What is the Online Learning Agreement?
The Online Learning Agreement is the future of Erasmus+ student mobility in Europe. The OLA is the simplest and most convenient way to complete the Learning Agreement online, have it signed, receive comments from sending and receiving institutions, and have an overview of the final version of the document.
Who is OLA addressed to?
The OLA can be used by students participating in an Erasmus+ mobility for studies or traineeships between the Higher Education Institutions that are Erasmus Charter for Higher Education holders.
List of acronyms
OLA: Online Learning Agreement
LA: Learning Agreement
HEI: Higher Education Institution
Access
How do I access the OLA platform?
You can access the OLA platform using your academic credentials or eduGAIN. If you do not have an eduGAIN account, ask your coordinator if your University is already part of the eduGAIN community (most probably it is) and how you can get your credentials. Till spring 2021, or during the transition phase, you can also use your gmail account for authentication.
I had already used the platform to create my OLA - where can I access it now?
Please check your inbox for further instructions as all existing users were notified on the changes introduced on 15 October 2020 and the process to access their Learning Agreements. As before, you can access the Online Learning Agreement through the Erasmus+ App or via “Elder OLA” menu tab here.
How does it work?
There are two workflows, depending on whether the LA is initiated by the student or the HEI. Both students and HEIs have their own online platform to work with Online Learning Agreements. The platforms are interconnected and it is therefore possible to fill in, comment on and sign Learning Agreements online. Workflow One:
OLA is initiated by the Higher Education Institution
- The HEI uploads a list of nominated students on their platform and this information is automatically transformed into pre-filled LAs, which students can access on their OLA platform.
- Students receive a notification to register or access their OLA platform to complete the LA with other information (e.g. indicate the courses they are planning to take) and sign it.
- Once the student has signed the OLA, the coordinator at the sending HEI receives an automatic notification via email to verify and sign the LA. It is also possible to decline the proposal (which deletes all the existing signatures) and send comments to the student about what needs to be changed. The student will receive these comments and will be able to edit LA accordingly and sign it again.
- After the sending institution approves the LA, the coordinator at the receiving HEI receives an automatic notification via email inviting them to verify and sign the LA.
- Throughout the process, all three parties can check the status of the LA at any time and once all have signed the LA, the student receives an automatic email notification informing them that the document is ready.
Workflow Two: OLA is initiated by the student
- The student accesses the OLA platform at learning-agreement.eu, creates the LA proposal, signs it and submits it to their sending HEI;
- The coordinator at the sending HEI receives an automatic notification via email inviting them to verify and sign the LA.
- The following steps to finalise and approve the LA are the same as in Workflow One.
Is it safe to fill in my LA online?
Your data is kept safe according to the EU regulations in force and in an encrypted environment. It will never be shared with any third parties without your explicit consent. You can find detailed information in our Terms of use.
Do I have to print the LA in order to sign it?
No! The OLA can be easily signed online – this functionality works best on a touch screen (for example on mobile phones, laptops or tablets). The same functionality is available to your sending and receiving institution coordinators so there is no need to print the LA and the result looks exactly as a paper LA would. Your OLA is however always available to you on the platform and you can always download and print it.
Who is developing the OLA?
The OLA has been implemented in the framework of the Online Learning Agreement projects and developed by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the European University Foundation and the Erasmus Student Network. The project is co-funded by the European Commission, responsible for the official information of the Erasmus+ programme.
What features will the OLA support in the future?
We are planning on introducing more features to easily pre-fill the most up-to-date data from the sending and receiving institutions and we are constantly working to improve the OLA to provide you with a user-friendly online tool to make the process even smoother.
Why is the OLA only in English?
At the moment, we are invested in rapidly developing the OLA but a multilingual framework is one of the features we wish to introduce in the future. In the meantime, even if the template is in English, the system supports other input languages.
Who can I contact in case of technical issues?
We are constantly improving the platform and appreciate all feedback. If you would like to report a technical issue or simply have questions related to the OLA, please contact the ESCI Service Desk.