Innovations in Teaching, Learning & Assessment

Nonetheless, it must be said that most German HEIs are not yet making use of the opportunities offered by the new learning technologies and with which their counterparts in other countries are already experimenting extensively. However, following the public debate on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), more and more attention is being devoted to developing and deploying innovative learning technologies in Germany as well. At the same time, however, digitisation in education should not be seen as an end in itself. New concepts must aim to further improve both the performance of and the equal opportunities provided by the HEI system. Any developments should be determined by educational factors and not by technical feasibility.

Digital educational programmes offer very promising opportunities for the German HEI system – with regard to improving the efficiency and quality of teaching in spite of increasing massification. For example, digitisation offers great potential when it comes to personalising educational programmes and the possibilities for improving quality that this entails. Based on previous knowledge and personal requirements, personalised digital educational programmes either make it possible for students to tailor their own individual curriculum or to prepare an orienting framework through pre-structured programmes and learning units. The current digitisation activities of HEIs are largely limited to basic infrastructure and ad hoc initiatives which, for the most part, are generally far removed from any systematic usage of digital educational programmes or the potential associated with these.

The aim of the Learning Scenarios working group is to identify suitable digital learning formats that are already used as best practice and that also have the potential to help HEIs with the challenges they face.

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Jörn Loviscach

“Computers – in particular mobile computers – and the internet can, in many ways, can provide valuable assistance for those studying. However, we still have a lot to learn about the best way to use them in terms of cost/effort, didactics and results.”.

Publications by the thematic group

Study: Digital Assessment in an HEI Context (March 2015): The group presents a study of digital assessment scenarios. In a comprehensive paper, a wide range of scenarios for digital assessments are illustrated.

E-assessment as a challenge – recommended courses of action for HEI policymakers (May 2015): Based on the study Digital Assessment in an HEI Context, the thematic group presents recommended courses of action for HEI policymakers at national and federal-state level.

E-assessment as a challenge – recommended course of action for HEIs (July 2015): Based on the study Digital Assessment in an HEI Context, the thematic group presents recommended courses of action for HEIs.