Vytautas Magnus University online studies

Online and blended studies at VMU.Virtual mobility as a form of online studiesEstela Daukšienė,Innovative Studies Institute

Virtual learning environment

• moodle.vdu.lt

• Guidance at studyonline.lt

• or studyonline.lt/en

3 levels of online or blended studies at VMU

• Guidance in online and blended

learning by Innovative Studies

institute

• Studyonline.lt

Requirements for 1 level blended studies at VMU

• Course description

• All topics

• Slides or other learning material for all

topics

Requirements for 2 level blended studies at VMU• 50-90% of all learning materials and

activities:

• Course description;

• Learning plan;

• Lecture records or link to synchronous

online meetings;

• Assignments and their assessment

criteria

• Self-check tests or other online

activities.

Requirements for 3 level blended/online studies at VMU• 91-100% of learning materials and learning

activities:

• all mentioned at level 2 just with higher

interactivity and more online meetings

Open online studies at VMU

• Openstudies.vdu.lt

• Target group – society and companies

• For individual or group learning online

• Based on different subject areas, such as

foreign languages, business and

communication, humanities, social

sciences, law or informatics

Quality assurance of courses for online studies

• University online courses or open e-courses

• Expert assessment of the course preparedness for

online learning

• Common quality assurance criteria

questionnaires used

• EN link to tool:

http://www.reviveproject.eu/vet/quality-

criteria/revive-vet-curriculum-design-quality-

criteria/

• Studyonline.lt

Virtual mobility at VMU

• Openstudies.eu

• Openu.vdu.lt

• Ubicamp.eu

• Teacamp.eu

• www.teacamp.eu/moodle2/

Virtual mobility characteristics

Virtual mobility in higher education is a way of learning, teaching, research, communication, or collaboration, based on the following characteristics:

• Development of intercultural competence;

• Cooperation of higher education institutions;

• Application of appropriate technological solutions for

teaching and learning, communication and

collaboration;

• Aimed at achieving academic goals and recognition of

the achieved learning outcomes

Types of virtual mobility activities

1. Virtual seminar (series) or part of the virtual course or virtualcourse/module or Virtual study programme

2. Virtual placement

3. Virtual support activities for physical mobility

(before, during or after traditional mobility)

2 perspectives or types of virtual mobility:

Student virtual mobility

And/or

Teacher virtual mobility

Various VM scenarious– Ubicamp

Student virtual mobility case

• Unicamp.eu

• Openu.vdu.lt

• http://www.teacamp.eu/moodle2/

Various VM scenarious – Ubicamp

Ubicamp scenario - lessons learnt

• It is easier to coordinate the process if bilateral

agreements are chosen instead of multilateral

• It depends on a university procedure and regulations

how many courses student can take and at how many

universities student can be enrolled at one semester

• Flexibility of a teacher is crucial as not always

intercultural groups may be formed

• Strong coordination of the process is essentialwww.ubicamp.eu

Student testimonies after VM sessions in UbiCamp• You feel like studying in different country, you can

compare our study technique and theirs

• It’s something international, productive, interesting,

exciting …

• When I participate in virtual lecture, I’m more brave

to speak and to write.. I improve my English

• I met new people, new lecturers and new friends…

• It helped me a lot for my professional life

Various VM cases:OUVM, VMU master studies, TeaCamp

Student and teacher virtual mobility cases

• Openstudies.eu

• Teacamp.eu

• www.teacamp.eu/moodle2/

www.openstudies.eu

OUVM case – openstudies.eu

Student and teacher VM scenario –OUVM case success factors

• It has to come from a need and organized within trusted

network

• Try to do this in a blended way - necessity of synchronous

meetings (esp. teachers)

• Everything has to be pre-planned and coordinated

• Initial teacher training and support necessary

• Benevolent attitude and encouragement for participantswww.openstudies.eu

Various VM scenarious – VMU master studies case

Main features:

• Joint course planning and delivery between 2 universities (in

Lithuania and USA) for 10 years already

• Students and teachers meet in classrooms and have a joint video

conference each week

• Students prepare group-works while collaborating online with

other countries students

• Teachers present the same topic from each countries perspective

Various VM scenarious – VMU master studies case success factors

• The topic of the subject is more valuable when discussed from

different countries’ perspective (i.e. Global social problems)

• The course is included in the master studies programmes in

both universities (although not as vm course)

• Both countries see the course as “worth organizing it this way” • it comes from a need

• no additional financial contributions are necessary

• Strong cooperation between teachers

Student testimonies after VM sessions (VMU master students)• Very optimistic experience, it was a better experience

than we expected

• Unusual, unique experience, and very valuable

• It was not just theoretical background but also a possibility to communicate with students from other cultures

• In the beginning it was difficult to understand them, but I improved my English knowledge and got a broader view of the topic

• In the beginning I was afraid of that but now I feel that it was very good and if somebody has this opportunity you definitely have to use it

Various VM scenarious – TeaCamp

• It works better with bachelor program students

• Each institution procedure and (country) regulations may differ and bring additional challenges

• Time and semester schedule is always an issue

• It’s still a project based activity

www.teacamp.eu

Various VM scenarious – TeaCamp case lessons learnt

• If you aim at recognition of learning outcomes/course, you have to think about it before running a pilot

• It’s compicated/ not possible to recognize a course that is delivered and participated by teachers and students from several universities

• International group activities and international teacher background bring additional value to any course

www.teacamp.eu

Student testimonies after VM sessions in TeaCamp

• We became more open-minded for the other cultures…

• We improved various skills and competences

• It was a chance to use knowledge practically

• We discovered new viewpoints of cultural differences

• We learned to collaborate in a virtual environment

• We learnt to better organize our study time schedule

• We had many positive feelings and a valuable experience, and really appreciate it

• We’ve got more than we expected

More testimonies of the students

• http://www.ubicamp.eu/pilotexperience

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukAtoJ7GXOU –„Reflections on virtual mobility at Vytautas Magnus University (Master studies in Social work)“ (Student Jovita)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jppcjsvJYBk -„Reflections on virtual mobility at Vytautas Magnus University (Master studies in Social work)“ (Student Vitalija)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcC-BffM5DQ –„Testimony on studying at 6 HEI via virtual mobility in TeaCamp project (VMU bachelor studies in Education). Student Lina Nikitinaitė

VM process management requirements

• Joint agreements, detailed

planning and benevolent attitude

• Strong coordination and

cooperation

• Each time different issues are

faced

VM organization is a challenge for institution

• Opens its practices for revision

• Opens all departments for virtual

collaboration

• Requires openness from teachers and

students to participate

• Opens new possibilities for students,

teachers and institutions

Innovative Studies institute

• Estela Daukšienė

• [email protected]

• studyonline.lt

Thank you