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Given the cross-border nature of science and the globalization of the labour market, universities of applied sciences (hbo) and research universities (wo) have been very active in internationalisation for several decades. Since 1999, international collaboration has been in place regarding the international mobility of students. The international objective is that a minimum of 20% of all students should undertake a period of education abroad.
However, this internationalisation is currently facing challenges. It is increasingly viewed as a financial burden for Dutch higher education. Furthermore, the (large) numbers of international students at Dutch institutions are leading to various adverse developments, such as housing issues for (international) students, discomfort among students due to intercultural misunderstandings, and an exacerbation of the divide between rich and poor students.
To address the ambitions and challenges of internationalisation, the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science is implementing a programme for Virtual International Collaboration Projects. In these projects, students in the Netherlands collaborate with students at institutions abroad to jointly carry out a project. Between 2021 and 2024, a total of 700 projects will be funded within this programme to support the design and development of the projects. For more information on the subsidy scheme, see the official announcement here.
The Ministry has commissioned Dialogic to conduct evaluative research on the programme. We are investigating the experiences of teachers and educationalists in the development of VIC projects. Additionally, we are examining the learning outcomes of students, utilising Nuffic's Model of International Competences. This research will continue until October 2027. We are collaborating on this project with Dr. Robert O’Dowd, Associate Professor at the University of León (Spain) and an international expert in the field of development and learning outcomes of virtual exchange projects.
Theoretical principles of the research:
The aim of the research is to understand how and to what extent VIC projects lead to learning outcomes. From a theoretical standpoint, we distinguish the following five phases:
1. Input: Subsidy and support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and the consortium appointed by them.
2. Throughput: Design and development of VIC projects by teachers and educationalists.
3. Intermediate output: VIC projects undertaken by teachers and participating students.
4. Output: Students' learning outcomes.
5. Impact: Internationally and interculturally competent students/graduates.
Our research focuses on phases 2 (design and development of VIC projects), 3 (execution of VIC projects), and 4 (student learning outcomes).
