Presentation of online and blended studies at Vytautas Magnus University. Virtual mobility (as type of online studies) characteristics and different cases implemented, together with usefull public links

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

2. Virtual learning environment
• moodle.vdu.lt
• Guidance at studyonline.lt
• or studyonline.lt/en

3. 3 levels of online or
blended studies at VMU
• Guidance in online and blended
learning by Innovative Studies
institute
• Studyonline.lt

4. Requirements for 1 level
blended studies at VMU
• Course description
• All topics
• Slides or other learning material for all
topics

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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-

9. • Studyonline.lt

10. Virtual mobility at VMU
• Openstudies.eu
• Openu.vdu.lt
• Ubicamp.eu
• Teacamp.eu
• www.teacamp.eu/moodle2/

11. 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

12. Types of virtual mobility
activities
1. Virtual seminar (series) or part of
the virtual course or virtual
course/module or Virtual study
programme
2. Virtual placement
3. Virtual support activities for
physical mobility
(before, during or after traditional
mobility)

13. 2 perspectives or types of
virtual mobility:
Student virtual mobility
And/or
Teacher virtual mobility

14. Various VM scenarious
– Ubicamp
Student virtual mobility case
• Unicamp.eu
• Openu.vdu.lt
• http://www.teacamp.eu/moodle2/

15. Various VM scenarious
– Ubicamp

16. 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 essential
www.ubicamp.eu

17. 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

18. Various VM cases:
OUVM,
VMU master studies,
TeaCamp
Student and teacher virtual mobility cases
• Openstudies.eu
• Teacamp.eu
• www.teacamp.eu/moodle2/

19. www.openstudies.eu
OUVM case – openstudies.eu

20. 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 participants
www.openstudies.eu

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. VM process management
requirements
• Joint agreements, detailed
planning and benevolent attitude
• Strong coordination and
cooperation
• Each time different issues are
faced

29. 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

30. Innovative Studies
institute
• Estela Daukšienė
• estela.dauksiene@vdu.lt
• studyonline.lt

31. Thank you