Prof. Dr. Patrick Emmenegger - new Institute Director at IBB-HSG
10. February 2023
Since 1st February 2023, Prof. Dr. Patrick Emmenegger, Professor of Political Science at the University of St.Gallen, is Director of the Institute at IBB.
Patrick Emmenegger ist also the head of the Leading House of Governance in Vocational and Professional Education and Training (GOVPET) at the University of St.Gallen. This is a competence centre funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). The Leading Houses focuses oh the comparative analysis of governance structures in the area of dual VET. In addition, GOVPET investigates the influence of two central socio-economic trends on the governance of VET systems, namely technological change and migration.
The future-oriented further development of dual vocational education and training therefore fits in very well with IBB's portfolio, and in the close cooperation with Patrick Emmenegger, great synergies can be used at the HSG in this topic area.
Further information on GOVPET is available on the GOVPET website.
New SNSF projekt: Next Generation of Digital Support for Academic Writing
1. October 2021
We are pleased to announce our new Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) project: "Next Generation of Digital Support for Fostering Students' Academic Writing Skills: A Learning Support System based on Machine Learning (ML). Together with Prof. Dr. Handschuh from the Institute for Computer Science (ICS) at the University of St.Gallen (HSG) and Mahidol University in Thailand, we will carry out this project. This gives us the chance to test the AI-based Learning Support System for training writing skills in an international context. Founded in 1888, Mahidol University is one of the best known and most prestigious universities in Thailand. We will start the project in January 2022 and it is scheduled for 4 years.
Education systems in transition
9. September 2021
Modular, flexible education systems are becoming popular. But what exactly are they? And who benefits from flexible education systems? Business educationist Sabine Seufert explains.
Modern life with its diverse and numerous commitments demands flexibility. This is also noticeable in education. Modular education systems that adapt to the needs and circumstances of students are increasingly in demand. ...
The complete article in German can be read in the current issue of Smart Media "Fokus meine Zukunft" or is available on the Fokus Homepage.
Research Cooperation with HBMSU in Dubai – MeLQ (Middle East e-Learning Quality Framework)
31. August 2021
Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has been a key promotor of (digitally supported) Smart Education for Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East. lmportant initiatives, among other things, have been the development of the MeLQ framework in the past and the current work on a benchmarking framework for technology mediated learning. These two initiatives are complementary in so far as the MeLQ framework can be geared towards assessing institutional readiness for online learning while the benchmarking initiative is geared towards continuous quality improvement.
MeLQ framework was initially developed in 2009, revised in 2013 and last updated in 2014 as a conjoint research project. The world has moved on since and digital learning has evolved. In the light of developments sketched out above, there is a need to thoroughly review the MeLQ framework. This applies to the standards and criteria as weil as to the auditing process and the certification process. Accordingly, our new research collaboration with HBMSU is focused on the goal to review and update the MeLQ Framework for the digital transformation in Higher Education.
For further information about HBMSU, we recommend the HBMSU website.
Election of Prof. Dr. Andrea Back as additional Institute Director
8 July 2021
From 1 August 2021, Prof. Dr. Andrea Back, Professor of Information Management at the University of St.Gallen, will join the Institute for Educational Management and Technologies as a further Institute Director. Andrea Back is currently taking on the function of designing and evaluating educational offers for school students at Smartfeld (education lab of the Startfeld innovation network).
Professor Back is also the Institute Director at the Institute for Information Management at the University of St.Gallen with focus on projects around digital strategies, transformations and innovation. The future-oriented further development of digital teaching therefore fits very well into the IBB portfolio and in the close cooperation with Ms Back, great synergies can be used at the HSG in this thematic area.
For further information about Startfeld, we recommend the Startfeld website.
Online Dialogue with the Federal Chancellor and Minister of Education - Digital Transformation in Vocational Education and Training (VET)
30 May 2021
On Friday, 28 May, an online dialogue took place on the topic of "Digital Change in Vocational Education and Training". Exciting practical and expert reports were presented and there was also a lively discussion.
The complete video is available here.
At the end, the moderator asked us to express a wish for Vocational Education and Training. "We need a game changer to organise educational processes - an ecosystem in VET, for more flexible, modularised, personalised education. With the establishment of a national education platform, the opportunity is now given." said Sabine Seufert.
For those who are closer interested, an excerpt from a new article, which will be published as a supplement in the ZBW, can be found here. (Article: Auf dem Weg zu einem Ökosystem in der Berufsbildung für eine flexiblere, personaliserte Ausbildung)
Vocational education: There is no way around the VUCA worlds
20 April 2021
What capabilities are required in the new worlds of working and learning? And what needs to change in educational institutions so that young people are equipped to start their careers? "There is no way around the VUCA worlds," said Sabine Seufert, Director of the Institute for Educational Management and Technologies at the University of St.Gallen.
The world of work is changing fundamentally and with it, inevitably, the demands on the professional world. "It's not just about the future being digital. The changes will be much more fundamental," said Sabine Seufert, who gave a keynote speech last autumn at a conference of the 28 European Education Ministers with the title "Zukunft Berufsbildung – Paradigmenwechsel in der Berufspädagogik: Flexibler – agiler – digitaler?"
The full article can be read in the current issue of HSG Focus 1/2021: "Leistung" or is available on the scil-blog.
Lexi as a lecture assistant
21 January 2021
We evaluated the use of Lexi as an assistant in the lecture "Introduction to Academic Writing" - we were able to publish the results in the renowned "British Journal of Educational Technology". In our study, we examined the acceptance of social robots. Pepper, a humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics, gave a demonstration of its capabilities in a large-scale university course "Introduction to Academic Writing" for first-year students. From this course, 462 first-year students participated in our survey. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) serves as the conceptual framework. The four perceived attributes - trustworthiness, adaptability, social presence and appearance - all predict intention to use the robot for learning purposes; fear of making mistakes in handling the robot and fear of privacy issues are not significant influencers."
The study "Humanoid robots in higher education: Evaluating the acceptance of Pepper in the context of an academic writing course using the UTAUT" from the "British Journal of Educational Technology" can be downloaded here.
Radio report from the SRF "Regionaljournal Ostschweiz" starting at 08:40 min.
Article from the St. Galler Tagblatt: "Lexi steckt noch in den Kinderschuhen".
Report from the Startblatt by a student can be downloaded here.
Invitation to the European Council
31 October 2020
Prof. Dr. Sabine Seufert was invited by the German Federal Minister of Education and Research, Anja Karliczek, to speak at the European Council. In September 2020, Professor Seufert gave a keynote speech in Osnabrück to the 28 European Education Ministers on the topic of "Zukunft Berufsbildung" and discussed necessary measures in the wake of the pandemic.
The full report is available on the scil-blog.
For further information about the conference, we recommend the EU2020 website.
© BMBF/Hans-Joachim-Rickel
Robotics in Teaching - Harmony or Utopia
27 September 2019
New technologies enable new teaching and learning scenarios. Our robot (Lexi) is one of these technologies. With it, we are exploring possibilities for its use in teaching in our newly created "RoboLab". Whether teaching assistance or learning companion - the field is open. A first use of the robot in teaching took place in the autumn semester 2019 in the course "Introduction to Academic Writing" at the assessment level. The first steps have been taken. We are looking forward to work intensively with Lexi in 2020 and therefore to bring teaching one step closer to the topics of "robotics" and "Artificial Intelligence" (AI).
A short video clip of Lexi can be viewed here.
