Definition of Arqus activities for curriculum enhancement

Regular student mobility periods typically involve students spending a designated period of time studying or conducting research at another institution, either domestically or internationally, as part of their academic programme. These mobility periods offer students invaluable opportunities to broaden their academic horizons, immerse themselves in different cultural and educational environments, and develop intercultural competencies. The process typically begins with students expressing their interest in participating in mobility programmes (such as Erasmus+), followed by application and selection processes coordinated by the respective institutions or programmes.

Once selected, students undertake preparations such as arranging accommodations, obtaining necessary visas or permits, and familiarizing themselves with the academic requirements of the host institution. During their mobility period, students engage in coursework, research projects, or other academic activities relevant to their field of study, under the guidance of faculty members or supervisors at the host institution. Upon completion, students may receive credits or recognition for their achievements, contributing to their overall academic progression and personal growth. Regular student mobility periods thus play a vital role in promoting internationalization, fostering cross-cultural exchange, and enriching the academic experiences of students.

Virtual Exchange is an accessible, pioneering international experience that utilises new technologies and does not require physical mobility. Organised jointly by at least two universities in geographically distant locations, Virtual Exchange is a form of student-centred learning, comprising minimal traditional/lecture-based teaching to promote a learner-led collaborative experience aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of the common project and/or discussing interdisciplinary topics with a challenge-based approach.

Students collaborate remotely in intercultural (and often interdisciplinary) groups, either autonomously or with a facilitator who encourages active participation of group members and fosters a positive and collaborative debate without interfering with the course content. Virtual Exchange sets itself apart from other forms of online learning in several ways:

• The primary focus in Virtual Exchange is on people-to-people interaction and dialogue, whereas in many ‘traditional’ e-learning programmes, the primary focus is on content.
• The learning goals or outcomes in Virtual Exchange include soft skills that are often not formally recognised, such as the development of intercultural awareness, digital literacies, group work, etc.

Finally, a key principle of Virtual Exchange is that intercultural understanding and awareness do not automatically result from contact between different groups/cultures. Virtual Exchanges must be intentionally designed to promote intercultural and collaborative learning. This necessitates an understanding of pedagogic design, intercultural communication, and transnational collaboration. It also requires dedicated support, incentives, and recognition.

Twinning is perceived as the mobility of a team, comprising 1 teacher and 3-5 students, who move to another partner institution within the same subject area. The duration of the visit is typically 3-5 days, with an additional 2 days allocated for travel.

Twinning activities can vary in mode and type, encompassing internships, group trips, participation in international contests, joint workshops, summer schools, group projects, and more. Twinning activities may be implemented through regular (physical) or blended Twinning activities. Twinnings funded through the Arqus Joint Call must include reciprocity in the visit: both mobilities must be planned from the outset of the programme.

Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) are defined as short, intensive programmes that utilize innovative methods of learning, teaching, and training for both students and staff, including the use of online collaboration. These programs are developed and implemented by at least two higher education institutions (HEIs).

During Blended Intensive Programmes, groups of students or staff undertake a short-term physical mobility abroad combined with a compulsory virtual component that facilitates collaborative online learning, exchange, and teamwork.

According to the Erasmus+ program, the duration of the physical component ranges from 5 to 30 days, while the duration of the virtual component is not limited. The virtual component can occur before, after, or both before and after the physical mobility.

Each BIP must have one coordinating HEI and one receiving HEI. If funded by the Erasmus+ programme, the BIP is based on cooperation among at least three universities from three different programme countries.

In order to be eligible for Erasmus+ funding, Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) must fulfill the following requirements, as outlined in the Erasmus Programme Guide 2023 (pages 61/62):

• Number of Participants: at least 3 HEIs must have planned and set up the BIP project together; there must be at least 15 mobile students from two involved partner HEIs.
• Workload: minimum of 3 ECTS credit points for all participating students.
• Mandatory Participation: all participants must engage in the entire educational component, including the virtual and physical mobility phases.
• Physical Mobility Phase: study visits abroad for students at partner HEIs must be a minimum of 5 days and a maximum of 30 days; staff mobility abroad for university staff is also required.

A Mobility Window is a designated period within a study programme specifically allocated for international student mobility, as defined by Ferencz et al. (2013, 12).

The purpose of Mobility Windows is to enrich the appeal and quality of study programmes by integrating opportunities for both virtual and physical mobility. By offering additional international study paths, students gain access to a diverse range of learning experiences, thereby enhancing the overall academic offering. Structured mobility within the curriculum serves to alleviate barriers to mobility and encourages increased participation in student and staff exchanges. Depending on its format, a Mobility Window can also raise awareness of innovative international learning opportunities. Moreover, the implementation of structured mobility facilitates the establishment of networks and closer collaboration among partner institutions, opening up avenues for further curricular collaboration such as joint programmes.

Possible types of mobility windows:

• Optional windows with loosely-prescribed content (Op-Lop): These offer the highest degree of flexibility, allowing students to tailor their mobility experience according to their preferences. Content guidelines are less rigid, providing students with more freedom in shaping their learning path.
• Mandatory windows with loosely-prescribed content (Ma-Lop): While still offering some flexibility, these windows impose more structure on the mobility experience. However, the content remains relatively open-ended, giving students the opportunity to customize their learning to a certain extent.
• Optional windows with highly-prescribed content (Op-Hip): In these windows, the mobility experience is more flexible, but the content is tightly regulated. Students have some freedom in choosing their destination and duration of mobility, but the learning content is predefined, leaving little room for customization.
• Mandatory mobility windows with highly-prescribed content (Ma-Hip): This type of mobility window is the most structured, with both the mobility experience and content tightly regulated. Students are required to adhere to specific guidelines regarding destination, duration, and learning objectives, leaving minimal room for deviation from the prescribed curriculum.

Additional details can be found in ‘Step Additional details can be found in ‘Step-by-Step Recommendations for Designing and Implementing Mobility Windows

Summer and winter schools are short-term study programmes typically offered outside of regular academic terms, yet their aims and learning outcomes are intentionally aligned with study and assessment methods. These programmes encompass various educational activities, such as courses, workshops, seminars, lectures, and practical training sessions. They often concentrate on specialized subjects, interdisciplinary topics, or emerging fields of study. Moreover, summer and winter schools frequently integrate experiential learning components, such as field trips, laboratory work, group projects, and case studies, aimed at bolstering practical skills and promoting the application of theoretical knowledge.

Microcredentials certify the learning outcomes of short-term learning experiences, such as a short course or training, providing a flexible and targeted approach to help individuals develop the knowledge, skills, and competences required for their personal and professional advancement. The term is still new in education and is used in various contexts, often referring to both the certification unit awarded upon completion of a course and the course itself.

Microcredentials courses:

• Offered by universities or recognized by them.
• Aim to impart specific knowledge, skills, and/or competences that address societal, personal, cultural, or labor market needs.
• Have clearly defined learning outcomes, indicating associated workload in ECTS credits, assessment methods and criteria, and are subject to quality assurance.
• Credentials are owned by the learner, portable, and can be combined into larger credentials or qualifications (stacking).
• Can be earned without, before, during, or after higher education degree programmes.

Online courses are learning units delivered entirely over the internet, eliminating the need for physical attendance. Like traditional courses, they have specific learning objectives and a defined curriculum aimed at developing competencies and achieving learning outcomes within a reasonable timeframe. Utilizing various online tools and materials such as video conferencing, digital documents, recordings, quizzes, blogs, chats, forums, email, and social media, online courses offer both synchronous and asynchronous activities. Synchronous activities involve immediate interaction between teachers and learners or among students (e.g., live sessions, chats), while asynchronous activities allow for interaction with a delay (e.g., forums, email). Online courses may adhere to strict time frames and pacing or offer flexibility, enabling learners to self-organize their participation based on their prior knowledge, interests, or goals. Some online courses may be self-paced and independent, requiring no interaction with instructors or peers, but they should still include mechanisms for quality assurance and communication channels for feedback. Learners should have opportunities to monitor their progress and demonstrate competency attainment. Additionally, recognized and reliable certification of learning achievements should be provided.

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are a unique type of online course designed to accommodate large numbers of learners in an open and accessible manner. They prioritize community building and direct interaction among participants, offering self-assessment tools, peer-to-peer evaluation, and other collaborative features. MOOCs typically cover topics of broad interest and are accessible to all without prerequisites. While MOOCs and their educational resources are freely available, certain personalized services such as follow-up support, mentoring, assignment grading, and final assessment may incur fees. Additionally, while MOOCs offer free access, it’s important to note that the course materials may not necessarily be open resources that can be freely reused.

Arqus joint programme (AJP) – joint and flexible curricula initiative that aims at fostering student-centered and research-based learning in a wide variety of academic disciplines or interdisciplinary areas, e.g. at unit, module or programme level. Arqus joint programmes provide an innovative, quick and easy way to set up or foster academic cooperation within the Alliance. These programmes are typically based on existing academic cooperation and mobility of students and staff.  Also, they are developed in a step-by-step fashion leaving open entry points for other partners to join in at any time. Note that Arqus joint programmes approach is very broad, while the regular EU understanding is much more specific (Erasmus Mundus), therefore definitions are not considered identical. Joint programmes usually have all or at least some of the following characteristics:

• the curriculum is jointly developed and approved by the corresponding institutions;
• students study in at least two different Arqus institutions;
• students’ stays in the different participating institutions are usually of comparable length;
• periods of study and exams passed at the partner institution(s) are fully and automatically recognised;
• academics of the participating institutions jointly work out the curriculum, form joint admission and examination commissions, and participate in joint teaching activities;
• after completion of the full programme, the student either obtains the national diploma of each participating institution, a double diploma, a multiple diploma, or a joint diploma offered by at least two of the participating higher education institutions.

Joint programme – jointly planned and developed programmes including a strong integration of both curriculum and organization at the participating partner institutions. Joint programmes lead to single national, multiple or  joint diplomas. These programmes typically are offered jointly by two or more participating higher education institutions located in different countries.

More terms and definitions related to joint programmes development are provided in the Arqus Term Base.