BigPicture as a catalyst for innovation: From evidence-based practice to new educational initiatives

On 4 November 2026, the BigPicture Erasmus+ project was presented at the seminar**“Erasmus+ and the Union of Skills: Towards Future Skills in Europe”** in Riga. The event brought together representatives from education, research and professional practice to discuss the skills needed for the future and the role of Erasmus+ projects in supporting educational innovation. The seminar was organised by the Latvian State Education Development Agency (VIAA).

Evidence-based practice that attracted attention

One of the aspects of BigPicture that generated particular interest among participants was the project’s strong connection with evidence-based practice. Rather than developing educational content in isolation, the project connects current evidence in geriatric care with the competencies nurses need in real clinical practice.

At the centre of this approach is Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and the ability to assess an older person holistically, bringing together medical, functional, psychological and social dimensions and using this information for person-centred care planning.

This evidence-based foundation was particularly relevant to the seminar discussion because it demonstrated how Erasmus+ projects can help bridge the gap between research, education and clinical practice.

Innovative learning methods with potential for wider use

Another aspect that attracted considerable interest was the way BigPicture translates evidence into learning.

The project moves beyond conventional teaching formats by combining different learning approaches and digital solutions. Video lectures, virtual patient cases, a digital educational game, 3D simulation, clinical case analysis and knowledge assessment are brought together within one learning experience.

The discussion with seminar participants showed that these approaches were perceived as innovative and transferable. Several participants expressed interest in adapting ideas and approaches demonstrated through BigPicture to their own educational contexts.

This was an especially valuable outcome of the presentation because dissemination is not only about informing others about what has been achieved. Its real value emerges when project experience stimulates new ideas, adaptation and innovation beyond the original project partnership.

What impressed participants most: BigPicture continues to generate new initiatives

Perhaps the strongest interest from participants was related to the fact that BigPicture has not remained a stand-alone Erasmus+ project.

The project has become a platform for further educational development and international cooperation. The experience, educational approaches and expertise developed within BigPicture have supported the creation of additional initiatives, including a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) and other new ideas for international teaching and collaboration.

This ability to build new activities around the original project was particularly positively received by the audience. It demonstrated an important dimension of Erasmus+ sustainability: a successful project does not end when its original activities are completed. Instead, it creates capacity, partnerships, educational resources and ideas that can generate the next initiative.

In this sense, BigPicture illustrates a multiplier effect:

evidence → new educational methods → implementation → evaluation → knowledge sharing → new initiatives → wider impact

From project output to sustainable educational change

The experience presented at the seminar demonstrates that the impact of BigPicture can be viewed at several interconnected levels.

• At the clinical level, it strengthens evidence-based, comprehensive and person-centred approaches to caring for older adults.
• At the educational level, it introduces innovative ways of learning through digital tools, simulation and realistic clinical situations.
• At the institutional level, the project creates resources and experience that can be integrated into nursing education and continuing professional development.
• And at the international level, BigPicture provides a foundation for new collaborations, including BIP activities and further ideas that extend beyond the original project framework.

BigPicture is not only a project, but a starting point

 The presentation generated lively interest precisely because BigPicture demonstrated what can happen when an Erasmus+ project is viewed not as a temporary set of activities, but as a starting point for continuous educational innovation.

The experience of BigPicture shows that evidence-based practice and innovative education can reinforce each other. New learning methods can make evidence more accessible and applicable, while international cooperation creates opportunities to test ideas, share them and develop them further.

The strongest message from the seminar was therefore not simply what BigPicture has already achieved, but what it has made possible next.

The interest expressed by participants in transferring elements of the approach to their own settings, together with the development of BIP and other follow-up initiatives, demonstrates that BigPicture is creating an impact that extends beyond the original project itself.

This is perhaps one of the clearest indicators of successful Erasmus+ project sustainability: when project results do not remain project results, but become the foundation for new practices, partnerships and ideas.