Conclusions Peer Learning Activity- Virtual Mobility by George Ubachs, EADTU

1. Conclusions
Peer Learning Activity
Virtual Mobility
Maastricht, 13 December
George Ubachs
EADTU

2. PLA
participants
Higher Education Institutions
• Maastricht University
• KU Leuven
• TU Delft
• Open Universiteit Nederland
• Open University UK
• Beuth Hochschule für Technik Berlin
• Sorbonne University
• Università Telematica Internazionale Uninettuno
• University of Jyväskylä/Open University
• University of Warsaw
• UOC Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
• KIT Royal Tropical Institute
University network organisations
• Coimbra Group
• Kiron Open Higher Education
• European Students Union
Public authorities
• European Commission
• Ministry of Education and Research, Norway
Agencies
• Academic Cooperation Association (ACA)
• DAAD
• Diku

3. Why this PLA?
European developments in mobility
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European Universities: physical, blended and online mobility
Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships, Knowledge Alliances, Capacity Building
Erasmus Mundus Joint Degrees, embedded mobility of staff and students
Networked programmes: mobility windows
Physical Erasmus Mobility, incl. Intensive Programmes

4. Why this
PLA?
Blended and virtual mobility is stimulated in
many Erasmus+ actions, in particular in the
“European universities” initiative, “strategic
partnerships”, “knowledge alliances”, “sector
skills” and “capacity building”. The “eU.University
hub” for online learning will stimulate and
empower universities for online education and
virtual mobility.
In the Erasmus+ 2019 call, virtual mobility is
defined as “a set of activities supported by
Information and Communication Technologies,
including e-learning, that realise or facilitate
international, collaborative experiences in a
context of teaching, training or learning”.

5. Examples
of running
initiatives
in VM
• Coimbra initiative EVOLVE (Evidence-
Validated Online Learning through Virtual
Exchange)
• OpenVM project, Beuth University of Applied
Sciences Berlin
• Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange pilot
projectEuropean Commission
• Virtual Exchange, Delft University
• Think Tank KU-Leuven
• Edelnet, OUNL
• VM Norwegian practices, DIKU
• VM in the framework in a humanitarian
context, Kiron Open Higher Education
• Virtual mobility for global citizenship,
Maastricht University

6. Aim of the
PLA
In the Peer Learning Activity on VM we
brought together the stakeholders in
international education to reflect on the
opportunities offered by virtual mobility.
The outcome of this PLA focusses on
identification of the roles of the different
stakeholders and the collection of:
• Good practices of virtual mobility
• New developments in the field of
virtual mobility
• How virtual mobility can stimulate
European university networks
• Recommendations at Macro, Meso and
Micro level

8. Basic
principles
of VM
• Just like the Erasmus+ programme, this
international experience is organised in the
framework of a collaboration between two
or more universities. Such collaboration is
defined in an institutional agreement
between two universities (exchange) or
within a network or consortium (networked
and joint learning activities or curricula). At
the individual level, a learning agreement
guarantees the rights of the student. Should
be the same for PM and VM
• The core goal of any mobility is providing an
international academic experience.
In physical mobility, immersion is an important
aspect, important for personal development,
language learning and living in different social
and cultural context.
In virtual mobility, an international experience
in a blended and online mode, next to the
academic experience.

9. VM competencies envisaged
(Open VM project)
• Networked communication
• Media communication
• Intercultural skills
• Collaborative skills
• Autonomy-driven learning
• Self-regulated learning
• Open mindedness
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10. Opportunities
for students
• Flexibility, accessibility: all students in a
class have access to virtual mobility, also
students who prefer not to go abroad or
cannot go abroad, including those with
special needs or from a disadvantaged
socio-economic background.
• Individual portfolio development: more
opportunities for mobility and for
integrating an international learning
experience, a new field of study and new
ways of learning, virtual internships
• Competence building: intercultural
competences, linguistic skills, collaborative
learning, media and digital literacy skills,
open mindedness, team work, critical
thinking, networking.
• Improving employability

11. Opportunities
for staff
• Enhancement of the quality of the
course or a curriculum: content,
collaborative education
• Connecting educational networking
with research networking
• Continuous professional development,
learning from international colleagues
(sharing good practices, new
methods...)
• Enhanced teaching quality

12. Opportunities
for institutions
• To expand the university’s academic offer
in an international context (to home and
guest students), internationalisation of the
curriculum, global teaching, transnational
education
• Innovative pedagogies creating an
international experience for students
• Enhancing the quality of courses and
curricula
• Networking with other universities in
education and research, sharing teaching
capacity
• Enhancing the attractiveness and
competitiveness of the university
• New approaches concerning alumni
activities, continuous education and
lifelong learning
• Reaching out to disadvantaged groups, e.g.
migrants, refugees

13. Towards mainstream
virtual mobility
• 10 years on virtual mobility (2 projects)
• EADTU Mobility Matrix
• EADTU TF VM; mapping VM in Europe
• EADTU Peer Learning Activity
• EADTU-EU Summit 30th April 2019
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14. EADTU Mobility Matrix
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15. Task Force
Virtual
Mobility
The group of experts consists of EADTU member an non-
member university representatives with a specific field of
expertise or interest in virtual mobility
Members are;
• George Ubachs (EADTU; Chair)
• Esther Souto (UNED)
• Carme Anguera Iglesias (UOC)
• Katrien Vanelven (KU-Leuven)
• Susanne Koch (Norgesuniversitetet)
• Sabine Bottin (FIED-UPMC)
Non-member participants:
• Marinke Sussenbach (TU-Delft)
• Sarah Guth, Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange consortium
• Barbara Moser Mercer, InZone |Université de Genève
• LERU and COIMBRA are represented by some of the
TF-members

16. TF-VM GOALS
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• Achieve a common understanding of virtual mobility
• Analyse positive and negative forces on further
exploring virtual mobility schemes and mainstreaming
• Identify ways forward and lower thresholds for virtual
mobility and by stimulating innovation in education
• Identify the expertise needed and ways of sharing at
European level
• Identify VM from university, teacher and student
perspectives
• Identify innovative projects related to VM
• Identify the different approaches represented by good
practices
• Define recommendations at Macro, Meso and Micro
level

17. 17

18. Universities should (Micro Level):
• Benefit from the opportunities of networked and joint educational
initiatives by digital education, involving multiple campuses
simultaneously, e.g. in virtual seminars and think tanks, or in joint curricula
in the framework of the “European universities” initiative.
• Benefit from specific features of digital education which add to the quality
and intensity of education, e.g. inquiry learning activities on the internet,
communication with staff ad peers, learning communities , e-assessment
and feedback.
• Benefit from the flexibility of digital education in international education:
next to synchronous, also asynchronous formats, taking into account
different time zones and conflicting course tables; adaptiveness to different
prior knowledge levels.
• Benefit of the opportunities with regard to the granularity of digital
education. Collaboration and mobility is possible for all organisational
units: learning activities/modules, courses, MOOCs and short courses,
degree programs (networked, joint) and for all qualification levels:
foundation, bachelor, master and doctorate.
• Benefit from the accessibility offered by digital modes of teaching and
learning in international education. Being able to reach a larger and more
divers group of students.
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RESULTS PLA-VM

19. At institutional policy level (Meso level):
• Universities should develop shared leadership with regard to the
internationalisation of education within a student centred perspective.
International virtual education should be part of mainstream curriculum
development.
• Select blended/online internationalisation pedagogies, depending on
educational design, taking into account the needs for flexibility ,
accessibility , scalability and the quality requirements for international
education.
• International relations offices should develop understanding and
expertise to enable support of international curriculum and course
development in collaboration with teaching and learning support services
• Institutional support should be given to programme coordinators and
teaching staff to develop an international dimension in education,
facilitating collaboration in broader networks and consortia.
• Providing supporting technological infrastructural services
• Organise on site staff training, bringing in external expertise and
stimulate staff to experiment with blended education, online short
programmes and MOOCs along their research interests. Integration of
expertise related to international course design/classrooms.
• Create subject area communities and share online course materials as a
source for international collaboration and mobility (OER).
• Define, create, share Institutional frameworks, facilitation and
processes.
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RESULTS PLA-VM

20. • University networks should develop and support the
institutional leadership of their members with regard to
blended/online transnational education and online/blended
collaboration and mobility.
• University networks should stimulate members to organise
networked/joint collaborations, e.g. virtual seminars, think
tanks, student exchange with MOOCs and online courses,
networked programmes, joint programmes.
• Governments and HEIs should adopt aligned and shared
recognition schemes for online education and virtual
mobility.
• Online education and mobility as a key to achieve sdg4
objective of the UN
• Networks/agencies/governments should create subject
area/programme communities and share online course
materials, taking into account their international use.
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At national and European level (Macro Level):
RESULTS PLA-VM

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At national and European level (Macro Level):
• National strategies should build a framework to promote,
stimulate and activate international blended/online
collaboration and mobility between universities. Virtual mobility
as a complement to physical mobility will support this process
and intensify the international learning experience for all
students.
• Internationalisation policies, strategies, funding schemes for
higher education at national level should strengthen the policies
of the European Commission with regard to “European
Universities” as alliances to enhance the quality of higher
education.
• National governments should support the digital dimension in
international collaboration and mobility in the European Higher
education Area (BFUG) by creating public archtectoral and
support services.
• Increasing the European identity, global citizenship with global
competencies by making virtual mobility a standard provision.
RESULTS PLA-VM

22. Let’s keep in touch!
george.ubachs@eadtu.eu
George Ubachs
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