What Skills are Involved in Open Virtual Mobility? A Students’ Perspective from Italy and Spain

Abstract

Virtual Mobility can enhance curriculum development in Higher Education by promoting international co-design and collaborative work among students and lecturers through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). During the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, virtual forms of students’ mobility increased considerably, allowing learners to continue or start VM experience even if boarders and campuses around the world were closed. The recent outbreak in interest and activity related to VM requires educational researchers to study this learning practice in depth in order to provide data and effective indications in terms of skills promotion. During the academic year 2020-2021, a team of lecturers of Teacher Education programs from the Roma Tre University (Rome, Italy) and the University of the Balearic Islands (Balearic Islands, Spain) agreed to work in open digital environment, organising specific VM activities for 38 university students. Specifically, students were asked to meet online, design and collaboratively create, in groups from the two countries, Open Digital Resources (OERs) to be used in international online contexts with their future pupils. This paper presents the design of the learning experience together with self-assessment results of the professional and transverse competences promoted. Conclusions also reflect on the new improvements to be done for new editions of the activity.