La mobilité virtuelle en soutien à la mobilité Erasmus

Wim Van Petegem, K.U.Leuven and EuroPACE

Echanges internationaux et intercommunautaires Erasmus – Fonds nationaux Réunion de suivi 31 mai 2011

Background: LLP projects

Virtual Mobility

“

Virtual Mobility stands for the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to obtain

the same benefits

as one would have with physical mobility but

without the need to travel”

elearningeuropa.info

“

Virtual Mobility is a form of

learning

which consists of

virtual components

through an

ICT supported learning environment

that includes

cross-border collaboration

with people from different backgrounds and cultures working and studying together, having, as its

main purpose

, the enhancement of

intercultural understanding

and the

exchange of knowledge

. ”

Being Mobile Manual

Virtual Mobility: new definition

Virtual Mobility

describes the set of ICT supported activities that realize or facilitate international, collaborative experiences in a context of teaching and/or learning.

VM-BASE

•

V

irtual

M

obility

B

efore and

A

fter

S

tudent

E

• Socrates – Minerva project (October 2006 September 2008) xchanges To raise the quality of student exchanges by offering virtual support, both before and after the physical mobility Supporting teachers in coaching exchange students at a distance

Project partners

• • • • • • • • • • • EuroPACE ivzw (BE) University of Leuven (BE) Coimbra Group ASBL (BE) Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (BE) ESU European Students’ Union (BE) University of Tartu (EE) BEST Board of European Students of Technology (FR) University of West Hungary – Faculty of Geoinformatics (HU) Helsinki University of Technology, TKK Dipoli (FI) Laurea University of Applied Sciences (FI) University of Edinburgh (UK)

Virtual Support Activities

BEFORE DURING AFTER

- Orientation modules - Course information - Preparatory courses (language, culture, digital literacy) - Pre-selection tools & student selection E-coaching - Virtual assessment and evaluation at a distance - Virtual alumni

Before

Pilots for the preparatory phase

• • • • • • • •

Virtual Buddy System

Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven

Multimedia presentation and student interviews

TKK Dipoli

Virtual tours through Leuven and its campuses

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Virtual Window to Study Abroad

University of Tartu

Go abroad!

Laurea University of Applied Sciences

Virtual Exchange of Students Mobility Experience

University of West-Hungary, Department of Geoinformatics

Multilingual Survival Kit in GIS

University of West-Hungary, Department of Geoinformatics

Preparation tests and course for Master in Physiotherapy

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Before Exchange

Buddy System KHLeuven

• A ‘

matchmaking service

’ to link incoming students (before their arrival) with local students from KHLeuven, • To

support

the process of getting information about the cultural, educational and practical aspects of the exchange. • Advantages not exclusive to incoming students • 2 Pilots: first time from November 2006 until February 2007 (e-mail, website), second time from October to December 2007 (website, skype, MSN)

Before Exchange

Buddy System KHLeuven

http://www.khleuven.be/index.php?page=288

Before Exchange

Buddy System KHLeuven

• Promoting the idea of buddies to students – Motivation – Testimonials, feedback from incoming students on the website – Credits for support?

• Organising the e-support/e-coaching – Brief instructions to prepare the buddies – Continues to depend on individual engagement

Before Exchange

Master in Physiotherapy, KULeuven

•

Online Testing and Learning Platform

for International Students enrolling for the Master in Physiotherapy • To

equalise the initial level of the knowledge of statistics

of the (international) students for the Master – Successful pre-tests allow full participation – Unsuccessful pre-tests give access to online learning modules from the K.U.Leuven Bachelor degree, followed by new pre-tests Expectations are now more

transparent

Before > Pre-selection Tools

Master in Physiotherapy, KULeuven

Before Exchange Multilingual survival kit GIS, Univ. of W.-Hungary • Course in a virtual learning environment for exchange students, using WIKI • Preparation for technology used during practical and field work • Main language: English • Description of special technical terms used in GIS provided in English, German and Hungarian

Before Exchange Multilingual survival kit GIS, Univ. of W.-Hungary

Before Exchange Multilingual survival kit GIS, Univ. of W.-Hungary

Before Exchange Multilingual survival kit GIS, Univ. of W.-Hungary

Challenges first pilot run

• Different level in knowledge of languages. Hard to write articles if begin to learn a language.

• Students tend to choose facility (the language they know best, their favorite topic). • No lively virtual community, because number of participants was low

Second pilot run

More students & more strict instructions

During

During Exchange Go

Abroad!, Laurea

• Laurea's existing prep-course for outgoing exchange students did not meet the needs • Need for

more interactiveness during

the exchange and

more support

Added: – an interactive online discussion forum for students before, during and after exchange – the possibility for eTutoring and eSupport during the exchange.

During Exchange Go

Abroad!, Laurea

Contents of the course: Before the exchange

• Group meetings (with other students and International Coordinators): – info on practical arrangements, security, health matters – cultural encounters, orientation for the exchange/placement • Personal meetings with International Coordinators: information on studies abroad, Learning Agreement • Assignments to be completed online (e.g. find information about your target country and place)

During Exchange Go

Abroad!, Laurea

Contents of the course: During the exchange

- Assignments online (e.g. what special knowledge can your practice place offer you in the point of view of your studies?) - Writing the Go Abroad diary regularly - Participation in discussions with the International Coordinators and other students abroad

During Exchange Go

Abroad!, Laurea

Contents of the course: After the exchange

• Go Abroad assignments (e.g. consider, what kind of benefits your exchange/placement gave you especially in the point of view of your studies and your future career.) • Meeting with the International Coordinator • Filling out a feedback form • Sharing the experiences in the classroom and/or at the International info Days

During Exchange Go

Abroad!, Laurea

Conclusions

• Important to support not just the exchange, but students’ learning process as a whole • Has deepened the learning experience of students remarkably

After

Pilots for the follow-up phase

• • • •

E-Assessment

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Exam aquarium

TKK Dipoli

Virtual feedback and information system

Laurea University of Applied Sciences

Virtual Alumni

Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven

After > E-assessment

E-assessment, K.U.Leuven

• •

Master European Social Security

(Faculty of Law) – One-year international study programme in English – Blends regular with distance learning

This pilot:

– 2007-2008: need for oral examination at a distance – Set-up of e-assessment through webconferencing

After > E-assessment

E-assessment, K.U.Leuven

• •

What did we need?

– Webconferencing through FlashMeeting – Laptop and webcam on both sides – Support staff

What did we do?

– Booking of meeting + manual for students – Students receive link to meeting through e-mail – Online examination + recording

After > E-assessment

E-assessment, K.U.Leuven

•

Some reactions…

– Quality similar to F2F – Recordings are added value – F2F meeting for authentication – Time consuming – Connectivity, crucial for timing

After > Exam Aquarium

Exam Aquarium, TKK

• • •

Already exists

in Finland

Web-based examination system

– Camera-guarded and computer-equipped room – Special software

This pilot:

how can we use this system for incoming and outgoing exchange students at TKK? Pictures: TietäNet 2/2007

After > Exam Aquarium

Exam Aquarium, TKK

Strengths

• More flexibility • Time savings for everyone • Self-assessment & feedback

Weaknesses

• Time-consuming • No direct contact between teacher and students • Challenges in the technical field – how to solve mathematical problems?

• Threat to equal grading

After > Exam Aquarium

Exam Aquarium, TKK

Challenges

• Sustainability (technology, support, scalability, costs, individual data protection) • Teachers see this as a service for students, not mainstream type of activity

After > Virtual Alumni

Virtual Alumni

“Big gap in information about Erasmus Students after graduation” … “Former Erasmus Students are the greatest resources of the Erasmus programme ”

(UK Socrates Erasmus Council on Experience Erasmus)

“Most student loose their connection to their ‘host’ institutions after they had returned home”

(Victorious Project)

After > Virtual Alumni

Virtual Alumni

1. Commission driven 3. User driven 4. Student organization driven

Erasmus Mundus Alumni Association www.erasmusmundus-alumni.eu

2. Institution driven

Erasmus Student Network Alumni Society www.alumni.esn.org

After > Virtual Alumni Virtual Alumni Facebook, KHLeuven

Lessons Learnt & Recommendations

• Use the benefits of technologies & web2.0, BUT no technology without philosophy, vision, strategy • Both incoming and outgoing students need support • Support during ALL stages (before-during-after) • Blended approach • Good cooperation between International Office, IT services, Faculty & Teachers is essential • Use former exchange students and students associations for feedback & support of new exchange students

VM-BASE Outcomes

• Manual for blended mobility • Manual on e-coaching including

guidelines

&

recommendations

for all stakeholders in student mobility (students, teachers, international relations officers, networks of higher education,…)

Questions?

• Web: – VM-BASE: http://vm-base.europace.org

– EuroPACE: http://www.europace.org

– K.U.Leuven, Media and Learning Unit: http://www.dml.kuleuven.be

• Contact: K.U.Leuven – Media and Learning Unit Kapeldreef 62 – box 5206 3001 Heverlee Tel: +32 (16) 32.82.00 – Fax: +32 (16) 32.82.70

Mail: [email protected]