Comprehensive Training Framework for Leaders of Internationalization enhanced by Virtual Reality (VR) in a post-pandemic era

We applied for this project to performe and actively work for a more open, inclusive and future looking higher education. The issues addressed related to complexity and global interdependence in higher education, due to rapid technology advances and the fallout from unexpected events (Covid-19). There was an increasing emphasis on new technology integration. We also understood that advancing the digital capability of non-academic staff (through VR) will contribute to aligning our institution with international standards and best practice. Another thing was that all over the world, higher education transformed towards incorporating inclusive environments in learning. It was brought forward during the internal discussion that fewer professional development opportunities would be available to non-academic staff. Base on research the gap was most clearly shown during and after the pandemic in which new skill sets have really played vital role in adapting to new work contexts and better supporting a more diverse population of students and staff. The project also addressed the most urgent need to develop resilience and adaptability among non-academic staff. Design training programs to be more flexible, scalable, and context-responsive.

In creating this project we intended a platform for training that would work for non-academic staff and would meet the challenges higher education faces in a rapidly evolving, technology mediated, globalized environment. It would allow all of those staff involved in implementation of institutional internationalization strategies to capacitate themselves with the critical skills, knowledge, competences they would need to function in a post-pandemic environment. Our key objectives included: 1. Enhancing digital and professional capacities: to digitize and professionally leverage to promoted VR Technologies to design memorable, immersive experiences. 2. Promote inclusiveness and well-being: in its attention to the importance of inclusion, well-being and diversity, this training framework is aimed at a holistic engagement. 3. Universality and transferability: the assumption was that both the training courses and methodology for VR could be used with a high degree of adaptability at a diverse range of higher education institutions. 4. Embedding sustainable advances: to embed the VR-enhanced online training within the institutional framework to ensure sustained implementation towards accelerating growth and for continual adaptability.

The concrete outputs and results of the project were: 1) 1 Project Quality and Risk Management Guidelines; 2) 6 TPM meetings (both online and onsite) 3) Development of self-evaluation questionnaire for non-academic staff, supportive questionnaire for academic staff and HR experts; 4) 1 GAP ANALYSIS - Common Skills Matrix report; 5) 4 Feedback on training components; 6) 1 Methodological concept for VR4Skills training; 7) 1 Training Overview including training description, engagement of VR, formative assessment tool, SWOT analyses, unit explanation; 8) 1 VR4Skills Training Book combining all training materials; 9) 1 Open access MOOC training; 10) 2 pilot reports; 11) 1Toolkit of VR Scenarios supported with 1 Guidelines for VR environment; 12) 1 Guidelines on how to build VR learning environment; 13) 1 Concept and Architecture of the Application for VR4Skills application; 14) 1 VR4Skills application that include Virtual Library Room, Experience Room with implemented 5 scenarios (4 scenarios with immersion based on 360 movies and 1 scenario with animated 3D immersion); 15) Set user guides of V4Skills Training; 16) 1 main project website, 1 supportive project website; 17) 3 MPE events; 18) Dissemination Report.