WHO COORDINATES VIRTUAL MOBILITY ?
Eva Abramuszkinová Pavlíková, NEWTON College, Brno, Czech Republic

The project Ready for Virtual Mobility? (MoreVM) introduces the term virtual mobility coordinator (VM coordinator) and defines the virtual mobility coordinator profile. The VM Coordinator profile describes the required qualities and competences of the staff involved in VM for providing efficient support to VM students during the pre-virtual mobility phase, including information, guidance and counseling as well as during VM to enhance their performance.

The aim of the research, directed by NEWTON College in co-operation with project partners, on the VM Coordinator profile was to define the VM coordinator profile and to design the VM supervision scheme. NEWTON College collected the data on higher institutions that have already been involved in physical mobility in order to conduct this research on potential Virtual Mobility Coordinators.

The answers of 198 respondents from ERASMUS coordinators, based on our on-line questionnaire, show that there is a need for the position of a Virtual Mobility Coordinator to assure successful participation in virtual mobility. An institutional background of the VMC is prefered with ERASMUS office in cooperation with study department. Direct relations with ERASMUS is strongly recommended. From this sample about 9% of institutions are already involved in virtual mobility. From the whole sample there were two respondents holding the VMC position, both respondents shared this position with another position. There are 16 institutions where the position of VMC exists.

The ideal profile of the Virtual Mobility Coordinator is the following:
• The ideal VM Coordinator has good organisational skills.
• The ideal VM Coordinator has good communication skills.
• The ideal VM Coordinator has good social skills, and is a team oriented person.
• The ideal VM Coordinator has good IT competences.
• The ideal VM Coordinator has good management and marketing skills, incl. time-management.
• The ideal VM Coordinator is well educated, with a minimum of a Bachelor's degree, willing to learn more, and is an open-minded person.
• The ideal VM Coordinator has an acceptable level of foreign languages.
• The ideal VM Coordinator has intercultural experience.
• The ideal VM Coordinator is acquainted with the virtual learning environment that supports a VM course.
• The ideal VM Coordinator is informed about the content of a VM course.
• The ideal VM Coordinator has personal experience of being an online learner and of distance education.
• The ideal VM Coordinator believes in VM.

The competencies and responsibilities of the ideal Virtual Mobility Coordinator should include:
• Communication with provider institution (organising the VM course) about the students’ participation and performance.
• The presentation of VM courses to potential students.
• Monitoring visits to partners´ schools.
• Looking for new partner organisations.
• Providing students with clear grading criteria, reminding students about upcoming assignments, contacting students who have not completed assignments even after the assignment due date, and reminding them about their non-submission of assignment.
• A confirmation of students´ study plans.
• The administration of students´ formal documents before, during and after mobility.
• Counseling students, psychological support, assisting students who are having problems (by e-mail, etc.) in completing the assignment.
• Guiding and informing students, providing examples of required writing/assignments, providing resource ideas for completing assignments.
• Contacting and recruiting students.

It seems that virtual mobility in the Czech Republic is quite new and there is a need for information and cooperation.

What is the situation in your country ?
Is your institution involved in virtual mobility ?
Have you got an experience with a virtual mobility coordinator ?
Do you feel there is a need for a virtual mobility coordinator ?

Thank you for sharing your opinion with us.