Introductory teacher training | 29 May – 23 June 2023

Registration deadline: May 12, 2023

This introductory training is designed for those who have little or no experience with international virtual collaboration (VIS). As a participant, you’ll learn the basics of how to set up a class-to-class VIS. You’ll begin to unpack the pedagogical and technological choices involved, and also how you might consider integrating this type of international collaboration into the curriculum. You’ll use real case scenarios from past virtual exchange collaboration projects to stimulate reflections on potential opportunities and challenges.

By engaging weekly with the materials and tasks provided, participants will get a flavour of what it feels like to be a student on such an exchange. There will be asynchronous forum discussions as well as a weekly synchronous session with your trainer. 

You can expect to spend 3–4 hours a week on the course materials, including the asynchronous and synchronous activities

Overview 

Duration: 12–16 hours in total, from 29 May – 23 June 2023

Language: English and Dutch 

Weekly group session time slots:

• Dutch and English: Thursday June 1, 8, 15 and 22 from 15.00 – 16.30 (Language offered based on registration)
• English: Friday June 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 10.00 to 11.30

Weekly time commitment: 3–4 hours per week 

Platforms: Zoom & Moodle 

Successful completion:

• Attend at least 3 out of 4 synchronous sessions
• Complete 80% of the module tasks required

Registration deadline: May 12, 2023

Learning objectives

By taking this training, participants will:

• Gain knowledge of Virtual Exchange pedagogy and how it relates to VIS 
• Increase their awareness of the role of VIS in supporting intercultural exchange and the development of transversal skills;
• Be able to identify the characteristics of Virtual Exchange and VIS, as opposed to other types of online learning;
• Understand the main features and components of co-designing virtual international collaborations and  potential challenges to bear in mind when developing co-designed VIS projects;
• Increase their awareness of issues involved in recognition; 
• Enhance teamwork & digital competences.

Modules 

There are four modules in the training, i.e. one each week/day:

Week 1: Introduction to Virtual Exchange pedagogy
In this opening module, participants will be introduced to the concept of Virtual Exchange as an educational practice (what it is, and what it isn’t), and how this relates to VIS projects. 

Week 2: Setting up virtual co-designed international collaboration (VIS projects)
This module will focus on the teacher-designed, class-to-class model, and look more closely at Intended Learning Objectives and project design, analysing examples of such projects in different disciplines, primarily in the Dutch context.

Week 3: Matching pedagogy and technology
The third module of this training turns to the technological tools useful in VIS projects, bearing in mind that technology needs to be at the service of pedagogy. Participants will have the chance to familiarize themselves with some tools that have been used by teachers already implementing VIS, and consider important factors when choosing what tools to use.

Week 4: Common challenges with virtual international collaboration
Starting from real-case scenarios encountered by teachers during their virtual international collaboration projects, the last module focuses on potential difficulties – at the levels of partnership, timing, project design, recognition, to mention but a few – in order to help participants pre-empt these and design their future project for success.

Attendance & participation 

Trainees are expected to be available on the preferred time slot for the full duration of the training (4 weeks), ensuring their video and audio are working in order to actively participate in the group discussions. In between training sessions, materials are provided in the virtual learning environment to review and reflect on, in preparation for the synchronous session. 

Trainees are required to:

• Attend at least 3 out of 4 synchronous sessions;
• Complete 80% of the module self-study tasks.