FernUniversität, Hagen

 

The Digitalization phenomenon that has affected our daily lives has multiple challenges and opportunities for universities to shape their future in the digital age. The second meeting of the “University of the Future Network” at FernUniversität in Hagen from July 11 to July 13, 2017 tried to frame central aspects of this discussion. Under the headline “The Digitalization of the University of the Future".

About the meeting

The network members discussed how the digitalization phenomenon has affected the university and what are the main issues that we should look out for to comprehend the changes and novelties concerning the University of the Future. These were the main topics of the meeting:

    • Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities
    • Redefining Knowledge in the Digital Age: Internet and Social Media
    • Towards a Policy of Access: Digitalization for All
    • Open Educational Resources as Learning Materials in the New University
    • University Business Models and Value Propositions in the Digital Age
    • Virtual networks for the Digital University: Research and Partnerships

UFN members:

      • Helen Avery, Lund University
      • Martha Burkle, University of Alberta
      • Adão Carvalho, Universidade de Évora
      • Eva Cendon, Fernuniversitët in Hagen
      • Josep Duart, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
      • Sarah Guri-Rosenblit, Open University of Israel
      • Carina Lion, Universidad de Buenos Aires
      • Mpine Makoe, University of South Africa
      • Andrea Mangiatordi, University of Milano Bicocca
      • Dorothee Schulte, Fernuniversitët in Hagen

Why FernUniversität ?

The FernUniversität in Hagen is a public university in Germany. Founded in 1974, it is the biggest university in the country with more than 80.000 students. Host the honor of being the one and only online public university of Germany. FernUniversität has five faculties specialized in the following areas of study: Cultural and Social Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, Business Administration and Economics, Law and Psychology.

Media

#1: Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities

“With digitalization we do not lose the teachers. But: we need to think of which roles, which functions academic teachers have, and which career paths as teachers they can follow within the university.” (Prof. Eva Cendon, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany)
#Video 
Eva Cendon

#Paper 
Narend Baijnath & Eva Cendon

#2: Redefining Knowledge in the Digital Age: Internet and Social Media

“Through the internet we learn from others in new and more tacit ways, formally and informally. In this new landscape, all learning is blended. The boundaries are being more liquified.” (Cristobal Cobo PhD, Ceibal Foundation, Uruguay)
#Video 
Martha Burkle & Cristobal Cobo

#Presentation 
Martha Burkle & Cristobal Cobo

#3: Towards a Policy of Access: Digitalization for All

“There is access to technology and there is access to pedagogy that we want to achieve. Unless we understand the teaching and learning aspect of technology we won´t be able to be successful about it.” (Prof. Mpine Makoe, University of South Africa)
#Video 
Mpine Makoe

#Paper 
Mpine Makoe & Alan Tait

#4: Open Educational Resources as Learning Materials in the New University

“We have a re-usibility paradox with OER. We have to adapt it. And the amount of adaption depends on how specific this resource is.” (Andrea Mangiatordi PhD, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Italy)
#Video 
Andrea Mangiatordi

#Paper 
Andrea Mangiatordi & Michael Power

#5: University Business Models and Value Propositions in the Digital Age

“Try to put yourselves in the future, 15 to 20 years in the future, giving you some archetypes of students and thinking of what kind of value proposition they need in order to have their needs served by university" (Alex Gershberg PhD, University of Pennsylvania)
#Video
Alex Gershberg 

#Paper 
Uta Wehn, Alec Gershberg & José Tulio Gálvez Contreras

#6: Virtual networks for the Digital University: Research and Partnerships

“We have to create a stronger alignment between universities, the employment and the corporate world. Because we prepare people for professions, that will change or disappear and for new professions that will appear. How do we forecast that and how do we relate to that in our curricula?” (Prof. Sarah Guri-Rosenblit, The Open University of Israel)
#Video 
Sarah Guri-Rosenblit

#Paper 
Sarah Guri-Rosenblit & Josep Duart
Last updated: September 28, 2018.