Joint Erasmus+ project tackling challenges in digital education approved in special call for proposals
The Covid-19 pandemic forced universities to shift from in-person teaching to online and hybrid teaching and severely affected the mobility of students and educators alike. In reaction, the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme initiated a special call for proposals for projects intending to better equip educational and vocational training systems to tackle the challenges of online and distance learning.
Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, the University of Derby (UK), Masaryk University (Czech Republic) and Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland) answered this call for proposals with a joint project entitled VERSATILE – Virtual Education Readiness Semester – Adaptive Toolbox for an International Learning Experience, which was among those recently selected for funding.
VERSATILE tackles new challenges in digital education by developing, testing and evaluating the critical components needed for a successful collaborative study abroad semester online. These components include, for example, a comprehensive guide for online teaching, a model curriculum consisting of team-taught modules in the social sciences, and guidelines for the necessary administrative support infrastructure. At Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, the degree programmes International Business and Management B.A. and International Relations B.A. are directly involved with the project. The components developed and tested in VERSATILE can be used both during and after the pandemic to give students a practical alternative to classic study abroad semesters, promoting at the same time long-term internationalisation prospects within their own countries. The project will also provide a basis for deeper collaboration among project partners and provide clear and practical guidelines for developing a collaborative online educational environments for other universities as well.
Participating researchers at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW) are: Professor Dr Philipp Schorn (Professor of Business Economics, Faculty of Society and Economics), Dr Anne Tempel (Research Associate, Faculty of Society and Economics), Dr Joost Kleuters (International Center) and Dr Maike Kaufmann (International Center).
Contact
Professor Dr Philipp Schorn
Faculty of Society and Economics
Professor of Business Economics
Telephone: +49-2821-80673-252
philipp.schorn@hochschule-rhein-waal.de