How digitalization is progressing

The digital transformation opens up new potential for universities to further develop their offerings and structures in all service areas, and especially in learning and teaching.

An overarching strategy is needed to implement contemporary teaching and learning formats, advisory and support services and new curriculum and study structures. Aware of this task, the HSZG successfully applied for the peer-to-peer strategy consultation of the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD) in 2020 under the leadership of the Vice-Rector for Studies and International Affairs, Professor Sophia Keil.

During this time, experts from the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung supported the HSZG in its strategic approach to digital teaching and learning. The focus of this peer-to-peer format was on the digital world of work as well as educational equity, access and openness. Together with the HSZG, the experts developed recommendations for the further development of digitalization specifically for studying and teaching. Integrated into the participatory University for Future process at our university, the peer-to-peer consultation represents a further milestone in the strategic orientation of the HSZG. Based on the recommendations of the peers, an action plan was formulated together with stakeholders from the Education Unit, the Center for eLearning (Zfe) and other university members.

The HSZG associates the action plan with extensive goals and the implementation of measures to increase the attractiveness of the study location and for quality assurance. The next step is therefore to initiate a project group on "Digitalization in Studies and Teaching" , which will develop a strategy for the future positioning of studies and teaching. The aim is to develop a vision (Why), mission (How) and a mission statement (What) for digitalization in 2030 and to integrate this into the existing mission statement of the HSZG. The profile and digital identity of our university will be derived from this. The first new measure in the winter semester 2022/23 will be the promotion of exchange between the teaching staff of the HSZG with the "Good Practices" format in the context of digitalization. The Vice-Rector, in cooperation with the Center for eLearning (Zfe), invites lecturers to this on a regular basis. The aim is to create a platform for lecturers to exchange ideas with other internal or external lecturers Furthermore, lecturers should learn about support opportunities through projects and get to know new digitalization tools for their own teaching. A corresponding overview of events is currently being compiled.

As the path to the digitalization strategy is designed to be participatory in accordance with the basic orientation of the Rectorate, the Vice-Rector invites all interested persons to participate in this  project. At the same time, she would like to thank all those involved in the peer-to-peer strategy consultation.