Virtual mobility

Virtual Mobility definition of the European Commission

A complement ; or as a substitute to physical mobility (Erasmus or similar) in addition to a type of independent mobility which builds on the specific potentials of on-line learning and network communication. It may prepare and extend physical mobility, and/or offer new opportunities for students/academic staff who are unwilling or unable totake advantage of physical mobility. It involves the development of virtual mobility for academic staff. It means that full academic recognition is given to the students for studies and courses based on agreements for the evaluation, validation and recognition of acquired competences via virtual mobility. In this context, cooperation agreements are key to ensuring sustainable mobility schemes.

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/guide/glossary_en.html

At the e-learningeuropa.info portal 'Virtual Mobility' is defined as "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”.

Source: http://www.elearningeuropa.info/main/index.php?page=glossary&abc=V

Virtual Mobility definition of the BEING MOBILE Project

The BEING MOBILE - Disseminating Virtual Mobility for Students and Teachers project opts for a more elaborate definition: “Virtual Mobility is a form of learning which consists of virtual components through a fully 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”.

Based on this broad definition the project identifies four main types of virtual mobility activities:

• A virtual course or seminar: Learners in a higher education institute engage in virtual mobility for a single course (as part of a whole study programme) or a seminar (series) and the rest of their learning activities take place face-to-face in a traditional way.

• A whole virtual study programme: Hereby an entire virtual study programme is offered at one higher education institute, giving students from different countries the chance to take this programme without having to go abroad for a whole academic year.

• A virtual student placement: Student placements are organised between a higher education institute and a company (sometimes in a different country). In the virtual equivalent students are using ICT to support their internship, giving them a real-life experience in a corporate setting without the necessity to move from the campus to the company or to relocate to another country for a certain period of time, and providing them with a practical preparation for new ways of working through (international) collaborative team work.

• Virtual support activities to physical exchange: Virtual mobility enables both better preparation and follow-up of students who participate in physical exchange programs. Preparatory activities could include student selection at a distance through video- or webconferencing (for checking social and language skills) and on-line language and cultural integration courses. Follow-up activities will help students to keep in touch with their peers, scattered around the world, to finish their common research work and/or paper work. They could also take on the form of a so-called 'Virtual Alumni' organisation, to foster life-long friendships and networks.

Source: http://being-mobile.net/pdf/BM_handbook_final.pdf

Virtual Mobility definition of the E-MOVE Project

In general Virtual Mobility is defined as an activity that “offers access to courses and study schemes in a foreign country and allows for communication activities with teachers and fellow students abroad via the new information and communication technologies” (EADTU Position Paper on Virtual Mobility).

In the guide to Virtual Mobility an additional criterion is used to further define Virtual Mobility.

Virtual Mobility is defined as "an activity based on a co-operation of – at least two – Higher Education-institutions: two or more institutions agree to offer their students the opportunity to acquire a number of ECTS-points at one of the foreign partner universities or through a joint activity of the partners. The ECTS-points of this international experience will then be counted to the student’s degree at his/her home university".

Source: http://145.20.178.4/Portals/0/documents/The_Guide_to_Virtual_Mobility.pdf