Digitalization as an opportunity and a blessing for the HSZG?

During the week of April 12–16, 2021, the digital peer-to-peer strategy consultation was held at the HSZG by the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD), coordinated by the Stifterverband. The goal: with the participation of all members of the HSZG, to spend a week collaboratively discussing what a digitalization strategy for the future of academic studies and teaching at the HSZG should look like in order to meet the HSZG’s specific conditions, build on existing structures, and address the needs of all stakeholders.

Ideas Conference on Digital Teaching

At the start of the consultation week, an ideas conference was held, providing an opportunity for an initial exchange between university members and the consultants. In various discussion groups with the stakeholders, key successes and pain points in digital teaching were discussed, and an initial assessment of the current state of affairs was made. Questions
included, among others:

• How can digitalization highlight our strengths?
• To what extent can the evaluation of teaching be expanded through digital formats?
• Can digitalization minimize the challenges sometimes posed by the HSZG’s two-campus structure and create opportunities for members of the other campus to engage?

From the students’ perspective, the strategy consultation week was an opportunity to get involved and to highlight and discuss the respective ideas, wishes, and challenges for all stakeholder groups at the HSZG. The issues most important to students—such as opportunities for feedback and evaluation, or interdisciplinary or cross-program course content—could certainly benefit from a tailored digitalization strategy.

In-person interaction remains important

Despite all the possibilities that digitalization offers, one point stood out in particular during discussions with university members: nothing can completely replace in-person interaction. Face-to-face conversations, heated discussions, hands-on experiments in the lab, or applying one’s own knowledge in the workplace are the things that make studying at HSZG so appealing—and while these can be supplemented digitally, they cannot be replaced.

Text: Deborah Halang