As the students go back to college and university, some for the first time, it’s fitting that we shine a spotlight on the Modes Project. The MODES project aims at improving the learning experience of foreign students by addressing the problem of the so- called “culture shock” that many of these international students face, and that often limits the quality of their international experiences.
The first result that the project aimed to achieve was to improve the understanding of international learning environments through the conduct of documentary research. The partners researched a diverse mix of 14 such environments that they identified, studied, analysed and compared critically, in order to identify their common aspects, as well as their differences and unique characteristics.
The project team has produced the following resources:
- The Baseline Study Exploitation Pack for an international learning environment
- This extensive resource aims to set the ground for the development of an inclusive international learning environment for international students in the host institutions.
- https://modes.unilink.it/wp2-development-of-a-baseline-study/
- The Capacity Building Programme for International Teachers
- Based on state-of-the-art analysis, best practices, and the feedback and insights collected from the target groups involved, this manual is designed to support teachers and trainers working in international and multicultural educational contexts.
- https://modes.unilink.it/wp3-development-of-a-capacity-building-programme/
- The Toolkit for Excellence in the Field of international learning
- The Toolkit brings together the project’s main outputs: methodological guidelines, a modular online training course, assessment tools, and practical materials that can be easily adapted to different academic settings.
- https://modes.unilink.it/wp4-design-and-deployment-of-a-toolkit-for-excellence/
The Modes project also strongly focused on dissemination activities. They were designed to promote good practices and foster a culture of inclusiveness within higher education across Europe.
It’s been a pleasure to work alongside the MODES project partners: Link Campus University, Mitropolitiko College, BKCon, System Dynamics, Universiteit Leiden.
We invite you to visit the website to find out more about the Modes Project: https://modes.unilink.it/
