On October 11, 2024, the Erasmus+ NomadTrail – Virtual Projects for European Digital Natives project launched its innovative course, “Agile Cross-Border Projects”. This exciting program brings together master’s level students from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in Spain and Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts (FH Dortmund) in Germany, aiming to enhance project management skills through a collaborative, hands-on approach to agile methodologies. Following its successful debut in the spring of 2022, this is the second offering of the course. The launch event connected students and featured faculty members, including Carolina Cruz and Maider Iturrondobeitia from UPV/EHU, along with Carsten Wolff and Christian Reimann from FH Dortmund, who shared insights on the course objectives.
This course focuses on developing key competencies in technology, sustainability, and project management, preparing students for agile, interdisciplinary projects. It enhances digital literacy for virtual environments while also strengthening lecturers’ abilities to manage international initiatives. By engaging in cross-border projects, students cultivate teamwork and intercultural communication skills. The virtual format allows participation from students who may be unable to travel, enriching their overall educational experience.
The course is structured around four agile sprints over several weeks, beginning with an initial briefing session. The introductory lecture on Agile Project Management and team setup took place on launch day. In the following weeks, students will concentrate on teamwork, culminating in a final presentation on January 11, 2025.
Participants will explore sustainability using the Digital Sustainability Canvas (DSC), developed at UPV/EHU to assess their digital projects. They’ll use their creativity to design clickable app prototypes without needing programming skills, with an emphasis on making the user experience enjoyable. Teams will be composed of students from various programs, encouraging diverse perspectives as they collaborate online using Scrum. By the end of the course, students will showcase their innovative prototypes and project management skills, blending theoretical learning with practical application and sustainability.
The Agile Cross-Border Projects course highlights both universities’ commitment to innovative education and sustainability. With this successful launch, they look forward to building on previous achievements and providing a valuable experience for all participants.
Project type: Erasmus+ KA2 Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education
Project name: Virtual Projects for European Digital Natives
Project reference number: 2023-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000153927