A virtual training for educational staff working on their VIS project

This introductory training is designed for those who have little or no experience with international virtual collaboration (VIS). Participants will be introduced to the principles of a class-to-class VIS. They will also develop an understanding of the pedagogical and technological choices involved, as well as  the different ways in which virtual international collaboration can be integrated into the curriculum. Finally, they will reflect on opportunities and potential challenges by analyzing cases from existing virtual international collaboration projects. 

Finally, the training will offer participants a taste of how the virtual international collaboration project is viewed by students. This will be done by asking participants, just like their own students, to engage with the materials and tasks provided for each week, as well as asynchronous forum discussions and weekly synchronous sessions with the trainers. Trainees can expect to spend 3-4 hours per week on the course, including synchronous and asynchronous activities. 

Overview

Dates:

Thursday Jan 26, Feb 2, Feb 9 and Feb 16, 2023 

Or 

Friday Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10 and Feb 17, 2023 

Registration deadline: 30th of December 2022
Language: English
Timeslots:

– Thursday afternoon 15.00 to 16.30 
– Friday morning 10.00 to 11.30 
Weekly time commitment: 3-4 hours per week
Total hours: 12-16 hrs
Platforms: Moodle/ Zoom
Successful completion: Attend at least 3 out of 4 synchronous sessions & Complete 80% of the module tasks required

Learning outcomes

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 methods; 
• 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 the 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 to 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 focus more on Intended Learning Objectives and project design, analyzing examples of such projects in different disciplines, primarily in the Dutch context. 

Week 3: Matching pedagogy and technology 
The third module of this training is about the technological tools that are useful for VIS projects, keeping 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 before when implementing VIS, and consider important factors when choosing what tools to use. 

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

Attendance & participation

Trainees are expected to be available on their preferred time slots for the full duration of the training (4 weeks), ensuring their camera 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.