UNICollaboration Position Paper September 2020

Virtual Exchange and its role in Blended Mobility Initiatives

By Francesca Helm, University of Padova, Italy & Robert O'Dowd, University of León​, ​

This position paper defines Virtual Exchange and this virtual component to consist of collaborative outlines its role in blended mobility initiatives in online exchange and teamwork which Higher . can be carried out through joint projects and/or online courses (Tegovska & Dumitrescu, 2020)2. This paper has been authored by Francesca Helm and Robert O’Dowd for the UNICollaboration We propose that any institution exploring the organisation and is intended as a contribution to integration of blended mobility initiatives should the ’s Public consultation consider the use of Virtual Exchange as the virtual ​ launched on the new Digital Education Action component of these initiatives. Plan. It is also intended for use by educational ​ institutions, organizations and university networks What is Virtual Exchange? as they consider the integration of blended Virtual Exchange (also referred to as COIL or mobility in their internationalisation and telecollaborative learning) involves engaging international mobility strategies and policies. learners in sustained online international collaboration and communication with online Virtual Exchange and its role in Blended peers under the guidance of trained facilitators or Mobility educators. Blended mobility can be defined as a deliberate combination of both physical and structured online Virtual Exchange offers individuals an collaboration. This may involve a physical mobility international/transnational experience as well as course which is supported by online interaction, or the opportunity to foster a range of 21st century an online course or project which is supported by employability skills which include media and physical mobility (e.g. at the start or the end of a , communication skills, global one-year online project or virtual collaboration) awareness, empathy, critical and analytical (European Association of Distance Teaching thinking, foreign language skills and intercultural Universities, Henderikx & George Ubachs, 20191). competences.

The European Commission has announced that There are several different models of virtual blended mobility will play an integral role in the exchange. However, a broad distinction can be made between educator-led, collaboratively Erasmus programme 2021 – 2027. This will ​ involve combining short, intensive physical designed virtual exchanges which generally mobility for students (5-30 days) with a virtual involve a partnership between two or more component before, during and/or after the physical mobility. The Commission understands

1 http://openaccess.uoc.edu/webapps/o2/bitstream/1060 9/93586/1/Innovative%20Models%20for%20Collaborati 2 Online presentation: “The Erasmus Charter for Higher on%20and%20Student%20Mobility%20in%20Europe.p Education 2021-27: New Principles” df 1 classes, and ‘ready-made’ VE programmes led education of future teachers, who are amongst the ​ by organizations specialised in virtual exchange3. least mobile of European university students.

Organisational and governmental support for The Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange pilot project Virtual Exchange is growing. The involved 16,210 youth participants and 2,468 UNICollaboration organisation4 promotes the trainees in 2018 and 2019. The 2019 Impact development and integration of research and Report found that there was significant overall practice in telecollaboration and virtual exchange gain in post-exchange measures of intercultural ​ across all disciplines and subject areas in higher communicative competence, curiosity and education. In , the European Commission self-esteem, as well as warmth to people with ​ ​ launched Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange5 in 2018, a different ethnic and religious backgrounds. ​ ​ flagship programme which aimed to expand the The exposure to different world views and beliefs reach and scope of the Erasmus+ programme via heightens young people’s critical thinking and virtual exchange. In the , appreciation of diversity. Participants perceived an organisations and networks such as the SUNY increased knowledge of the relationship ​ Center for Collaborative Online International between societies, increased awareness of ​ Learning (COIL) provide training and support for stereotypes, and built positive/meaningful ​ educators and institutions who are interested in relationships with peers from different countries. integrating Virtual Exchange in their curricula. The Many of them reported keeping in touch with Stevens Initiative also provides funding for fellow participants after the end of their exchanges organisations to develop Virtual Exchange and and growing interest in study abroad. The majority training programmes and gathers resources to of participants felt they built skills and grow the field of VE. competences directly related to employability, ​ ​ such as confidence in working in culturally ​ The Impact of Virtual Exchange on Student diverse settings, teamwork and ​ ​ problem-solving, and also digital competences. Learning ​ ​ ​ In recent years several large scale research The Stevens Initiative 2018 Impact Report found studies have been carried out and provide a rich ​ positive change in participants’ knowledge of the evidence-base regarding the impact of virtual ​ exchange programmes. other country or culture from pre-program to post-program, a small positive change in learning The EVALUATE project6 involved over 1000 more about unfamiliar places, languages, and ​ future teachers from 16 different countries in 25 cultures and in participants’ retrospective assessment of their cross-cultural different exchanges based on the ​ communication skills. telecollaborative/collaboratively designed VE ​ model. The Impact report found that engaging student teachers in structured online intercultural Despite the growing implementation of VE, it is collaboration as part of their formal learning can still far from being a common practice in Higher contribute to the development of their Education Institutions (HEIs) and is not included digital-pedagogical, intercultural, and foreign either in online education offerings or ​ ​ language competences. It can also lead to internationalisation at home strategies. A baseline ​ innovation and international learning in the study carried out in the context of the EVOLVE ​ project7 aimed to understand the current state of the art as regards understanding and 3 Soliya (www.soliya.net) and Sharing Perspectives ​ ​ Foundation implementation of Virtual Exchange in HEIs (https://sharingperspectivesfoundation.com/) 4​ ​ https://www.unicollaboration.org/ 7 ​ 5 https://europa.eu/youth/erasmusvirtual_en ​ https://evolve-erasmus.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Basel 6 http://www.evaluateproject.eu/ ​ ine-study-report-Final_Published_Incl_Survey.pdf

UNICollaboration.org 2 across Europe. It found that there was, in 2018, Area that will promote education and culture no institutional recognition for VE in HEIs and that as drivers for jobs, social fairness, active VE was not widely referenced in strategies of citizenship as well as means to experience a internationalisation in the 44 responding European identity. To achieve this, the ​ institutions. A follow-up case study report of 9 European Council has underlined the institutions has found that the main drivers for VE importance of promoting the development of are generally highly motivated individual various competence frameworks including educators or international offices, but still no the Digital Competence Framework, the concrete strategies. However the situation seems Entrepreneurship Competence Framework as to be changing. well as the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Growing Interest in Virtual Exchange Culture. Virtual Exchange initiatives can Current debates on the economic and facilitate the integration of these competence environmental cost of study abroad programmes, frameworks through the development of as well as the challenges to physical mobility projects which involve the development of all posed by the recent global pandemic have made these different competence sets. Virtual Exchange an attractive option for institutions of higher education as they search for 3. Finally, the new international learning context sustainable models of international learning which brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic will serve as preparation for or a complement to has meant that physical mobility numbers are physical mobility programmes. likely to drop significantly in the coming years. Virtual Exchange can help to Virtual Exchange and the Current compensate for this by providing students Educational Context: with international learning experiences as We argue that the promotion of Virtual Exchange part of their studies at their home institution. is in line with the current educational context in European Higher Education, and in particular as The UNICollaboration organisation argues part of blended mobility initiatives, for various that: reasons: ● Virtual Exchange should not be seen as being in competition with physical mobility. 1. The European Commission recently adopted Rather, Virtual Exchange can be used as the Digital Education Action Plan which preparation for physical mobility, as a ​ ​ includes 11 actions to support technology use complement to physical mobility in blended and the development of digital competences mobility initiatives and as an inclusive, in education. The Action Plan has three international learning opportunity for students priorities which include 1) making better use and staff who may not be able to or want to of digital technology for teaching and have a physical or blended mobility. learning, 2) developing digital competences and skills and 3) improving education through ● Virtual Exchange should not be confused with better data analysis and foresight. Virtual other ‘virtual mobility’ activities. While Virtual Exchange is in line with the action plan as it Exchange is based on learners engaging in involves an innovative use of digital structured online intercultural dialogue, virtual technologies in education and also enables mobility may involve students using the the development of both educators’ and internet to follow lectures and accessing students’ digital competences. course materials at a university in another geographical location but with no interaction 2. The European Commission is also committed with other students or intentional inclusion of to the development of a European Education ​

UNICollaboration.org 3 intercultural learning or development of soft comprehensive integration of VE practices. skills in the curriculum. However the crisis in mobility that COVID-19 has presented calls for immediate solutions. ● The development of intercultural competences, media literacy, digital We call for: competences or empathy and understanding ● Funding for a comprehensive Virtual are not natural by-products of Virtual Exchange initiative to ensure the continuity Exchange, they must be intentionally built and upscaling of VE in HEIs in 2020-2021 into the design of the VE. and through to 2027. This initiative should provide access to both quality ‘ready made’ ● Virtual Exchange is not a question of simply models of virtual exchange and training connecting learners and classes. Students programmes for educators, youth workers require mentoring by teachers or facilitators and facilitators. as they engage in their online intercultural interactions and collaborations with different ● Explicit recommendation to use Virtual cultural groups if VE is to meet its intended Exchange in the digital education action plan learning outcomes. Teachers should as it is a tried and tested that is therefore be trained to design virtual also flexible, scalable, inclusive and exchanges and carry out this role of cost-effective. pedagogical mentoring in order to support learners in explicitly addressing intercultural ● Support measures and indicators to ensure issues and to engage positively with the quality of virtual exchange and blended difference. mobility activities.

● The virtual phases of blended mobility require ● Mechanisms for the recognition of virtual integration into university curricula and exchange (e.g. badges which can explicit recognition of students’ and teachers’ automatically be included in the Diploma learning outcomes. Students’ participation in Supplement, Europass CV). VE and their acquisition of competences during the virtual phases of blended mobility ● The explicit inclusion of Virtual Exchange and should be recognised by the awarding of Blended Mobility in the Erasmus Charter grades, ECTS credits and recognition in the application. Diploma Supplement as an online, international experience. ● Funding for both the development of the virtual component and the mobility ● Teachers’ engagement in Virtual Exchange component of blended mobility initiatives. initiatives requires time and a significant extra workload. Teachers should therefore be ● Organizational grants for capacity-building supported through the provision of activities for institutions - which can be spent professional development and support, on building internal capacity of university staff technological infrastructure and academic and for partnering with VE providers to be recognition (for example through teaching able to offer students ‘ready made’ VE awards, time release...) experiences.

● It will take time for institutions to develop VE ● Funding for short VE planning trips for strategy and build the necessary capacity teachers. and organizational structure for the

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