Organization and Quality Assurance

of Mobility Activities

Gabriele Abermann

Salzburg University of Applied Sciences

National Austrian Expert for the European

Higher Education Area

Agenda

• Framework for Organization

of Mobility

• Erasmus+ Practice and

Documents

• Quality Assurance

The intentional process of integrating an international,

intercultural or global dimension into the purpose,

functions and delivery of post secondary education, in

order to enhance the quality of education and

research for all students and staff, and to make a

meaningful contribution to society.

De Wit et al. (2015), European Parliament Study

Definition Internationalization

What does this mean for the concrete

implementation?

Framework for Implementing

Internationalization / Mobility

Intentional process > requires

Institutional /departmental policy and commitment

(=purpose > WHY do we want mobility) and HOW

are we going to do it (mobility window, part of project,

summer school …)

Dedicated resources (= functions, delivery ) both in

terms of people and in terms of money

Clear communication to and involvement of all

stakeholders (all students and staff)

Evaluation and improvement mechanisms – quality

assurance procedure (enhance the quality of

education and research)

Human Resources

Mobility Activities

Possible Model: Roles and

Responsibilities

Academics

• Cooperation with colleagues at partners

• Curricular integration

• Relevance for graduate profile > learning outcomes academic counselling

• Credit recognition

International Office

• Promotion / counselling on opportunities

• Administration of mobility and partnership agreements

• > Clear work flow / procedures

Quality Manage-

ment

• Support for procedures

• Support for evaluation mechanisms

• Suggestions for improvement

Mobility

Activities

supported by

University

Management

International Office (IO) –

Roles and Responsibilities

Centralised

only one unit which is responsible

for the whole university

+ potentially easier implementation

of strategy esp. when hierarchically

organized

+ clearly visible, specific unit

+ central communication >

speaking with one voice to all

~ requires vey good knowledge

and relations with all different

departments and services

~ takes more time to build up these

relationships

Decentralised subunits in every faculty /

department reporting to Head of IO

+ better knowledge of needs of

students and staff

+ involvement of academics might

be easier

+ communication might be easier

as potentially relationship has

already been built up

~ different degrees of involvement

and status of implementation in

different departments

Consider combination of both; at least academic

coordinators in faculties

Possible Model for

International Office (IO)

University Management

Strategy and Measures

Head of International Office

Implementing strategy

Outgoing Student Mobility

Officer

Incoming Student

Mobility Officer

Staff mobility inbound and

outbound

Project coordination and

partnership agreements

International recruitment

or ??

Academic Coordinartor

Faculty 1

Academic Coordinator

Faculty 2

Academic Coordinator

Faculty n

Dean Faculty n

Trend towards mainstreaming > including

international aspects into all service departments

Before Mobility 1

Information and Promotion

Decision on how to publish information: Website /

brochures / information sessions with students and staff /

access to reports by students / staff that have been

abroad

Counselling and Support

Both at administrative and academic levels about

opportunities and best options for individuals and in

relation to overall internationalization strategy (> where to

send staff to establish / evaluate / strengthen

cooperations)

Support with Logistics (Funding (grants), Visa,

Accommodation …)

Before Mobility 2

Support in Application Process

Defined / communicated and transparent selection criteria

Clearly communicated and transparent work flow including

checklists

Clearly communicated and realistic deadlines

Easy access to forms or IT-support for documentation

Agreed and properly documented activities during mobility

period project / courses / work placement …

Linguistic and Cultural Preparation

Information on host country / partner institution especially

learning environment

Briefing of outgoing students

Pre-departure training

Iceberg Model –

Hidden Curriculum

Image source : equalworldandlife.blogspot.com

Hidden Curriculum – Difficult to

recognize and takes time;

assumptions made about teaching

and learning that local students and

teachers know

e.g. attitude to deadlines, how open

students can be in „critisizing“

Formal Curriculum – Course

Catalogue – clearly visible

Informal Curriculum –

Extracurricular activities –

Quickly recognizable

During Mobility

Counselling and support

Clearly communicated and agreed procedure for

changes to agreed activities during mobility period

(e.g. if courses need to be changed )

Support for any difficult situation during mobility period

Agreed status reports at certain intervals

Structured reflection activities (intercultural diary)

Mentoring (to identify issues to be addressed or

supporting skills gain)

Culture Shock Model

Honeymoon stage

Return Home

Recovery

Culture shock

Independence

stage

Readjustment

Reentry shock

Disorientation

Culture Clashes Disorientation

Culture Clashes

Departure Arrival in Host Country

After Mobility

Recognition of activities abroad

For students: transfer of credits toward degree at home

For staff: reward structures? (> positive impact on career path)

Leveraging added value of activities abroad

Identifying and supporting skills gain

re-entry seminar, reflective report, presentations to future

mobile students …

Evaluation and Improvement

Surveys, personal interviews and feedback

Using assessment instrument to identify skills gain

Quality circles / regular discussions with relevant staff on what

works well and what needs to be improved with relation to

intended strategy

Support Structure

SKILL2E Model

Defined Procedures - Tips

Documents – transparency on those which are we going to use

Flow charts – showing how are procedures actually carried out

Communication – provide checklists for mobile people so it is

easier to know what they already have done and what they still

need to do

Easy access to website with course descriptions both in local

language and in English

Explanation of credits and grading system

Consider hidden curriculum = how exactly we are doing our

teaching, expectations that our own students know, but

international students don’t know and therefore may have

difficulties understanding what’s going on (e.g. deadlines –

some educational cultures are very strict in others these are

open for negotiation)

Documents / Procedures in

Erasmus+ as Good Practice

Institutional Policy – European Policy Statement

Erasmus+ Charter for Higher Education (ECHE)

Inter-institutional Agreement

Course Catalogue – information on programme and units

offered

Erasmus+ Student Charter – outlines rights and

responsibilities of mobile students

Learning Agreement for Studies or Traineeship

Transcript of Record or Traineeship Certificate

Recognition at home university > Transfer of credits >

Diploma Supplement including final Transcript of Records

Evaluation – obligatory questionnaire for all mobile people

Institutional Policy –

European Policy Statement

Prerequisite to get University Charter and participate in

Erasmus+ activities and projects

Describes current status of international cooperation

and further plans for development

Defines aims and objectives as well as concrete

activities

Outlines processes and quality assurance mechanisms

Example FHS – only overall policy part publicly

accessible; http://www.fh-

salzburg.ac.at/internationales/european-policy-statement/

Erasmus Charter for Higher

Education 2014-2020

Details commitment to carry out mobility with a high level of

quality for the benefit of all mobile people including the

proper use of mobility documents

Defines obligations of institution participating in Erasmus

towards mobile students and staff in all phases of mobility

(before, during and after)

Addresses fair and non-discriminatory approach

Equal access and opportunities for all regardless of

background

Recognition of all successfully completed credits using

ECTS or similar system

No fees for incoming credit mobility students

Example FHS: http://www.fh-

salzburg.ac.at/internationales/european-policy-statement/

ECHE Commitment

Annotated Guidelines (2016)

By signing this Charter, the HEI undertakes to

contribute to the European Union's modernisation and

internationalisation agenda in higher education, which

includes 5 priorities:

1 - Increasing attainment levels to provide the

graduates and researchers Europe needs

2 - Improving the quality and relevance of higher

education

3 - Strengthening quality through mobility and cross-

border cooperation

4 - Linking higher education, research and business for

excellence and regional development

5 - Improving governance and funding

Inter-institutional Agreement

IIA) Example Template Part 1

IIA – Part 2: Mobility Numbers

and Language Requirements

IIA Additional Requirements

and General Information

D. = Any additional requirements (e.g. selection criteria, preparation …

E.= Calendar – deadlines for application process / accepting students,

procedure and deadlines for terminating agreement

F. = Information on institution

Grading system

Visa

Insurance

Housing

Aspects to be listed also recommended in ECTS Users‘ Guide p. 55

Often put together in Fact Sheet and/or Incoming Student Guide

Example FHS: http://www.fh-

salzburg.ac.at/internationales/incoming-students/information/

Learning Agreement –

Purpose and Content (EC)

The purpose of the Learning Agreement (LA) is to provide a transparent and efficient

preparation of the exchange to make sure the student receives recognition for the

activities successfully completed abroad.

The LA sets out the programme of the studies or the traineeship to be followed abroad

and must be approved by the student, the sending and the receiving institution,

organization or enterprise before the start of the exchange.

The LA should include all the learning outcomes the student is expected to acquire during

the exchange.

For student mobility for studies, the LA should set out the group of educational

components that will be replaced in the student’s degree upon successful completion of

the study programme abroad..

For student mobility for traineeships, the LA should set out how the traineeship will be

recognized depending on whether it counts towards the student’s degree, is taken on a

voluntary basis (not obligatory for the degree) or is being carried out by a recent

graduate.

All three parties signing the LA commit to comply with all the agreed arrangements,

thereby insuring that the student will receive the recognition for the studies or traineeship

carried out abroad without any further requirements.

Sample LA parts

Shows selected

courses at partner

university = University

of Limerick in Ireland

Shows reference to

information about

selected courses at

University of Limerick

Shows courses that

will be recognised at

home = whole

semester > mobility

window

Shows one course

that needs to be

done at home when

returning

Refers to procedure

in case of problems

Indicates required

language level for

study at the

University of Ireland

Shows commitment

of all involved –

Student

Sending institution

= Salzburg

Receiving

institution =

Limerick

Necessary Change to LA

Shows that

colleague from

University of Ireland

and I approved of

changes

Indicates required

changes as one

course was not

offered

Transcript of Record

Lists courses

successfully

completed at

University of

Limerick

Explains grading

system at University

of Limerick

Explains the percentage of

students that usually get these

grades > we understand how

well student performed

Grades and credits

given in Limerick

Recognition in our IT System

Course that he still has to do

Challenges

Inflexible IT Systems

Unclear responsibilities (e.g. one

person signs Learning

Agreement, another one is

responsible for transfer of credit )

Academics that do not recognize

anything unless completely

identical in content or do not trust

that other university delivers

appropriate quality

Transcript of Records /

Traineeship Certificate

ECTS Users‘ Guide, pp. 60-61

Diploma Supplement and

Europass

Mobility periods should be documented in Diploma

Supplement, which explains qualification obtained

Example FHS: http://www.fh-

salzburg.ac.at/internationales/diploma-supplement/

More information on documenting mobility can be found

at the Europass website at

https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/

Curricular Integration of Mobility

based on Leask (2015)

Curricular Integration of Mobility

– Basic Considerations

• What is the current status do we have

student and staff mobility?

• To which destinations (countries,

partners?)

• Under which schemes? (capacity building

projects, individual exchange, joint

programmes …?)

• Motivation and purpose? (individual

initiatives, necessary for career, part of

curriculum …?)

• What are the outcomes / impacts of these

mobilities? (profile of graduates, better

results, new content and/or pedagogic

approaches, more international students,

better ranking …?

• Who is involved in organizing these

mobilities?

Curricular Integration –

Mobility Window

A mobility window is a

period of time reserved for

international student

mobility that is embedded

into the curriculum of a

study programme

Ferencz et al. (2013)

90% of the HEIs estimated that

mobility windows were

important.

69% of the HEIs had already

realised such windows

Erasmus Impact Study (2014)

Curricular Integration –

Mobility Window

Two possibilities for

implementation:

Defined period in study

plan > e.g. 5th semester of

bachelor programme

Defined courses that will

be recognized on

successful completion

abroad > e.g. 4 modules

totalling 20 ECTS credits

Staff as Success Factor

Attitude and motivation /

commitment of staff

Training for administrative and

academic staff

e.g. EAIE / NAFSA > multiplicator

trainings at institutional /

departmental level

Most important: internationalize

staff through making them mobile

(e.g. Erasmus+ international

mobility projects KA 107) and

inviting guest lecturers

Useful Guidelines

Mobility should not

be a question of

SINK or SWIM

спасибо spasibo

ыракмат yrachmat