 Sorry, I was just going to say welcome to the conference and welcome to the session. I'm going to let Una and Demi introduce themselves because I know they've got an introduction prepared, but thank you for joining us and enjoy the session. Thank you very much, Marlon. And I'm delighted to join this year's conference for the very first time from the Northwest of the Republic of Ireland. And I work there at the ATU, Atlantic Technological University in Leicester, Kenny. And we are, myself and Demi, delighted to be here. Demi, over to you. Hello, everyone. My name is Demi Buchanan and I am a research master's student at ATU and so delighted to be here today. And thank you so much for having us. So back to Una. She's going to give us on the overview today. OK, well, we're just going to share our slides now and I'm going to give you... I don't actually see the PowerPoint on my screen for some reason. So we're just waiting for Demi to share her screen again. Yeah, that's fine. Yeah, so in the meantime, we have been working on telecollaboration in Donegal for two years, just over two years now. And what we have done is we have used our initial virtual only exchange in order to build a blended mobility project. And you can see there for my first slide, the... Sorry, I can just go back to the first slide there. We have a picture of some of our students engaging on one of the synchronous sessions that we conducted. And I think the happy smiling faces tell a story in itself. So the overview today I will be talking about the timeline initially. Demi will then give her perspective on the virtual only exchange where she was a student. Then I will go on to talk about the concept of blended intensive programs, which is a new priority set by Erasmus in its 2021-2027 project. And then I will speak in more detail about our own BIP for short, blended intensive program, commonly known as a BIP. So it was divided into a virtual learning pathway, modeled more or less on the initial one, and then the mobility visit to Braemerhaven, which took place earlier this year in April. So can I talk about the timeline now because there are a lot of different bits to this? So just to get the timeline clear in our minds, November, December 2020, we had the virtual only exchange, which was a six week learning pathway with uni collaboration. We were very, very fortunate to have their support. That then led on to the this year's BIP, the blended intensive program, which took place from November to December 2021. That virtual piece was five weeks long, and it was a learning pathway on Blackboard. And that led on to our physical piece, then the week-long visit to Braemerhaven, which Demi will speak about in a moment. So I am now going to talk to you about the partners involved in this project. And the partners have remained the same over the virtual only and the BIP. So the Irish contingent, represented by myself in a car thing in the Northwest, then we had Gehard Feldmayer, the German partner. And then finally, Isabel García Plathas in Malaga. And we have been working together, as I say, for the past two years on this trilateral collaboration. Demi, please. OK, now, I suppose I have my lecture cap on today. So it's all about assessment because I believe assessment drives learning. And as students were awarded for their participation in this with two ECTS credits in total. And this comprised of the synchronous piece on the left-hand side with three one and a half hour sessions with 12 participants and two facilitators. And this was mandatory attendance and engagement. OK, so students got credits for their attendance here. And then the asynchronous piece, which was a discussion forum, an individual essay and a team presentation. And what we had here was as opposed a bit of a rift between the synchronous and the asynchronous because unique collaboration was in control of those live sessions. And the lecturers were not allowed to take part. However, I did have control of the asynchronous piece. And that was rewarded in that way, the 10 percent, 40 percent and 40 percent breakdown. So more about that later when we talk about the current BIP on to you, Debbie. So I'm just going to give you a brief talk about my experience of the virtual exchange. I was a student whenever I did the virtual only piece. It was in my final year of my undergraduate degree. So like Anna says, it was obviously a six week program with students from Litterkin, Alega and Bremerhaven. And we did it on the unique collaboration platform. And so before we even went into the virtual exchange, there was a discussion forum, which we had to post on and post about our hobbies and interests, what we like, dislike, just a little bit about ourselves. And I find this really good. It was kind of like an icebreaker before we even went into the synchronous sessions. It was kind of nice to put a name to the face and we posted pictures and stuff in that too. So that was really nice to have. Again, it was a new but a very exciting experience for me. So I've got a small bit of experience about online learning. Anyway, I went to Spain in my third year of my undergraduate degree. I was there on Erasmus. I studied business with Spanish, so it was compulsory for me to go. So while I was over there, I was teaching English and I was there for about six or seven months. And then obviously the pandemic hit in February and it was a very abrupt upheaval and had to come home. But it was quite a good experience because then I was able to teach online for three months. So it was good that I had teaching face to face and then teaching online. And then obviously going into my final year, Covid was still rife at the time. So we were online a good bit of that year as well. So it was good for me to have the experience of teaching online as an educator and then learning online as a student. Again, the virtual exchange was completely new. You had no idea what to expect from it, but it's a really good experience. We had lectures during the six weeks and they were about global citizenship and very topical kind of relevant topics. So they were good and they kind of made us think put ourselves in different shoes and kind of think differently about the way the world works and intercultural competence. During these lectures in, we had breakout rooms and I know breakout rooms are kind of a bonus contention, but I really enjoyed the breakout rooms and I thought that I was able to communicate better with only a certain amount of people rather than in a big lecture. You know, it's daunting to go into a lecture whenever everyone's listening to. So that's the breakout rooms. You could get more personal with people and you had a better discussion. And then finally, again, like Eunice is, there was the GRIF project and the individual assignment. So the GRIF project, I was paired with three other people, one Spanish person and then two people from Germany. So again, that was kind of good to see how they worked as opposed to how I worked. You know, I was kind of used to what I did and what people from Donegal and Ireland did. And then with the individual assignment again, it was a nice way to be able to put my own stance on it. And again, it was all topical issues. So moving on to my next slide, which is the benefits and my perceptions of the virtual exchange just itself. So obviously, I met new people from many different cultures and whenever I went into the virtual exchange, I suppose I was a bit more naive that I thought that it would only be people from Spain and people from Germany. However, once I went in and everyone introduced themselves, we had a very diverse range of people. There were people from Venezuela, China, India, from all over the world. So I think it was really good to meet people from different cultures. I became more culturally aware of others around me. So with regard to Irish people speak very fast. So it was one of them things where I had to slow it down and kind of think about the other people who I was talking to and make sure that they were able to understand me and vice versa with them. I know that the lingua franca was English, but I thought that it was a really good opportunity to improve on my target language, which was Spanish because outside of the virtual exchange, we kept in contact and stuff. And even with my grip with the Spanish person, you know, he would ask me questions in English and I would kind of respond in Spanish. And it was a good way to kind of improve on my language and speak a bit more Spanish. And then again, it was a great release from academic stress. So I was in my final year at the time and had a lot of deadlines and assignments and exams and stuff. So it was nice to know that I had this hour and a half for the six weeks to kind of chat to different people and kind of, you know, not have to focus on exams and studies and stuff like that and talk to other people about what they were studying. It provided me with something to look forward to during lockdown. So we were in a really strict lockdown at this stage and it was nice to be able to talk to other people about what their lockdown was like and what hobbies and interests they took off during the lockdown and we kind of shared different perspectives. Again, I mentioned before that I stayed in contact with some of the students and I still do stay in contact with these students, especially the ones who I was in a grip with. We got on very well and it was a really, really good, but especially with social media and stuff now too, we can send them a message at any time. And then finally, it was a really good challenge to be able to actually work on a project with people from different cultures and obviously people from different cultures is going to work in different ways than what I worked. So it was kind of stepping out of my comfort zone and I thought that was a really, really good experience. So I'm going to flash you back to Una now. Thank you very much, Demi. Yes, so basically the groundwork was laid with our virtual only exchange for what emerged subsequently and we decided to apply for a blended intensive program under the umbrella of Erasmus plus this new program, the 2127 one. So you might be wondering what is blended mobility? What does it look like and how does it work? Well, it comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes basically. As long as you have your combination of virtual and real exchange, then you're eligible. But if you want to go further into that, I'm not sure whether you can access that link. The eligibility criteria are there at the bottom of that slide there. If you just scroll down for me, Demi, do you see that link there to the Erasmus plus website? You can go in there and find out whether your institution is eligible and whether you have the right combination of virtual and real exchange. So the definition is short, intensive programs that use innovative ways of learning and teaching, including the use of online cooperation. And they are flexible formats. And I think the emphasis for Erasmus is on diversity and inclusion. And that's something that we definitely had represented in our student profile because we had, I think, a series of 12 nationalities and nine different academic disciplines, engineers, scientists, business studies, all shapes and sizes. So, you know, there certainly was diversity in our, and I think it enriched the whole learning experience. So we move on, I think, because I think we've, yeah. Right, so more about assessment. Again, I have my teacher cap on. And you can see there from this layout that it is very much modeled on what we had initially with the virtual only platform in 2020. So on our left-hand side, we have the synchronous stuff. Again, similar, it looks the same and it is more or less the same. What was different here was that Leisure Kenny was hosting the virtual platform on Blackboard. So we had control over this. And we also had a good bit of input in the synchronous sessions. So, you know, that allowed us to have a better match, a better blend, if you like, between the synchronous and the asynchronous. So we had this interwoven piece. So, Raya Nunes, who did the facilitation there for the intercultural sensitivity workshops, she would be talking about your high-context and low-context cultures. And students would then go from that live session and they would post in the discussion forum their reflection on that and they would share it with the others. So it's like you're at this workshop and you're having a thought about something but nobody can read your mind. What technology allows us to do is to take that thought, put it up in the discussion forum and let others read it. So you're going a step further, if you like, with your technology than you would be able to do in a real-life situation. So I really liked being able to do that there with the virtual piece. So we're going to move on now because we're at 16 minutes and I don't want to go over. Fast forward then to April of this year. And we're supposed to go in February but there was a massive wave of COVID in Germany then. So we had to go back to the drawing board and thankfully we were able to go that those days towards to the 10th of April. And it was in Bremerhaven. We have an aerial view there of it, fabulous location, workshops in the morning, sightseeing trips in the afternoon and one ECTS credit for attendance and engagement. And a little bit here, we could scroll on to the next slide please Demi about the workshops that Raya conducted excellent based on her book, Intercultural Sensitivity. And that was all about students reflecting on their own identities and having that self-awareness bringing that into the team presentation. They then actually did team presentations together. So it was a wonderful opportunity. They're presented and directed by Raya. On then to the next piece which I think you enter now Demi will you? Back to me again. So I'm just going to talk about my experience going to Bremerhaven and this time I was a mentor. I wasn't a student at this stage. I still went with the students and I ended up having maybe even a better time with what they did. So yeah, before we went to Bremerhaven all the, especially the lettering anyone's were super excited, especially with the fact that they didn't get on their Erasmus with COVID. And then we were supposed to go on February and then it was kind of back dated again. So we just couldn't believe that it was actually happening at this stage. And I'm sure it was the exact same for the Maligans and the Bremerhaven. So whenever we arrived there I kind of realized that looking in from the outside I seen that it was easy for the students to interact especially because they met on an online platform beforehand. So they were kind of picking off on conversations where they left off and everyone got on really, really well. The host, so the ones from Bremerhaven they were absolutely amazing. They were super accommodating and helpful. They picked us up at our accommodation every morning and took us to their university and helped us around and showed us around and give us advice. So they couldn't have been any better. Whenever we arrived there the university, they hosted a welcome dinner for us to reunite the Lyric and Aida Maligans and the Bremerhaven. So that was lovely to be able to meet back up with everyone again and we were able to meet up with the lecturers as well. Isabel, Gerhard, Brian and Carlos. So that was a great evening. And then again, kind of covering on what this is we had the lectures every Monday to Friday or on Monday to Friday in the morning. And then we kind of had an hour for lunch and then in the evening time there was activities planned in the evening. So for example, we went to a museum and they went paintball and stuff like that. So that was great. It was kind of nice to be able to get away from the books and to be able to do something different. And then just finally what I thought was the benefits of the book was kind of looking in from the outside. So I think that the first one kind of speaks for itself and I think that it was a really good opportunity. So everyone still stays in contact. Everyone who went on the bit, everyone followed each other on social media and we still have a WhatsApp grip chat and people like all the Maligans want us to come over and visit and we want them all to come over and visit. So I think that kind of speaks in itself that it was a really, really good opportunity and it shows how much everyone enjoyed it. And then again, after the lectures and stuff we had the plans activities. So that was amazing in itself. But what stood out to me was that the students they still wanted to meet up in the evening time and go for dinner and drinks. We wanted to get to know each other even more. And then again, whenever we were leaving on the Friday there was a lot of tears shed. So I think that speaks for itself again that everyone really did end up having the best time. Everyone was crying. There wasn't a dry eye in the whole place whatsoever. And then again with what Una was saying with inclusion so everyone did feel so included and welcome as a result of group activities. So whether that be in the lectures with group activities and then outside of the lectures with the afternoon activities everyone was kind of in different groups and moving around talking to different people and everyone did really, really feel included and everyone had the opportunity to voice their opinions and perceptions. And then again, the global citizenship lectures it kind of made us think differently. And then Raya at the end of every lecture she always says, watch your aha moment. So everyone had to jot down something that they kind of it was like a light bulb went off in their head and share that. So that was brilliant. And then everyone's participation was so valued and welcomed. Doesn't matter how shy anyone was they still wanted their opinion and they still wanted everyone to talk and offer what they had to say. So I suppose the last thing I'll say was overall it was an amazing experience. Something that I'm so glad that I got to do and be a mentor and be part of and what the virtual exchange itself does as a student. And it really stands to me now and hopefully going forward it'll stand to me in the future and travels and studies. So I'm going to pass you back over to Una now. Thank you very much, Demi. And I'm going to finish up here very quickly. We're an ongoing collaboration with Malaga and Graham Rhaven and I'm currently analysing data collected from the BIP participants. And hopefully English Cross will be publishing later on this year. There is more research needed to capture this learning experience because it is so unique, particularly for the blended projects. And this will hopefully increase participation and enable more students to benefit from them. Thank you. Thank you very much. So thank you both for a fantastic presentation. And before we go to questions I just wanted to start with some lovely feedback in the chat. So we had one bit of feedback here from Leone. He says, really value Demi's perspective as a student. And then we also had lots of hallows in the chat and I vote from the UK and all the way from Australia. So there was some reflection about the Erasmus, future of the Erasmus project here in the UK. But let's go and pick up our first question. So this one is from Dom Pates. So Dom wants to know, was blended mobility a term you coined yourselves or was it part of the vocabulary of the Erasmus initiative? It's certainly, it's okay if I answer here, Demi. I'll come in first anyway. It is an official term on the Erasmus website at the moment. It's quite new but it's, I think as a result of unique collaborations, many projects and published research, Erasmus has now prioritized this as the way to go. And I suppose during lockdown we were forced to go online and some of us were ready and some of us weren't. But I think as we emerge out of lockdown and we're looking to the future, a lot of people are combining the skills that we learned and the things that we did during lockdown. They're combining, they're blending that into a new future. And I think that that idea, the concept of blended mobility is one that we can certainly use to leverage more student take up in languages. For example, I'm a linguist primarily and we've had a huge fall off in those studying languages. Sadly, I mean, I suppose we speak the lingua franca, so we're a little bit lazy about learning other languages. But I've seen virtual exchange and blended mobility is a great way to stimulate an appetite for language learning, curiosity about other cultures. And there's a fascinating world out there. And I think the blended route is a great way to generate interest in it. Thank you very much for that. There's more appreciation for your contribution here, Demi, from Vicky Dale. He says, lovely to hear about the really positive student experiences. So I think that's been really appreciated. And we have time for another question, which comes from Patrick Stoddard. So Patrick asks, were the activities pre-crafted to suit the interdisciplinary backgrounds of the students taking part, or more about the students bringing to bear their focus from their focus areas? Okay, well, that's a really good question. I don't, Demi, do you want to answer that or will I? Yeah, no, I can answer that. I suppose during the virtual exchange there was a lot of different academic abilities. And there wasn't anything to put around, I feel like. Whatever you wanted to say was absolutely heard. Everyone was able to share their own opinion and kind of with regard as well to the group presentation and stuff. We all kind of supported each other in a way and people who weren't able to speak the lingua franca as well, like again, whenever I say about the target language and stuff and speaking Spanish, I feel like it was good where I could come in there and kind of help out with that. So I feel like it was all kind of one to sit off. Thank you very much, Demi, that's great. Una, did you want to add anything? Yeah, well, I think that it's a really good question. And I suppose one of the things that I've been trying to do is take languages and things intercultural out of the box and spread them out to a variety of different disciplines because I think the engineers and the scientists and the whatever you are losing out, they don't generally go for mobility, certainly from an Irish perspective. And this was a great way to include them and to say, blended mobility and intercultural competence is something that students across the board need these skills in the global workplace. And we're not really exposing our engineers and our scientists under different discipline areas to them. They've been confined to the linguists or those kind of people with those mindset. So we had to choose, because of the diversity of the student profile, we had to have a suitably overarching topic that would appeal to them. It couldn't be a language only show. So we taught global citizenship. It had something for the engineers about sustainability and finding new sources of energy. It had something for the scientists because we had something in there about pandemics and global pandemics. So again, it was a very broad overarching topic that had something in it for everybody. And I suppose the real challenge for students was to choose their topic. And that's when the fun started because you can see you nodding your head. When you have a diversity of different academic disciplines in there agreeing on a topic in itself is a challenge. So over to you, Demi. Do you have anything to say about that? I suppose, yeah. We've had for a long time trying to decide on a topic. And then finally we came to the conclusion that we would go for environmental change and climate change. But again, to be able to come to that topic was that was probably the most difficult part in itself. Yeah, yeah, there you go. So again, that was all down to that was student work. And that happened in a way outside the platform because students had to meet, find time and then find a space to meet. And I think that there was huge learning in it from the point of view of teamwork and collaboration and listening and finding a way forward together. So I'm happy that I was able to organize that. And I think there were great benefits to begin from it. Well, thank you, Una. Thank you, Demi, for answering all the questions in the chat. I would really encourage you to share your slides with any other resources in the resource channel on Discord where the conversation can continue. For our live session today, we are now out of time. So thank you again, everybody who's joined this session. And thank you to our two speakers, Una and Demi. Please put your hands together and say thank you to our presenters once again. And I hope you enjoy the rest of the conference. Thank you for joining us. Thank you very much. Thank you.