Blended Intensive Programme:

For the virtual component of a blended study mobility, institutions should keep the following advice in mind:

• Clear and comprehensive agreements have to be made between participating institutions about grades, recognition and quality assurance.
• The virtual component may have specific practical challenges that organisers need to be aware of, such as time zone differences, unaligned academic calendars and variance in technological resources.
• Creating an easy and functional online learning environment is crucial to ensure effective cooperation and learning opportunities.
• The online environment can be used to share theoretical insights and promote individual learning that provides a basis for the physical interaction, for example the virtual component can take place before the physical mobility as a preparatory phase where the members of the group get to know each other and materials can be shared.
• Teachers and staff have to be well prepared to host online classrooms and be trained in diverse online pedagogical approaches.
• The virtual component should allow for cooperation between participants from the different participating countries, for example in small groups to allow for meaningful interaction.

For the physical component of the blended mobility, the following should be taken into account:

• The physical mobility should as much as possible allow for group work, discussion and intellectual exchange instead of only lectures.
• With the theoretical basis of a virtual preparatory component, the physical component can be well-suited to put the acquired theoretical knowledge into practice, for example in laboratory work, field work, visits and interviews.
• Many existing examples of blended mobility show that the physical mobility component is specifically well-suited to connect to the local environment, for field trips and to engage with local businesses, civil society actors etc.
• The programme of the physical component needs to be well-defined and well prepared beforehand, leaving enough time for social interaction and networking.
• For physical mobility as part of a blended mobility project, different practical arrangements have to be put in place compared to regular mobilities, especially concerning housing and access to the host institution’s facilities and other student support.

Guidelines are retrieved from the Blended mobility implementation guide for Erasmus+ higher education mobility KA131

Even though, until now, BIPs are mostly offered as electives or add-ons to students’ ECTS credits, they can and should be embedded in curricula as compulsory courses or part of compulsory modules. Embedding BIPs in the curriculum provides for a more inclusive mobility option for students belonging to groups who are underrepresented among mobile students. Short-term mobility is more attractive for students with care responsibilities or working students, and the recognition of ECTS credits as part of compulsory modules provides an additional incentive for them. In this way, students do not
have to fear that even a short-term mobility period outside of their compulsory courses would prolong their studies and thereby put them in financial distress.

To ensure easy recognition of ECTS credits, teachers, teaching and curriculum support and other staff involved in the planning of a BIP must ensure the following:

• It is essential that learning outcomes are formulated for every BIP. Ideally, these learning outcomes are jointly developed by the participating institutions, in any case their compatibility with partners’ curricula needs to be checked. Keep in mind that in addition to subject specific learning outcomes, international learning environments are an opportunity to develop transversal and international skills.
• Make sure all partners’ curricular needs are reflected and avoid that one partner’s ideas are dominating.
• For recognition, it is not necessary that content and methods are identical to your own curriculum but that there is no substantial difference in the learning outcomes achieved.
• Consider legal frameworks such as differing examination regulations.

Guidelines are retrieved from the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes Basic Toolkit of the Austrian National Agency

You are the project manager!

Teachers/trainers play a central role throughout. They are often the ones initiating a specific BIP, designing and later implementing it. Often, they are also the link to the partner organisation. This involvement requires teachers to take on responsibilities beyond those they are used to.

Get familiar with the timeline and procedures!

Timelines and procedures differ due to the individual nature of BIPs. You can find a rough timeline here. Do not miss out on the application period at your home university (if you want to act as the coordinator). Involve your local International Office at an early stage to avoid confusion and even irritation at a later stage.