“… An Open Virtual Learning Environment …”

The main objective of iCamp is to create an open virtual learning environment for university students across Europe by connecting different open source learning systems and tools, and to provide interoperability amongst them. This new learning environment is a learner-centred space where students and educators will work collaboratively on assignments across disciplines and across countries with a special focus on the integration of students and universities from the New Member States (NMS) and the Accession Countries (AC). iCamp will offer students and educators both innovative and easy-to-use tools for collaboration and interaction as well as access to a variety of resources.

The objectives in iCamp are driven by pedagogical, technical and social challenges that aim to:

• Investigate, develop and validate innovative pedagogical models for social instruction that support learners in achieving their learning goals in a self-directed manner and to establish social networks
• Provide a validated portfolio of constructivist learning tools that support these innovative learning models
• Provide an open virtual learning environment consisting of a network of learning tools, platforms and repositories
• Develop and describe open source code for connecting to the iCamp network and to provide interoperability amongst different systems
• Document and describe best practices to be derived from the validation trials for universities that may benefit from iCamp in the future
• Assess the actual and potential impacts of the iCamp network on Higher Education Institutions at different levels and from different perspectives