Virtual School on Virtual Mobility: The University of Bucharest holds a 5-days event to the future of virtual mobility programs

The event aims to make substantial contributions to the creation of a framework for organizing and implementing virtual mobility programmes in CIVIS. The development of virtual mobility programmes is a fundamental component of the CIVIS project, as it is meant to promote and consolidate an emerging learning and collaboration environment which would allow students to develop and exercise high-level competences in an international, intercultural, and multilingual setting. Designing virtual mobility programmes is all the more important in the present pandemic context. 

The programme of Virtual School on Virtual Mobility’s event comprises four workshops dedicated to fundamental elements pertaining to virtual mobility, such as European Study Programmes, Thematic Activities, Course Design and Support-Technology. In addition to the four thematic workshops, the event also features two transversal workshops that are dedicated to innovative pedagogies and multilingualism. 

The open plenary and the conclusions are open to the public. The virtual school workshops are addressed to CIVIS representatives, junior and senior CIVIS academics and student representatives. The CIVIS representatives that are interested in participating in the online event can express their interest by submitting the application form down below.

Workshops description

As the aim of the virtual school is to substantiate and provide guidelines for designing CIVIS virtual mobility activities, the proposed workshops will all have approaches from a joint CIVIS perspective on the proposed topics.

During the five days of the Virtual School on Virtual Mobility, each frame of virtual mobility environment will be presented and analysed: learning activities, tools and methods, concepts used to design and conduct a virtual mobility programme. The Virtual School could be the best example of implementing “learning by doing” concept, interacting with the virtual environment in order to adapt and learn from it. We will learn about virtual mobility by using its framework and rely on it!

Moreover, this is an pioneer innitiative bringing together leading academics, experts from the field of technology and education, educators and practitioners testing and learning in the same virtual environment, stretching the boundaries of learning beyond physical space.

This educational event is opened by our guest and inspiring speaker Claudio Dondi, Senior Expert in Education and Training, with a wide experience in virtual mobility, online learning environments. He is member of international networks such as EDEN, MENON and EFQUEL, having an extensive research activity, published learning materials and policy papers.

The six workshops are organized in multi-faceted approach to create intense learning environment and engaging networking. Besides the concepts presented, analysed  and discussed, all participants are invited to contribute to the shaping of the future on virtual mobility by sharing insights, (original) ideas, practices, initiatives and case studies in one of the following workshops:

Workshop 1 

The European Study Programmes workshop  explores the possibility to develop and implement academic programmes awarded with micro-credits and European degrees. In the European Education Area CIVIS should be a pioneer in promoting, co-creating and implementing the European degrees for the future of education.

Workshop 2

In second workshop, Thematic activities the new framework for virtual winter or summer schools, and research activity for students will be explored. There are different forms of virtual mobility: virtual seminars and courses offered online by different universities, virtual teams, when students can work in common projects together with colleagues from different universities and countries, virtual internships.

During the workshop dedicated to “Thematic activities” we will explore the design and possible approaches to joint CIVIS virtual short term activities, such as summer/ winter schools, but also for virtual research practice activities for students at all levels.

Workshop 3

The third workshop, Course design is dedicated to the diversity of the tools employed in course creation and delivery, virtual learning environments, teacher’s role and training needs together with main challenges that may arise from this process. Designing learning materials must be based on the idea of physical separation from the teacher, the fact that the student will learn alone and independently, without his direct guidance. The online course must ensure the effective realization of the teaching-learning process, not just to provide content, to anticipate possible questions that a student might ask. The continuous technology development allows to offer learners an increased accessibility to learning resources and opportunities for a learning at any time, any place, any path. Moreover, in a formal learning setting, the learning content is the central piece ensuring the success of educational process.

Workshop 4

The workshop Technologies is focused on technological innovation and uptake of these technologies in educational settings, on designing technology-based curriculum. It comprises the presentation of a series of technologies with a great potential in designing and conducting virtual mobility program in higher education.

Workshop 5

The fifth workshop Innovative pedagogies is a transversal initiative build around the innovation education and training academic staff in CIVS. There is an emerging need of training teaching staff and to design a coherent training program to use on innovative pedagogies.

Workshop 6

The workshop dedicated to Multilinguism has both linguistic diversity and language barrier in the center of the activity. It is also a transversal workshop, emphasizing the tremendous role of multilingualism in connection with different facets of virtual learning environment and the role of technology in reduction the gap and limitation to learning resources.

The Virtual School on Virtual Mobility is also about socialization, people-to-people interaction and dialogue. We will use every time span to connect with social events: online coffee breaks, welcome cocktail game to strengthen relation between members of this community of practice in flexible spaces for communication, engagement, and participation.

The last day of the workshop is dedicated to the lessons learnt and future steps in designing CIVIS virtual mobility activities, and the main ideas and conclusions.

Application form

• Deadline: 4th September 2020 

• Where: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7ALYlUbutOHRXpMXyDdyXfuVo_EZJb8tjTmaL8sgBD9pTGA/viewform   

Programme