This document discusses virtual mobility in higher education. It defines virtual mobility as collaborative communication between faculty and counterparts mediated by computers that provides the same benefits as physical mobility without travel. The document outlines types of virtual mobility activities including virtual seminars, placements, and support for physical mobility. It presents scenarios for virtual mobility courses including virtual stays abroad, virtual campuses, and joint curriculum design. Benefits discussed include improved quality, internationalization, and development of virtual competencies. Key success factors include addressing real needs, effective partnerships, engagement at all levels, and blended implementation.

1. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė

2. Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas
Virtual mobility in
Higher Education
2013 - 06 - 18
Estela Daukšienė, doctoral student,
Vytautas Magnus University

3. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Topics to talk about
• Virtual mobility concept and its
characteristics.
• Virtual mobility types and activities.
• Scenarios of virtual mobility courses.
• Impact and benefits of virtual learning and
virtual mobility.
• VM success factors

4. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility definition
VM is
• “the collaborative communication between a faculty
member and his/her counterpart(s) mediated by a
computer.” (S. Van de Bunt-Kokhuis’s, 1996)
• “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 ” (Elearningeurope.info, 2009)

5. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility definition
• “possibility to attend classes, seminars and other
events held in a place located anywhere in the
world;
• the possibility to access reference materials and
contents at a distance, by using ICT-based
solutions;
• the possibility to communicate with other people
located anywhere“
“Virtual Erasmus student”
(Spot+ project team, 2001)

6. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility definition
“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”
Home & Away. Coaching exchange students from a distance. A
best-practice manual on blended mobility. Eds. Op de Beeck,
Bijnens, and Van Petegem, 2008

7. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility concept
• As a complement to traditional mobility
(blended mobility)
or
• As an alternative for traditional mobility
(fully virtual mobility)

8. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility definition (1)
VM – is an activity or form of learning, research,
cooperation and collaboration, based on the
following characteristics:
• cooperation of higher education institutions;
• virtual components through an ICT supported learning
environment;
• collaboration of people from different backgrounds and
cultures working and studying together, creating a
virtual community;
• having a clear goal and clearly defined learning
outcomes;
• …

9. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility definition (2)
VM – is an activity or form of learning, research,
cooperation and collaboration, based on the
following characteristics:
• …
• having, as its main purpose, the exchange of
knowledge and improvement of intercultural
competence
• as a result of which the participants may obtain ECTS
credits and/or its academic recognition will be assumed
by the home university;
• providing visibility of university in higher education
area, capitalization of educational process
• leading to the integration of ICT into their
mainstreaming in academic and business processes

10. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility concept change in EU
• 1995-2004
• Joint virtual seminars – part of the course
• 3 Humanities and spot+ project
• cooperation of traditional universities for
tele-conferencing (sometimes audio)
connections
• Stress on virtual delivery
• Expensive technological solutions
• Research on ICT use in universities
• Design of university cooperation models
Virtualus mokymasis. Virtualus mobilumas – virtualaus mokymosi išraiška.
Estela Daukšienė

11. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility concept change in EU
2005-2009
• Virtual universities won’t dominate as
expected
• Virtual mobility to support physical mobility
• Lots of research and guidelines how to boost
physical mobility with virtual activities
• virtual campus=virtual mobility
Virtualus mokymasis. Virtualus mobilumas – virtualaus mokymosi išraiška.
Estela Daukšienė

12. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility concept change in EU
2009-2011
• Concept revision (10vm elements - Movinter)
• Joint module delivery in Teacamp
• EC definition – “a set of ICT supported
activities, organized at institutional level,
that realize or facilitate international,
collaborative experiences in a context of
teaching and/or learning“
(European Commission, Erasmus for all establishing proposal,
2011, p. 15)
Virtualus mokymasis. Virtualus mobilumas – virtualaus mokymosi išraiška.
Estela Daukšienė

13. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Dondi, C., & Salandin, T. (2010). The Movinter White Paper, p.15

14. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility concept change in EU
• 2013 - ?
• OER more popular
• MOOCS in Europe
• VM-Colab, UBIcamp, IP Programme - Virtual
mobility and learning …

15. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Types of virtual mobility activities
1. Virtual seminar (series) or part of the virtual
course or virtual course/module or Virtual study
programme
2. Virtual placement
3. Virtual support activities for physical mobility
(before, during or after traditional mobility – i.e. info
about studies in another country, language or
culture preparation/intro courses, virtual buddy, e-
couching, feedback, virtual assessment or exams,
and other)

16. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
2 perspectives
• Student virtual mobility
• Teacher virtual mobility

17. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Group task one:
“in VM subject has to be interesting to be
seen from different countries perspectives”
• What topic would be useful to be compared
internationally in your group subject areas?

18. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility courses – different scenarios
• Virtual stay abroad or
remote access model
– A course in another
institution Univ. A
teacher
(students)
Univ. B
students
Univ. C
students
Univ. D
students
Univ. E
students

19. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility courses – different scenarios
• Virtual campus
model
– For joint access to
resources
– Joint development of
resources
– Joint activities
Virtual
campus
Students
univ. A
Students
univ.B
Students
univ. C
Students
univ. D
Students
univ.E

20. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Virtual mobility courses – different scenarios
• Joint curricula
design:
– Joint design
– Course adaptation
– Joint design and
delivery:
• Divided into parts
(Teacamp)
• Aimed at different
approaches sharing
(Global social
programmes)
Teachers
univ. A, B,
C, D, E, F
Students
univ. A
Students
univ. B
Students
univ. C
Students
univ. D
Students
univ. E
Students
univ. F

21. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Group task two:
• Why would my class need virtual mobility?

22. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
VM benefits for institutions
• enhances the quality of courses and curricula
• contributes to the internationalization and
modernization of HE: Open, international,
recognizable; attracts foreign students
• enhance sound competition between institutions
• Multi-institutional collaboration between institutions
• fosters the use of e-learning and the development
of virtual universities in Europe

23. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Main benefits of vm for
students and teachers
• Different forms of learning and methods of delivery
• Experience and improvement of virtual mobility
competences
– Linguistical/language
– Cultural/intercultural
– ICT
– Educational/LO related
– Personal and social
• More career opportunities...

24. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Key success factors for virtual mobility
(from vm experts) (1)
• It has to come from a need
• Transparent integration of technology - should not
be technical barriers
• Natural partnership, Enthusiasm and effective team
work
• Engagement of 3 levels:
– top management,
– faculty-teacher, and
– Students

25. Virtual Mobility in Higher Education
Estela Daukšienė
Key success factors for vm (from vm experts) (2)
• Try to do this in a blended way - necessity of
synchronous meetings
• Everything has to be pre-planned
• Initial teacher training and support
• Benevolent attitude and encouragement of the
teacher
• Different cultures + different perspectives = wider
approach

26. Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas
We don’t need to make it
virtual, we can only make use
of it
Thank you