The LEMONOC tools

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Part Four: the LEMONOC tools

“Inspiration exist but it has to find you working.”

(Pablo Picasso) 

4.1 LEMONOC Resource centre

The LEMONOC Resource Centre is a unique online space which assembles links to over (number) documents, materials and tools related to North-South learning mobility in a HEI context. The resource centre is also a platform for HEI’s to share their own tools and materials. Previous research has pointed out the need for sharing experiences and materials related to North-South learning mobility (Bracke, 2007) and the LEMONOC Resource centre aims at addressing this need.

The resource centre includes links to different types of materials including, articles from academic journals, books, policy materials, learning materials and organisational materials. It also includes the details of experts and research centres that are relevant to the topic of North-South learning mobility.

Users of the Resource Centre can search by Title, Author and Keywords. An ‘Advanced Search’ option is also available. Search results include specific references for each document as well as an annotation which provides a brief description of the document. Most documents are accessible through links however some documents that are not publicly available have been downloaded on the LEMONOC website where users can access them directly.

The LEMONOC Resource Centre is regularly populated by new documents and we strongly encourage anyone involved in North-South learning mobility to share any relevant documents that could support the implementation of good practices.

 

4.2 The LEMONOC Scan

4.2.1 Objectives of the scan

The LEMONOC scan is a tool to support HEI’s and their partners in assessing and improving learning mobility programmes to the Global South. Each of the questions in the scan correlate with criteria in the matrix of good practice (see part three). As told before, these criteria have been developed to support the complex responsibilities of HEI’s when designing and implementing learning mobility programmes, in a way that should benefit all participants and partners involved in learning mobility programmes to the Global South. The criteria should not be considered as minimum requirements to be met in order to ensure quality learning mobility, but for inspiration: they represent ideals which should inspire HEI’s, partners and participants (involved in mobility programmes) to implement some changes that will in turn increase quality and generate greater benefits for all stakeholders.

The LEMONOC Scan is a self-assessment tool which supports users to indicate to what extent they are meeting good practice but perhaps more importantly, the LEMONOC Scan is also opportunity to improve their processes, plan for the future, while accessing useful tools and resources.

By using the LEMONOC Scan, users will be able to:

  • Assess the extent to which they meet the LEMONOC criteria.
  • Select a set of priorities for future improvement.
  • Design a Quality Improvement Plan which outlines planned actions to be implemented.
  • Access a list of recommended resources to support the implementation of their Quality Improvement Plan.
  • Repeat the scan process over time and measure progresses made.

 

4.2.2 How to use the scan?

The scan should be used as a tool to periodically review programmes as repeating the scan process over time allows scan users to compare results and measure their progression. Preferably, the scan should be completed by at least two individuals. The perspective of multiple stakeholders create discussions and debates, which allows for greater understanding of processes and procedures and, in turn, richer feedback. One of the scan users should be the person responsible for the learning mobility programme. Additional contributors could include receiving partners or a department director. Even though many criteria apply primarily to the sending HEI, receiving partners can also carry out the scan themselves. 

The LEMONOC Scan is composed by a set of questions which are classified according to the structure of the LEMONOC Matrix: five time-related stages of implementation of a learning mobility programme, (from the planning the programme to the return phase), and three cross-cutting themes: Partnership Process, Participant Learning Process and Organisational Process.

The following steps describe how to use the scan:

 

Step 1: Define the Scope of the Self-Assessment

Scan users should choose whether to carry out the whole scan or focus on a specific area (e.g. Participant learning or Planning phase) and select the relevant cells of the Matrix that they want to complete.

 

Step 2: Carry out the Self-Assessment

For each good practice criteria, a multiple choice question has been created. After reading each question, the scan user must determine the extent their programme meets the criteria (e.g. always/fully or not at all/never). Once all the questions, corresponding to a cell have been answered, the cell turns to  a shade of green which indicates the extent to which the corresponding criteria are being met. In addition, a link to recommended resources appears in each the cells that have been completed.

 

Step 3: Create a Quality Improvement Plan

After assessing the extent to which the user  has achieved the selected criteria, they are invited to create their own Quality Improvement Plan. The first stage in creating this plan is to prioritise  the criteria to be addressed. For this purpose the LEMONOC scan proposes users to visualise the questions previously answered. Users can then select the specific questions they wish to address in the future. The next stage presents users with the list of criteria they have chosen to prioritise (each question corresponds one good practice criteria) and allows them to create their own Quality Improvement Plan, by defining the priority actions, identifying who will implement them and allocating timeframes for carrying out these actions. 

 Priority ActionWho will implementTime Framee.g. To look for possible Tanzanian HEIs to collaborate with in order to support our internship programme in TanzaniaJulia M., Internship Co-ordinatorBy the end of Sept. 2015

 

Step 4: Access Final Report

After creating a Priority Action Plan, users can access their final report. This report includes the following:

  • Diagrams which show their self-assessment results.
  • A list of priorities selected by the user.
  • Links to recommended resources.
  • The Quality Improvement Plan developed by the user.
  • A list of all the questions answered along with the answers provided. 

Literature

Bracke, C. (2007). Onderzoek naar de omkadering voor Vlaamse jongeren die naar het Zuiden trekken - Research on the framework for Flemish young people who are sent to the South. Brussel: Platform Kleurrijk Vlaanderen.