Collaborative European Virtual University

The Collaborative European Virtual University (CEVU, cEVU) was selected in 2001, and funded from 1 November 2001 until 30 November 2003 by the European Commission - DG Education & Culture, Training & Youth under the eLearning initiative. As noted in the project description: this project is aimed at the development of validated e-learning models and ideas for a European virtual university, based on regional and transnational collaboration between existing European universities.

The cEVU web site is no longer available. Some basic information is still at http://www.europace.org/rdcevu.php

Summary

The cEVU project was initiated by a proposed collaboration between five existing international university networks, which were already actively pursuing academic and organisational cohesion in the areas of distance and online learning: EuroPACE ivzw, EUNITE, ECIU, Coimbra Group and EUA. The cEVU project's main focus was to study why a collaborative European Virtual Education would be beneficial to universities, what the added value would be, how it should be structured and operate, and what had to be put in place to create such a platform. It built on information from former studies, projects and concrete experiences within the participating networks and partner universities. In the framework of the project the following activities were undertaken:

• Study of the elements of joint working practices, models and policies for distance and online education;
• Development of the technical infrastructure for a collaborative European Virtual University, together with the necessary teaching and learning services;
• Validation of the collaboration models by the participating institutions through a set of high quality online pilot courses.

The project results include: real working virtual mobility actions within the real environment of mainstream education of the partners; concrete and validated procedures as ell as recommendations at institutional or network level (local as well as transnational and European networks); and tools and techniques to support virtual mobility actions, including training materials.

Outcomes

The outcomes of the cEVU project were collected and published in an online Manual for a collaborative European Virtual University with recommendations and guidelines for decision makers, teachers, trainers, managers and technicians. The manual focuses on collaborative European Virtual Universities as one format of transnational virtual higher education.

Working groups also have produced reports on different related topics.

- Lorentsen A., Bygholm A., e.a. Pedagogical Models and Online Pedagogy. Report Working Group cEVU project. January 2004.

- Brey Ph., Ethical Issues for the Virtual University. Report Working Group cEVU project. June 2004.

- Gössling C., Kokkeler B., Yabar J. M., Van den Branden J., Henderikx P., Van der Perre G., Moreau C., Misseri V., Van Petegem W., Floor P., Pursula M., Opsomer A., Policies. Report Working Group cEVU project. January 2004.

- Weedon R., IPR & Copyright: cEVU/EUNITE models and consortium agreement. Report Working Group cEVU project. January 2004. (Consortium agreement)

- Hämäläinen P., Van den Branden J., François P., Loer Hansen S., Opsomer A., Orlinski J., Sclater N., Elements of a Business plan. Report Working Group cEVU project. January 2003.

- Lambert J., Valiouli M., Garcia M., Jiménez O., Anastasiadi-Symeonidi A., Van den Branden J., Opsomer A., Language Management. Report (& Annexes) Working Group cEVU project. January 2004.

- Heiner M., Schneckenberg D., Wildt J. Online Pedagogy - Innovative Teaching and Learning Strategies in ICT-environments. Background paper of the cEVU working group Online Pedagogy. January 2004.

- Borch O., Opsomer A., Kairamo A.-K., Pastrav C., Wedde H., Van den Branden J., Hüvelmeyer J., Widera M., Sclater N., Rokkjaer O., Crozat S. (2003) Digital Platforms. Report Working Group cEVU project. January 2003.

- Van den Branden J., Moreau C., De Rosa A., Lapallainen A., Opsomer A., Accreditation. Report Working Group cEVU project. January 2004.

- Van den Branden J., Kallonen-Rönkkö M., Caliste J.-P., Garcia M., Blanco Cotano J., Westenbrink R., Opsomer A., Quality. Report Working Group cEVU project. January 2004

Partners

• EuroPACE ivzw - Belgium, co-ordination by Jef Van den Branden, Ann Opsomer
• EUNITE - European Universities Network for IT in Education - Belgium
• ECIU - European Consortium of Innovative Universities - The Netherlands
• Coimbra Group - Belgium
• EUA - European Universities Association - Belgium
• Universiteit Twente - The Netherlands
• University of Strathclyde - United Kingdom
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - Belgium
• Technische Universität Dortmund - Germany
• Université de Technologie de Compiègne - France
• Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg - Germany
• Aalborg Universitet - Denmark
• Teknillinen Korkeakoulu - Finland
• FernUniversität in Hagen - Germany
• Technological Education Institute of Piraeus - Greece
• Università Degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” - Italy
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Greece
• Universidad Politecnica de Madrid - Spain
• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona - Spain
• Chalmers Tekniska Högskola - Sweden
• Joensuu Yliopisto - Finland
• Universidad De Castilla–La Mancha - Spain
• EPYC - Belgium

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