The influence of digital learning on health sciences students' competence development- A qualitative study

Background: Health care experts need high levels of competence, yet there is little evidence on the influence of digital learning on health science students' competence development. Objectives: This study aims to describe health sciences students' experiences of the development of their competence and the influences of digital learning upon their competence. Design: A qualitative descriptive research. Participants: A total of 15 health sciences students were interviewed. Methods: The data was collected by using individual semi-structured interviews during the spring of 2021. The data was analyzed using content analysis. Results: The health sciences students felt that their expertise encompasses motivation for future career devel-opment, understanding the social and professional influences on their career development, versatile expertise in various aspects of health sciences, and developing competence in different learning environments. The students recognized that digital learning requires the active participation, digitalization is a part of a successful learning environment, and digital learning challenges social interactions. The students' digital learning facilitated competence development, which broadened their understanding of skills relevant to health sciences; however, these benefits could only be obtained when including adequate support. Conclusions: The results hold social value for the development of health sciences education as policy-makers can use the presented information to develop high-quality, digital learning procedures.