Keynote speeches, discussions and best practice
Following the opening address by representatives from both universities, Daniel Al-Kabbani looked back on ten years of the Digital Teaching Day. It became clear just how dynamically digital forms of teaching and learning have developed in recent years and the significance they now hold in everyday university life.
The highlight of the morning’s programme was the keynote address by Prof. Dr Mandy Schiefner-Rohs of RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau. Under the title ‘Now, for real. From hype to productive déjà vu’, she placed current debates surrounding artificial intelligence within the context of earlier digitalisation developments such as the flipped classroom, MOOCs and digital teaching, which has been accelerated by the pandemic. In doing so, she highlighted both recurring expectations and actual changes, and made it clear that the speed of technological developments, in particular, presents new challenges for higher education teaching.
During the subsequent poster walk, lecturers and staff presented numerous examples of good practice from various disciplines and institutions. The contributions were organised into four thematic tracks: ‘Hybrid & Innovative Learning Spaces’, ‘AI-Supported Teaching and Learning Formats’, ‘Institutional Strategy & Tools’ and ‘Teacher Training’. Among other things, concepts for hybrid learning environments, virtual reality applications, AI-based learning platforms, digital assessment and feedback formats, innovative seminar and teaching concepts, and practical examples from teacher training were presented.
Alongside this, visitors could find inspiration at the information fair with its hands-on area, where they could try out various digital tools, projects and support services. The information stands and hands-on activities offered numerous practical insights into current developments in digital teaching.
Practical workshops in the afternoon
In the afternoon, there was a choice of four workshops that explored different aspects of digital higher education teaching in greater depth.
In the workshop ‘Breaking down barriers, shaping participation – thinking about accessible digital teaching from the outset’, participants explored the inclusive design of digital teaching programmes. Alongside legal and technical fundamentals, the focus was on concrete strategies for designing accessible teaching materials.
The workshop ‘Between the seminar room and Instagram: social media in higher education’ highlighted the potential of social media for teaching, scientific communication and engaging with students.
The workshop ‘Who’s in control here? How lecturers can consciously shape their use of AI’ discussed issues relating to the responsible use of AI, data protection and digital sovereignty. Together, participants developed ways in which lecturers can establish clear guidelines for the use of AI in their courses.
The workshop “Learning Effectively with AI (and Enabling Others to Do So)” focused on the learners’ perspective. Participants tried out various AI learning assistants and reflected on how AI can support learning processes and what conditions are necessary to ensure sustainable learning.
Conclusion
To round off the anniversary celebrations on a light-hearted note, Daniel Al-Kabbani presented an entertaining summary that highlighted the key themes and memorable moments of the event in an engaging way.
The 10th Digital Teaching Day demonstrated once again just how diverse and dynamic the digital transformation of higher education teaching is. The event offered numerous ideas, fostered cross-university exchange and made it clear that innovative teaching concepts, digital tools and a thoughtful approach to new technologies are crucial building blocks of future-oriented higher education.
You can watch the event video from the Digital Teaching Day here.
