Digitalization for studying and teaching – a strategy for the university

In a nutshell: What is meant by digitalization strategy?

In the Digitalization Strategy for Teaching and Studying 2025, TH Cologne identifies all relevant fields of action in teaching and studying to further and newly develop digital structures. Digitalization is, therefore, not a marginal phenomenon but an essential component of TH Cologne’s identity.

TH Cologne qualifies its graduates for responsible positions in a constantly changing, specialized, and increasingly digitalized and international professional world (employability) and enables them to play an active role in shaping a free, open, and democratic society that is connected across national borders (global citizenship).
Digitalization strategy, 2020, p. 2 (translated)

What fields of action has the university identified?

To best integrate digitalization into studying and teaching and to offer high-quality teaching on an ongoing basis, TH Cologne has identified the following fields of action.

The relevance of digital skills in society is becoming increasingly clear. DigComp, the European reference framework for digital skills, divides these skills into five categories:

Information and data literacy: researching, evaluating, and managing data
Communication and cooperation: interaction, exchange, collaboration, and participation with the help of digital technologies
Development and creation of digital content: developing, using, editing, and programming digital content
Security and data protection: protection of devices, personal data, privacy, health, and nature
Problem-solving: identifying and solving technical problems and own skill gaps

TH Cologne has taken on the task of designing teaching and studying in such a way that all students acquire the necessary skills to navigate the digitalized world with confidence. The following measures are being implemented for this purpose:

Anchoring digital literacy in all degree programs
Concept development for digitally supported teaching and learning scenarios
Implementation of digitally supported teaching and learning scenarios
Implementation of qualification measures

Seamless learning enables students to continue their learning processes without interruption, regardless of learning scenarios, environments, methods, media, and tools. This simplifies study-centered skills development and promotes location-independent collaboration, networking, and learning.

The following measures are being implemented for this purpose:

Designing hybrid learning spaces
Enabling digital innovation spaces
Providing and implementing communication and collaboration platforms
Creating inclusive learning environments to enable accessibility

TH Cologne would like to pay greater attention to Learning Analytics as part of the digitalization process to better understand learning processes and thus implement improvements. With the help of learning, study, and examination data from students, counseling and support services, teaching-learning scenarios, and the Student Life Cycle are to be analyzed and, if necessary, optimized.

The following measures are being implemented for this purpose:

Concept for the use of Learning Analytics
Providing technical infrastructure
Expanding e-assessments

Digital technologies enable and simplify university-wide, national, and international exchange and collaboration. Digital tools, platforms, and teaching-learning settings can be used to create location-independent and accessible mobility. The project is underpinned by a focus on open educational resources (OER), university didactic research, and innovative teaching concepts (open educational practices).

The following measures are being implemented for this purpose:

University-wide, national, and international cooperation
Further developing digital platforms and tools
Digital Student Data Portability
Digitally supported recognition procedure
Digital infrastructure for e-science

To meet the demands of digitalization, platforms and services must be developed that are reliable, user-oriented, and adaptable. Established infrastructures must meet the different requirements of teaching, research, and administration and enable use independent of location, time, and device.

The following measures are being implemented for this purpose:

Agile project management
Promoting innovation management
Creating infrastructure and support
Focusing on user experience
Promotion of the Digital University NRW

What does this mean for the future?

TH Cologne expects that the work environment, the way we work and live together, and the collaborative design of learning and education processes will change dynamically.
Digitalization strategy, 2020, p. 13 (translated)

With this prognosis, TH Cologne has set itself the goal of preparing its students for this change with innovative digital learning and educational processes. Opening up the university to location-, time- and device-independent teaching and learning concepts and a sustainable improvement in study opportunities play an important role here.

Digitalization strategy for teaching and studying 2025

Any questions?

Feel free to contact us by mail to lehrpfade@th-koeln.de!

Links & Literature

Mitchi Seidel

Mitchi Seidel (M.A.) is a researcher at the Center for Academic Development at TH Köln University of Applied Sciences with a focus on hybrid/digital teaching, social online learning environments, science communication and research.