Digitising Academic Catalogues for Enhanced Mobility

This study examines the current state of course catalogues (CCs) in the context of student mobility within the Erasmus+ program, addressing persistent challenges in providing efficient, transparent, and uniform access to host institutions' academic offerings. As part of the DACEM (Digitising Academic Catalogues for Enhanced Mobility) project, which aims to develop an open-source software solution for online course catalogues, we conducted a comprehensive analysis utilising a mixed-methods approach. The study encompassed interviews with university administrators and ATHENA (Advanced Technology Higher Education Network Alliance) partner institutions, as well as focus groups with incoming students and Erasmus+ coordinators, involving 78 participants in total. Our findings reveal that while existing CCs are generally functional, significant improvements are needed in areas such as user interface design, information accuracy, and mobile accessibility. Key user requirements identified include enhanced search and filtering capabilities, comprehensive and up-to-date course information, integration with other academic systems, and consideration for specific user group needs. The research highlights the critical role of effective course catalogues in facilitating successful academic mobility and provides insights for developing more user-friendly, technologically advanced solutions to support international student exchange programs.