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have a clear expectation of a beneficial impact skill-acquisition and personal development –
and are prepared to make a special effort. both of a cognitive and affective nature –
rather than a concern for equal opportunities, can be very hard to observe and measure,
our primary motivation should be reflections and even with observable changes it can be
about mobility as a pedagogical tool and difficult to establish the chain of causality,
about the “added value” that we can achieve especially in a long-term perspective. We
for this particular target group. Key questions can thus never objectively “prove” this like in
are: what outcomes in terms of learning and a mathematical equation; we need to work
personal development can we achieve; is it with probabilities and cumulative evidence. a
realistic to accomplish this; what mechanisms recent evaluative research project, financed by
promote the acquisition of such skills and the federal agency for Vocational training in
competences; and what organisation and sup- Germany and directly targeting learning
port is needed to underpin this process? outcomes of mobility for disadvantaged

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