The DigitalChangeMaker initiative, started by the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD) in 2018, supports students in becoming active participants instead of mere recipients in the digital transformation of higher education.

It is a nationwide cross-university network promoting student-led, learner-centered change in institutions. This student think tank does not just discuss change; it actively shapes higher education, ensuring that student voices are driving the transformation needed in higher education.

The DigitalChangeMaker initiative focuses on:

• advocating for specific changes in digital higher education, like enhanced student participation, design of examinations, and uses of AI,
• influencing the conversation on a learner-centered, sustainable higher education transformation,
• providing support and guidance to higher education institutions for cross-university development.

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The DigitalChangeMakers are currently working in four thematic peer groups to develop demands from a student perspective as well as ideas for change projects:

1. Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
2. Advancing Student-Centredness in Higher Education
3. VR and XR as Inclusive Educational Technologies
4. Higher Education Policies from a Student Perspective

Exchange and Collaboration:

Hochschulforum Digitalisierung nurtures ChangeMakers through tailored workshops and connects them with experts in education and politics. This empowers them to influence the transformation of higher education.

Appearances as Speaker and Authors:

Leveraging our extensive network, we support DigitalChangeMakers to actively participate in conferences, panels, and workshops as recognised voices in the field.

DigitalChangeMaker Forum:

HFD hosts regular meet-ups, both digital and in-person, for current and former ChangeMakers. These gatherings are a space for sharing ideas and creating new synergies.

Discussion paper on rethinking student-centredness

Lea Bachus, Kevin Saukel, and Rene Rahrt offer a fresh perspective on student-centeredness in their Discussion Paper “Studierendenzentrierung neu denken” They explore how students can be more actively involved in both teaching and university governance. The insights from this work are now guiding a community working group, facilitated by the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung, to develop practical implementation strategies.

PartiDeck

PartiDeck, initiated in December 2022, is a project focused on enhancing student participation in university life. It offers a toolkit for integrating various participation methods in strategic university processes. The project, spearheaded by the DigitalChangeMaker initiative, is currently developing both digital and physical versions of this participatory tool. A diverse team from across the university community is collaboratively working on this innovative project.

HFDvisions – Co-creating visions for the future of Higher Education

HFDvisions is a collaborative project where university leaders, students, and strategists jointly envision the future of their institutions. Supported by the HFD and the DigitalChangeMaker initiative, these vision teams work together, with ChangeMakers offering mentorship and creative input.

In June 2023, DigitalChangeMaker Johannes Schleiss published a paper (“Co-creating Visions with Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study in the German Higher Education Landscape”) which features the evaluation results the first two HFDvision cohorts.