BASIC IDEA

The central goal of the project is to support students in the acquisition of professional competencies through the conception and development of digital, authentic, problem-based teaching-learning scenarios in connection with adaptive feedback, to implement these scenarios systematically in the various study programs and the university IT structures, and to transfer them beyond the University of Augsburg. Given the portfolio of study programs at the University of Augsburg, subject-specific skills are to be understood very broadly. They include both discipline-specific skills (e.g., clinical decision making, planning a lesson, assessing a criminal case, hermeneutic analysis of historical texts) and generic competencies useful in multiple domains (e.g., communication and presentation skills). The project builds on existing initiatives on technology-enhanced teaching, uses evidence from research on technology-enhanced teaching and learning and translates them into new and further developments of digital technologies and didactic innovations.

MAIN FOCUS

Based on the basic idea outlined above, KodiLL harbours four projects in which technology-enhanced learning scenarios are being developed for a large number of specific subjects. All projects are embedded in a central support structure.

In this project, authentic video cases are produced in which discipline- and profession-specific problem situations are shown. For competence development, the focus here is on promoting professional vision. The aim is to create a steadily growing pool of interactive videos that can be used in specific disciplines, which will also be made available to other universities.

PROJECT 2: Online Collaboration Scripts for Learning with Authentic Cases 

In this project, a generic plugin for the university-wide LMS “Digicampus” will be developed that can be used to structure small-group collaboration. It will enable instructors to form online groups, assign different but compatible roles to individual group members, and prompt high-level learning activities. The resulting collaboration scripts will be used to structure written or video conference-based online discussions of authentic, discipline-specific cases. In this way, a large number of subject-specific teaching-learning scenarios for implementing digitally supported collaborative learning are created. 

PROJECT 3: Tutorial and Peer-based Feedback Systems for the Promotion of Professional Competencies, with a Focus on Large Classes 

In project 3, a generic plugin for the university-wide LMS “Digicampus” is to be developed that enables teachers to implement structured forms of tutorial and peer feedback and supports students to provide and receive adaptive, elaborated and process-related feedback on the completion of assignments. The plugin will provide teachers with the opportunity to determine (a) who gives feedback to whom on which task, (b) the criteria on which feedback is provided, and (c) how the feedback should be processed by the recipients. 

PROJECT 4: Automated AI-based Feedback in Simulation-based Learning Environments 

Current machine learning approaches have the potential to objectively and reliably capture human behavior based on predetermined criteria. They can thus be applied to the analysis of student behavior and thus inform feedback regarding their competence development. Building on extensive preliminary work of the experts involved in the project, a machine learning algorithm will be further developed that analyzes human behavior in terms of its convergence with desired behavioral criteria. 

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

In order to ensure an intra-university transfer of the technology-enhanced learning scenarios to all faculties as well as an inter-university transfer beyond the University of Augsburg, digital content and tools are being developed in a way that allows an integration into the open source learning management system Stud.IP which is widely used at the university and beyond. It is also ensured that the tools can be adapted for all subjects and courses. All technology-enhanced learning scenarios that will be developed are characterized by three features:

1. The learning scenarios are not intended to replace face-to-face learning. Instead, depending on their design, they aim either to enrich classroom instruction with digital elements or to promote the implementation of teaching in a blended learning format.

2. The technology-enhanced learning scenarios follow a problem-based approach. Supported by the lecturers, the students work on digitally presented, authentic cases and problems from their subject-specific context.

3. The project uses the potential of digital technology for adaptive feedback. On the one hand, digital technology can support feedback from lecturers, tutors and peers. On the other hand, feedback can be generated automatically on the basis of machine learning algorithms.

GET FEEDBACK! - A DIGICAMPUS (STUD.IP) PLUGIN FOR TUTORIAL AND PEER-BASED FEEDBACK IN TEACHING

Many teaching sessions suffer from low cognitive activation of students. This can be addressed through practice exercises that students work on during and/or between sessions. However, especially in larger events, it is hardly efficient to provide adaptive, elaborated, and process-oriented feedback to all students on their task performance. The newly developed Digicampus (Stud.IP) plugin, getFeedback!, facilitates the planning and implementation of structured forms of feedback by tutors and peers. Based on findings from empirical teaching and learning research, educators can use the plugin to (a) create tasks for students to work on, (b) determine who should give feedback to whom, (c) specify criteria to consider during feedback, and (d) define how recipients should process the feedback. Additionally, getFeedback! offers a variety of options for educators to monitor the feedback process and provide additional assistance to students when needed.

Click  here for further information.

CO LEARN! - A DIGICAMPUS (STUD.IP) PLUGIN FOR STRUCTURING SMALL GROUP COLLABORATION PHASES IN TEACHING

Learning in small groups provides excellent opportunities to promote student learning. However, empirical findings on computer-supported cooperative learning show that unstructured collaboration among students is often less effective than individual learning. With coLearn!, a new Digicampus (Stud.IP) plugin, small group collaboration phases in lectures, seminars, or exercises can be structured, planned, and implemented. With the help of coLearn!, educators can particularly (a) create tasks to be worked on by student small groups, (b) divide the cooperation process into as many phases as needed, (c) distribute different roles among the learners within a small group, and (d) support students in the execution of their roles in various phases through additional guidance. Additionally, coLearn! offers educators diverse possibilities to monitor the group collaboration process and provide additional assistance to students as needed.

Click  here for further information.