THE PROJECT

The VM-BASE project (Virtual Mobility Before and After Student Exchanges) wanted to raise the quality of student exchanges by offering virtual support, both before and after the physical mobility. Virtual support was used to prepare and follow-up the mobile student, as a complement to the existing exchange programmes. The project thereby supported teachers in coaching exchange students at a distance (e-coaching).

The project started from a study giving an overview of the state-of-the-art in virtual exchange support measures and a needs analysis, making an inventory of student and teacher needs. The major activity of the project consisted of several pilots focusing on the orientation and selection of students, preliminary courses for students preparing for a physical exchange and examination facilities at the end or even after the exchange. Next to the pilots the need and feasibility of a Virtual Alumni Association for Erasmus students was being investigated.

All project results are collected in a manual with concrete guidelines and recommendations for blended mobility activities and a manual on good practices in e-coaching. Both manuals, as well as the summary booklets in English, Dutch, Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian can be downloaded here.

*** NEWS ***

- In the framework of the VM-BASE follow-up project Move-IT, the summaries have now also been translated in French, German and Spanish.

- VM-BASE was among the selected projects aimed at promoting social inclusion named for the 2010 European Awards for Lifelong Learning. The project was also included in the brochure "Education and Training for social inclusion. European Success Stories," published by the European Commission (EN, FR, DE, ES).

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