VM curriculum designing

Training material development on VM curriculum designing was lead by VMU and KUL with the involvement of other partners. E-learning centres' staff or other staff members from consortium institutions worked collaboratively online to develop training material with practical assignments and templates, as well as video or audio explanations on how to design VM curriculum and what are peculiarities in such process.

4.2 Planning VM organization

4.2.2 Support for VM participants

"Creating a supportive learning environment for online learners is crucial for ensuring success, promoting persistence, and avoiding drop-out. The ideal learning environment aims to develop the learner’s independence and facilitate the learning process by providing supports that are flexible, accessible, and readily available when needed" (S.D.Moisey, J.A.Hughes, 2008, p.419).

The most efficient way to reduce the negative impact of factors affecting the success of technology-enhanced teaching and learning during its organization is the implementation of a support system. Planning and organization of support is an essential and exceptional teachnology enchanced teaching and learning feature that influences social, psychological, cultural and philosophical technology enhanced teaching and learning climate. (A.Volungeviciene et al., 2011)

There are two different groups of VM participants involved, so two different types of support are necessary – for students and for teachers.

Teacher support may be necessary for:

  • didactical issues (such as defining learning outcome, developing structured content, defining assessment strategy, etc.)
  • administrative issues
  • technological issues (the use of technologies for course design and implementation)
  • designer/multimedia application
  • adaptation of resources
  • course organization (tutoring)
  • other activities

It depends on the institutional possibilities to provide all types of support; however teacher experience in online learning organization is related to the support needed. So not all kinds of supports are necessary for all teachers. The didactical support may not be necessary if a teacher has international curriculum design experience. Virtual course organization may be implemented by several teachers where one of them is leading and other(s) may be more for tutoring. It is also useful to have a national tutor if there are bigger national groups of students involved in the VM process. Administrative support may be provided in the faculty or department or International relations office. In order to avoid technological issues during the virtual exchange it is useful to organize teacher trainings to introduce them with the technologies for synchronous meetings and asynchronous activities. The course design technological support for multimedia application and adaptation of resources may be provided by the university department, responsible for online studies or technological issues for blended studies.

One more aspect of teacher support may be mentioned – support for teachers may be provided by course hosting institution and/or student home institution. The support that can be provided by course hosting institution may be administrative or technological. The support on tutoring may be organized at student home institution – this is a support for both, students and teacher(s).

Student support may be necessary for:

  • pedagogical issues
  • technological issues
  • language and other issues

The pedagogical support may be provided by the teacher and(or) tutor. For larger national groups it is useful to have a national tutor that a student could address if he/she has any questions. The necessity for technological support depends a lot on the student digital competence and the information provided. It is necessary that a student gets the contacts of the person (s)he could address both at home and hosting institutions. It is also useful if the login guide and certain tool usage guides are provided for students before synchronous meetings. In order to avoid language and other issues (such as time management) in organization of virtual mobility, the selection of students needs to be organized adequately, checking the language competence necessary as well as  the motivation. There is also a need to present students with what could be expected and with the suggestions on how to learn online. The possibility to ask for help should always be open at student host and home universities.

It is always easier to learn online if you meet people before the exchange starts – meaning to organized blended mobility. However this may be not always the case. So introduction virtual meeting using video-conferencing facilities may be used for participants to meet virtually and to introduce each other. If there are several courses between the same home and host institutions (partnership) implemented in VM, it is suggested to organize joint video conferences so the students and teachers were also able to meet some people from their national background. This could facilitate student interaction between in national group to foster learning and compensate social need if it arises.