A student perspective on the blended learning experience in a project based context - A case of the blended learning experience, and how it affected students ability to manage, collaborate, and communicate in an international cross-disciplinary project

Abstract

Based on an expectation from the authors on the beneficial learning outcome from joining the Erasmus+ project Improving Employability Through Internationalization And Collaboration, namely that this would strengthen their intercultural competence, improve their ability to take part in agile collaboration and strengthen their project management skill, they signed up for the project. This paper will present a case-based study of the authors experience, and the knowledge gained on top of the study curriculum, of joining such a project. It will shortly describe the project, analyse areas in which the authors gained significant extra-curricular skills, and describe outcomes of the process. This will result in the authors suggesting advice to future teachers and students embarking on similar learning experiences, that they make need to find projects with interesting and relevant problems as these heighten motivation and challenges both the technical and interpersonal skills of the students involved. The conclusion based on these is that a blended learning experience such as is described, will have significant benefits to the intercultural competence of students, as long as this is made explicit as an outcome in the beginning. It will also conclude that the main challenge to cross-disciplinary work lies in communication.</p