Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471595322001329Van Ostaeyen S, Embo M, Schellens T, Valcke M. Training to support ePortfolio users during clinical placements: a scoping review. Med Sci Educ. 2022;32:1–8.
Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40670-022-01583-0De Ruyck O, Embo M, Morton J, Andreou V, Van Ostaeyen S, Janssens O, et al. A comparison of three feedback formats in an ePortfolio to support workplace learning in healthcare education: a mixed-method study. Educ Inf Technol. 2023;28:1–24.
Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-023-12062-3Van Ostaeyen S, De Langhe L, De Clercq O, Embo M, Schellens T, Valcke M. Automating the identification of feedback quality criteria and the CanMEDS roles in written feedback comments using natural language processing. Perspect Med Educ. 2023;12(1):540–549.
Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10742245/Van Ostaeyen S, Embo M, Rotsaert T, De Clercq O, Schellens T, Valcke M. A qualitative textual analysis of feedback comments in ePortfolios: quality and alignment with the CanMEDS roles. Perspect Med Educ. 2023;12(1):584–593.
Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10742175/
