Nutrition Counselling with Avatars

An international team of dietitians and IT experts develops a digital platform with virtual avatars for dietetic counselling practice: the E+DIETing_Lab. It allows students to train their advisory skills with the help of avatars before applying them to real patients. Dietitians of the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences play a leading role in the project.

The “E+DIETing_Lab” is an innovative, multidisciplinary project whose goal is to develop a digital platform for teaching and learning in dietetics: In the first part of a multi-stage training option for prospective dietitians, virtual avatars are available for practising dietetic counselling.

Screenshot with Avatar, Credit: FHSTP/UNEATLANTICO

“This makes it possible for students to apply their theoretical knowledge in a safe environment before working with real patients under expert guidance. A multiplier toolkit is being created under the auspices of the St. Pölten UAS. This collection of guidelines and recommendations serves as the basis for the well-founded use of digital tools in dietitians’ training and practice”, says Alexandra Kolm from the Institute of Health Sciences and the study programme Dietetics at the St. Pölten UAS.

Digital Toolbox for Dietetics

“The project provides an important and innovative approach to teaching and learning in the training of nutrition experts in the healthcare sector”, explains Kolm.

The toolkit is dedicated to strengthening the role of dietitians and highlighting the importance of nutritional aspects for decision-makers in health policy. The project has a term of three years. The materials developed within the framework of the project will be made available for open source use.

Project team, Credit: Karen Pauwels

Project “E+DIETing_LAB – Digital Lab for Education in Dietetics Combining Experiential Learning and Community Service”

The E+DIETing_Lab receives EU funding under the Erasmus+ programme. The project is coordinated by the European Atlantic University (Spain). Apart from the St. Pölten UAS, project partners are the University of Valladolid (Spain), the University of Porto (Portugal), AP Hogeschool Antwerpen (Belgium), and the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce (Poland).

• Project webpage