Lemmens The Virtual Challenge to International Cooperation in Higher Education Bernd Wächter (ed.) Aca papers on International Cooperation in Education The V irtual Challenge to International Cooperation in Higher Education

Digital products 
All this potential has not gone unnoticed. The last few years have witnessed
an explosion of virtual or online-courses from traditional universities (non-
profit or for-profit); from institutions that are entirely virtual and from consortia
of “brick-and-mortar” institutions. It has been said that no institution, no mat-
ter how great its prestige in the traditional mode, will be able to escape the
need to compete effectively through the skilled use of technology to enhance
learning.
The picture of providers and products is very varied. There are traditional
universities offering more flexible learning options to their students on cam-
pus with the help of ICT. This is a mixed model with virtual studying as a
complement or alternative to classroom learning inside a degree program-
me. One can envisage similar provisions at different levels: from purely local
to national and further to transnational levels, i.e. web-based courses de-
veloped and offered by international consortia and networks of universities.
This offers new openings for European cooperation, building on the ex-
periences that European universities already have of cooperation networks
under the Erasmus programme, for example.
There are also entire degree programmes offered virtually, leading to virtual
degrees and diplomas. In these cases, the virtual course is the only option.
Here the profile of providers is even more varied: new virtual universities;
consortia of traditional universities that can be regional, national or transna-
tional; corporate providers (e.g. Microsoft, Disney, Daimler-Benz). Again, the
possibilities for European cooperation in designing and offering joint degrees
are limitless. Joining forces with the corporate sector, i.e. public-private part-
nerships, will play an important role in future developments.
Virtual learning environments will make it possible for anyone, anywhere,
anytime to get access to university-based learning opportunities. This means
that opportunities to combine work and studies will be increased. This means
that new groups of students will have access to higher education both at
home and worldwide. This means that students can have access to courses
at a foreign university while at their home university. This means increased
possibilities to internationalise the content and context of education. This
means a competitive advantage for European universities if they face the
challenge together.
These exponentially growing opportunities on the web raise the issue of qua-
lity assurance. Virtual education and borderless/transnational education are
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an expanding business. The availability on the web of education of unclear
quality or education leading to different kinds of unrecognised diplomas is
increasing. On what basis can the learner make his/her choice in this virtual
jungle?
It is in everybody’s interest to ensure that students and later employers can
make a good and safe choice of study programmes and institutions, whether
traditional, non-traditional or virtual. This is very important in building an open
European labour market, where people can easily move from one country to
another.
Wide range cooperation is called for between national quality assurance
systems for establishing a common framework of reference (common defini-
tions, recommendations, European framework for quality) and dissemination
of best practice in Europe. Quality assurance systems play a vital role in
ensuring high quality standards and in facilitating the comparability of qualifi-
cations throughout Europe. The European Network for Quality Assurance in
Higher Education, ENQA, which was established in 1999, is a concrete tool
for cooperation in Europe. One of ENQA’s current working groups is focusing
on the quality of new forms of delivery in higher education.