E-MOVE, An Operational Conception of Virtual Mobility
 

Project website
http://www.eadtu.nl/e-move
EU Programme
eLearning Programme
First Contracting Partner
EADTU – European Association of Distance Teaching University

Objectives

The virtual mobility represents a new opportunity for the organization of international experiences for students. This activity contributes also to the Bologna process and can improve the quality of courses and study curricula.
The project is focused on four different types and scenarios of virtual mobility:

• organization of a pool of international courses, realized by selecting courses of different foreign institutions;
• realization of a Virtual Community: creation of virtual mobility in the framework of an international learning experience with the use of information and communication technologies in a course;
• creation of a virtual space for international joint courses and programmes in partnership with international organizations;
• facilitation of the European access to the courses that are significant for professional training.

The objective of the proposal is to analyse and study the success factors in each scenario and their implementation in Open and Distance Learning courses. Thus, the project aims to:

• find new patterns of mobility and learning for the “residents” students, both at a distance and in the traditional universities;
• develop a coherent and operating model for the implementation of virtual mobility schemes in the Higher Education system in whole;
• contribute to the development of a Virtual European Campus that includes Virtual Mobility as an option in the framework of the study curricula for students, employees, etc;
• demonstrate the significant impact of Virtual Mobility on the educational organizations;
• analyse and verify an efficient use of technologies as interactive learning environments that 1) put specific educational needs of students at the centre of the educational process, and 2) decrease the dependence on traditional education focused on the teacher;
• provide a response to the needs of students who for several reasons cannot take advantage of physical mobility for a long period of studies abroad, but who are open to mobility to gain international experience.

The project consists of two parallel and interrelated activities:

• Analysis of the Virtual Mobility, conducted by an Observatory in workshops related to the action with 2 tests to implement.
• Analysis of 2 case studies of existing courses for 4 scenarios of virtual mobility that have been identified.

• Test “To stay abroad virtually” will be centred on the exchange of distance education courses in European studies on a multilateral basis;
• Test “Virtual community” will create a virtual space of work with access that is independent from time and place for the community of students, teachers and experts in the field of marketing;
• Case study “Joint courses, the course of sustainable development”;
• Case Study “Virtual vocational lifelong education”.

The results of the two actions will provide an overview on the possible difficulties and best practices for the implementation of all four scenarios.

Description of the project

Implementation of the Virtual Mobility activities of in Higher Education
Creation of the network of European experts on virtual mobility
Guidelines on the Web, and a Handbook on Virtual Mobility
Creation of a European Portal for information and support services.

 

Role of NETTUNO

NETTUNO, jointly with other partners, is actively involved in:

 

Work Package Action A – Observation process

• Analysis of existing experiences
• Workshops
• Handbook preparation
• Creation of the network of European experts on Virtual Mobility

Work Package Action A – European portal of information

• Identification of the objectives and logistics
• Research on the students needs in the four identified scenarios
• Analysis and synthesis of practical experiences and different approaches
• Identification of the critical and problematic aspects and the successful ones
• Development of models
• Integration of the results in the observation process and contributions to the Handbook
• Marketing strategies

Work Package - Dissemination and Promotion

• Seminars, conferences, articles

Duration
January 2006 – December 2007 (24 months)

Partners
Fern Univesitat Hagen
Tallin University
OUNL - Open Universiteit Nederland
UOC - Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
OU UK - Open University in United Kingdom
UNED - Universidad Nacional de Educacion a distancia
Danish University of Open Universities (DAOU)
Oscail – Dublin City University
University of Paisley representing the OLF
Apertus Public Foundation
Wysza Szkoa Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna wodzi
Johannes Kepler University of Linz
NETTUNO - Network per l'Università Ovunque