This paper aims to compare the impact on the development of transversal skills, such as self-esteem, of virtual and physical exchanges. This is done by comparing the Europe on the Edge programme to the results of the Erasmus Impact Study. In doing so it fills the need that has been expressed in the telecollaboration field to study the impact of online education programmes "outside of students' and educators' beliefs" (Helm, 2015, p. 212). We shall argue that it is indeed possible to compare physical and virtual exchanges by measuring the impact on so-called transversal skills. [For the complete volume, see ED571330.]