Virtual wood university

The collaborative development of teaching modules in the field of forest products and management generates the availability of new modules for the students of the participating universities and in the future the offer of distance learning modules for a virtual Erasmus+ semester for the students. The new content consists in combining the expertise of the participating universities as well as the new way of offering it through online learning modules. Up to now online teaching / blended learning is only partially implemented in the existing study programmes of the respective project partners. The aim of the project is to share the common know-how of the respective partners in the field of wood technology and wood management with each other digitally. Furthermore, it shall include the training of the lecturers involved in new ways of didactics, the common development of digital/virtual modules for the existing and future study programs and the implementation and evaluation of these virtual modules.



Blended learning and distance learning is in some disciplines already state of the art. But so far not for the forest products sector. Only one of the project partners (Finland) has gathered some experience in this field so far. For all other partners in the project, this for the future so necessary abilities in the creation and implementation of study material are completely new and innovative. Also, the idea of common creation of teaching lessons with the inputs and view on topics from at least two countries will deliver a Europe-wide new quality of teaching, while the “virtual team teaching” is also new for the professors involved.



The access to classes from other countries may even motivate students to go on an Erasmus+ mobility semester at one of the partner universities. But for students who are not willing or able to go abroad, participation in virtual courses may be an alternative to gain international experiences. In addition, this would also reduce greenhouse emissions and therefore slow down climate change.



One of the future priorities of Erasmus+ will be the enforcement of “Virtual Mobilities”. With this project, we want to set a basis in this field to be prepared for the future and to stay attractive to potential students in the next years.