Mitigating COVID Together: Enhancing Capacities of Academics and Students in Virtual Learning and Teaching Spaces

Towards better virtual learning experiences by developing the digipedagogical skills of academics.

The COVID pandemic has restricted opportunities for face-to-face learning at higher education institutions (HEIs) not only at home, but also in study abroad exchanges. HEIs are trying to respond by offering their education largely online and in blended formats. While ICT offers many opportunities in education, the current challenge is to ensure that academics adapt and utilize techniques and tools in pedagogically meaningful and effective ways. Virtual learning environments and activities should be high quality, engaging, inclusive and safe for all participants. Many academics lack the skills or need improved skills and expertise to ensure that. In particular, the ‘student agency’ concept [as defined in OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030] may be impacted by the instructor’s unfamiliarity with digital environments and lack of skills.

The challenges will be addressed by
•     collaborating with students as the source of expertise and innovation in all phases of the project,
•     enabling institutional cross-fertilization through an exchange of existing expertise not only across partner institutions but also within different institutional units such as International Offices, IT, Further Education Units, Special Education units, etc.,
•     collaborating and developing learning ‘on the go’ in an innovative professional development format, the Professional Learning Community.

Project activities include 1) a six-week Summer Learning Lab where students will work in multidisciplinary teams, solving real life education development cases, 2) an evaluation of a virtual and international exchange pilot program, 3) a pedagogical toolkit to support virtual teaching and learning, 4) an open Professional Learning Community for all the academics who are interested in developing themselves, 5) the design and implementation of an interactive virtual platformfor the community (PLC).