Train-the-Trainer: “Learning in Networks” – Designing Participative Offers

The Train-the-Trainer program of the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung and the FernUniversität in Hagen will support and accompany multipliers in central and decentralized support structures in the implementation of new formats in their institutions from February to July 2023. 17 universities will participate in 2023. Here you will find information about the current program. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found in our FAQ. You can find profiles of completed projects here.

Since the winter semester 2019/20, studies, teaching, and university didactic continuing education have largely taken place online. A large space for experience and experimentation has been opened up at German and international universities, providing new perspectives on the future of teaching and continuing education.

The Train-the-Trainer program of the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung and the FernUniversität in Hagen is intended to support and accompany multipliers in central and decentralized support structures in the implementation of new formats in their institutions.

The Hochschulforum Digitalisierung and the FernUniversität in Hagen have entered into a collaboration to share the experience gained in recent years and the expertise gained in various projects (e.g. The Hagen Manifesto on New Learning, hackathons and community-based online courses).

Target group

The target group is employees in (centralized and decentralized) support structures for digitization in teaching and learning who carry out strategic networking and/or qualification measures for teachers at their universities.

Program Goals

As part of the train-the-trainer program, participants learn various formats for self-organized work as well as learning in networks. You will develop your own internal university or association-wide networking and/or qualification measures and have the opportunity to develop these further in small teams. Based on this, they independently derive ideas for implementation. After active and successful participation, the participants created a project plan and took the first steps towards implementation.

In the train-the-trainer program, we guide participants in planning an offering at their own university. The formats to be implemented have the following properties:

Learners are responsible for their own learning
they enable self-organized learning with individual objectives
they provide a methodical structure
they enable learning in a group
they can take place digitally, on site and/or hybrid
they are scalable

In the train-the-trainer program, participants choose one of the following formats to implement at their own university:

Makerspace: A makerspace is an open, creative space for university members to try out tools and methods and implement their ideas.
Collegial consulting: Collegial consulting is a method in which hierarchically equal persons support each other in solving concrete problems or issues from everyday university life.
Learning communities: The participants of a learning community pursue common interests, goals and/or topics and benefit in peer exchange from the knowledge, individual experiences and perspectives of each member.
Hackathons: At a hackathon, different target groups gather to work collaboratively on the (further) development of innovative programs and topics within a short period of time.

Schedule and content focus of the train-the-trainer program:

Module 1: Getting to know participative formats (27.02.2023 – 26.03.2023)

Kick-Off (90 min.): 27.02.2023, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Consultation hour (90 min.): 06.03.2023, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Module 2: Set focus (27.03.2023 – 23.04.2023)

Consultation hour (90 min.): 03.04.2023, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Additional consultation hour (60 min.): 19.04.2023, 13:00-14:00 hrs.

Module 3: Planning events (24.04.2023 – 21.05.2023)

Consultation hour (90 min.): 02.05.2023, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Additional consultation hour (60 MIn.): 08.05.2023, 11:00-12:00 hrs.

Module 4: Launch Communication (22.05.2023 – 18.06.2023)

Consultation hour (90 min.): 30.05.2023, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Module 5: Implementing Events: Briefings, Roles, and Directing Plans (06/19-23 – 07/16-23).

Consultation hour (90 min.): 06/26/2023, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Ideas out Loud (90 min.): 04.09.2023, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Program information

The program will start with a kick-off on Feb. 27, 2023 (90 min.) and conclude with an ideas conference (Ideas Out Loud) on Sept. 04, 2023 (90 min.).
The program’s content modules span 20 weeks (02/27/23 – 07/16/23).
A total of five content modules are offered. Each module is four weeks long and begins with independent work with the workbook.
Participants work in learning networks.
Follow-up questions and project examples on the module content as well as individual feedback are provided during regular office hours (90 min.).
Total Workload: 40.5 hrs (54 AE)

Module sequence

Each module is composed of the following elements and spread over a period of four weeks. Expect a workload of 7.5 hrs/module.

Self-study course/workbook: Topic introduction with expert:in videos (1 hr. per module)
Consultation hour (1.5 hrs. per module)
Independent work on own concept (3 hours per module)
Exchange in the learning network (1 hour per module)
Independent documentation of interim results (1 hr. per module).

Conditions of participation

The train-the-trainer program is open to teams of two or three who want to and are able to run a makerspace, collegial consulting, learning communities, or hackathon at their institution. It is a prerequisite that there is a student employee in each team. An application can only be considered if a letter of intent from your institution/university is attached. People with or without previous knowledge can participate.

Information on the Memorandum of Understanding

Please email us one letter of intent per team from your institution to implement one of the above formats to qualifizierung@stifterverband.de.

Please address the following questions in it:

What is the profile of your facility?
Are resources made available to carry out the offer?
In what period of time could the offer be carried out?
Which persons from your institution participate in the Train-the-Trainer program (name, e-mail address)? (All persons must also apply individually via the form )

Certificate of attendance and award

You are eligible to receive a personal certificate of attendance if you actively participated in the Train-the-Trainer program.
Each university/institution will receive an award from the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung after successful participation.
For the Train-the-Trainer program “Learning in Networks” 35 ePoints can be earned in the HFDcert. HFDcert is the HFD Community Certificate, through which you can have activities and competencies in the area of digital teaching and learning recognized by the community and documented in an online portfolio. Information about recognition on HFDcert can be found here.

Costs

Participation in the train-the-trainer program is free of charge.

FAQ

Participating universities 2023

Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg – Information, Communication and Media Center, Multimedia Center
Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg – participate@UOL
European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) – Start-up Center
Aachen University of Applied Sciences – Center for Higher Education Didactics and Quality Development in Teaching and Learning / Digitization Offensive Teaching and Learning
University of Applied Sciences Erfurt – Center for Quality
Kempten University of Applied Sciences – Institute for Digital Transformation in Work, Education and Society
Berlin University of Applied Sciences – Curriculum Innovation Hub
Heilbronn University – eLearning and eAssessment
Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences – Digital and Media Department / Quality in Studies and Teaching Office
SRH University Heidelberg – Academy for University Teaching
Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences – Faculty of Business and Law
Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences – E-Learning Center
University of Bremen – Project SKILL-UB / Department for Studies and Teaching
Saarland University – Department of Teaching and Studies
University of Erfurt – Vice President for Academic Affairs / eTeach
University of Hamburg – Hamburg Center for University Teaching and Learning and eLearning Office of the Faculty of Humanities
ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences – Department of Social Work, Digital Campus

Profile of the designed support formats

A clear summary of the support formats designed so far, which can also serve as inspiration for your own events, can be found here.

The program was first implemented in the spring of 2022. Here you can find more information and participating universities of the first round.