Junior researcher to study the acceptance of technology-enhanced learning materials in medical education

The junior researcher will be affiliated to the Jan Palfijn Anatomy Lab (Faculty of Medicine) and ITEC (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences) at KU Leuven Campus Kulak in Kortrijk, Belgium.
The Faculty of Medicine of KU Leuven Campus Kulak, Kortrijk (Belgium), is responsible for the Bachelor degree of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The faculty has five research units: Thrombosis, Tissue Engineering, Data Driven Healthcare, Immunology and the Jan Palfijn Anatomy Lab. In research as well as in education, we strive to be innovative and are continuously looking for ways to push boundaries. The small size of our Campus and the relatively small student group sizes, makes it possible to offer a more personalized teaching environment with ample opportunities for innovation in educational approaches.
The Faculty Psychology and Educational Sciences at KU Leuven Campus Kulak houses a lot of researchers within the broader topic of Educational Sciences, Methodology, and Psychology. The faculty is strongly intertwined with itec, which is a research group of KU Leuven, and imec, Flanders’ high-tech research and innovation hub for nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Itec conducts interdisciplinary research on the design, development, and evaluation of personalized and adaptive digital solutions, with applications mostly in the domain of technology-enhanced educational and training, but also in media and in health.
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Project

The research project (DC2) will focus on the acceptance of technology-enhanced learning materials in medical and healthcare education. This project has the following objectives: 1) to measure the acceptance of different XR applications within medical and healthcare education; 2) to identify which factors affect the intention of the user (i.e., educator, student, health professional) to use technology-enhanced learning materials; and 3) to develop guidelines for increasing user’s acceptance of XR applications (e.g. design, social, environment, pedagogical, psychological).
You will be responsible for designing and conducting independent research and analyzing the results, with a focus on quantitative and qualitative data analysis. You will carry out your research within an interdisciplinary research team at campus Kulak in Kortrijk, and collaborate with other project partners. In view of this Horizon Europe project INSIDE:INSIGHT you are willing to participate in international workshops on a regular basis. Moreover, you are prepared to do a secondment of several months at other partner institutes. Other key responsibilities include communicating research findings through presentations, publications and other media, and applying for additional funding.

Profile

• You have a Master’s degree in educational sciences, psychology, computer sciences, (bio)medical sciences, health sciences or a related discipline.
• You have distinguished yourself during your study career and graduated with Distinction or higher.
• You have a special interest in the use of technology in education and medical training.
• You can demonstrate knowledge in human anatomy and you have a strong affinity and/or experience with education and/or the medical field.
• You have experience with the use of data sciences techniques, and are interested in the use of innovative data collection and analysis techniques.
• You are able to work both independently and in an international team.
• You have a very good command of English (oral and written).
• Creativity and enthusiasm are considered important assets.
• You are highly motivated about contributing to cutting-edge research.
• You have excellent communication skills; experience with scientific outreach is a plus.
• You should comply with the mobility rules meaning that you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
• You should be available to start the project preferably no later than April 1st, 2025.

Offer

This is more than just a PhD position—it’s an opportunity to be part of an internationally recognized network of researchers through the MSCA INSIDE:INSIGHT Doctoral Network. As a PhD candidate, you will be based at KU Leuven’s Kulak Campus in Kortrijk, with exciting secondments at the University of Twente (the Netherlands), UBC (Canada), University of Minho (Portugal) and University of Pisa (Italy).

This position offers:

• Specialized doctoral training to boost your expertise.
• Opportunities to collaborate in groundbreaking interdisciplinary research and participate in international workshops and conferences.
• Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and a range of university benefits (hospital insurance, free public transport, etc.).
• You will become part of (and contribute to) a network of academic and non-academic partners in the flourishing market of educational technology.
• Your research will contribute to fast developments in education that have a high societal impact.
• A full-time appointment of 1 year, which can be extended to 3 or 4 years upon positive evaluation.

website of Jan Palfijn Anatomy Lab
website of itec

Interested?

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.