What is Virtual Exchange?

- Technology enabled, facilitated, people-to people education programmes
- Employing a variety of technologies and educational pedagogy
- Leading to meaningful, transnational and intercultural experiences

The Virtual Exchange is different from Virtual Mobility and eLearning courses but can be employed to enhance either.
It is a facilitated education program employing a variety of technologies and educational pedagogy leading to meaningful, transnational and intercultural experiences.

Aims:
- Cultivate global awareness and global competence, and increased social and cultural openness and sensitivity
- Engage and connect students in the different member universities
- Include and diversify participation in international opportunities in the member universities
- Intensify exchange and collaboration among VIU member universities
- Disseminate VIU opportunities:
- Promote VIU approach: Intercultural, international and interdisciplinary approaches in all activities

Objectives:
Engage students in VIU member universities in peer-to-peer discussions on topical issues that are relevant to their lives.

Learning Outcomes:
- improved transversal (soft) skills: interpersonal and intercultural communication skills and competence relevant for employability
- increased ability to approach difference positively, through the cultivation of global awareness and global competence, and increased social and cultural openness
- increased capacity for critical thinking
- increased ability of active listening
- increased ability in creative problem-solving
- increased ability to work in teams
- improved language skills
- increased confidence, empathy, curiosity

Structure:
- Resources (documents, articles, videos) available on the VIU elearning platform
- Forum for asynchronous discussion
- Real time facilitated sessions to discuss a variety of themes among peers

Project Development:
VIU collaborates with two professors from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Prof. Sabrina Marchetti and Prof. Dany Carnassale, who are giving their fundamental contribution in the project by selecting the project modules and materials.

The VIU project started as part of the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange project that ended in 2020. You can get more information about it here.
And about the VIU Virtual Exchange for GP students here.