Digitalization is not only changing our society, but also the way we teach and examine. In order to optimally prepare students for the demands of the job market, teaching and examination formats must also be further developed. This is precisely what the project “ii.oo – Implementing digital competence-oriented examinations” is addressing: it is developing innovative concepts for examinations at the cutting edge and encouraging teachers to try out new approaches in their specialist disciplines.
A central principle here is constructive alignment – i.e. the targeted coordination of learning objectives, teaching/learning methods and examination formats:
Students are given a clear orientation as to what they should learn and how this knowledge will be tested. Not only acquired knowledge is tested, but also or above all the ability to apply it in practice.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dietmar Wolff, Vice President Teaching at Hof University of Applied Sciences and project manager
Practical solutions for various specialist areas
In this way, future-oriented examination formats are designed that not only reflect learning progress, but also enable students to objectively assess themselves. The ii.oo project relies on the three established examination systems Mahara, Moodle and EXaHM, which enable the flexible and legally compliant implementation of digital examinations. In particular, the project is developing examples of good practice for digital examinations in the fields of business studies, STEM, social sciences and health.
Experiences from the field – four professors report
In the following, lecturers who have already successfully implemented digital examination formats share their experiences. Four good practice professors (out of a total of ten) from our university have their say, leading by example, inspiring and motivating.
“Campuls-digital” wanted to know in each case:
- What was the greatest added value of participating in the project for you and what do you see as the added value for the students?
- Was there a special moment or feedback in relation to digital, skills-based examinations that particularly inspired or surprised you?
- What tips do you have for colleagues who are still hesitant to incorporate digital, skills-based examinations into their teaching?
Prof. Dr. Walter Kern – Making exams practical
“The added value for me was the opportunity to evaluate and – based on this – iteratively optimize self-developed novel approaches for creating practical examination situations in the field of software development and modeling as part of systematic surveys. Students were able to use typical tools of future professional practice directly in exercises and mock exams and help shape their further development.
The positive response from students to the first prototypes of the self-created solutions was overwhelming and a great motivator to develop them further and to create additional and more far-reaching approaches.
It is advantageous to first implement digital trial examinations and gain experience with the tools and requirements from the student side. If you have any questions about the solutions I have created, please feel free to contact me. In addition, DAL is an energetic team that is always ready to provide expert advice on the digitalization of teaching and examinations.”
Verwaltungsinformatik; Image: Hof University of Applied Sciences;
Dr. Harvey Harbach – Promoting flexibility and creativity
“Taking part in the project has enabled me to develop effective examination formats that help students to demonstrate their skills in a targeted way – including the skills they bring with them through previous education, hobbies or private experience. For the students, this means hands-on learning, more engagement and a fairer assessment of their skills.
I was particularly inspired by the feedback from one student who was able to use her creativity through the digital assessment method. Her enthusiasm showed me how important flexible examination formats are for students’ personal development.
I myself was given the tip to constantly try out new things in order to further develop my teaching. I am not guided by uncertainty, but by my enthusiasm and enjoyment of teaching. I design the teaching methods I use flexibly, which increases students’ motivation and deepens their understanding at the same time.”
food production in integrated aquaculture”; Image: Hof University of Applied Sciences;
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Paul Molenda – Courage to change
“Participating in the ii.oo project has given me valuable insights into innovative examination formats and their influence on the students’ learning process. I particularly appreciate the fact that digital, competence-oriented examinations enable practical application of knowledge. Students benefit from this by being able to demonstrate their specialist skills in practice.
One particular highlight was the introduction of a video project as part of the coursework. The task was to explain a technical topic creatively and comprehensibly in a short video. The students were surprised at first, but quickly became enthusiastic about this method. The feedback was particularly impressive: many stated that they engaged more intensively with the material because they not only had to understand it, but also present it in a clear and structured way. They also improved their media and presentation skills, which will also benefit them for future professional challenges. One student said: “I’ve never had so much fun taking an exam – and learned so much at the same time!
My most important tip: Have the courage to change! Digital, competence-oriented examinations offer a wide range of possibilities and can be gradually integrated into your own teaching practice. A good way to start is to supplement traditional examination formats with alternative methods – for example, video projects, case studies or simulation-based tasks.”
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Leuoth – Fair and reliable testing
“The greatest added value was to evaluate the new system right from the start – a secure and fair examination system for everyone. The first EXaHM demo was particularly impressive – and it was exactly what I was looking for. ii.oo offers many positive examples – you should just take a look at it and then start talking to each other!”
Conclusion: Sharing knowledge, benefiting from experience
The aim of Hof University of Applied Sciences is to make these valuable findings available to other interested universities and colleges.
We therefore offer the opportunity to benefit from the experiences and insights of our good practice lecturers – regardless of whether you have already had contact with digital testing or are just starting out and want to explore new possibilities.”
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dietmar Wolff
To the ii.oo website: Homepage – iioo
DAL team at HAW Hof: Digital tools for everyday student life
About the project:
“ii.oo” is a joint project of nine Bavarian universities that promotes the development and implementation of innovative, digital examination formats. 50 good-practice lecturers are continuously working on testing and developing new examination approaches.
The following good practice teachers are involved in the project at Hof University of Applied Sciences, working together with the ii.oo and DAL team to ensure the smooth running of the digital examinations: Prof. Dr. Franz Boos, Prof. Dr. Günter Müller-Czygan, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Leuoth, Prof. Dr. Walter Kern, Prof. Dr. Christine Brautsch, Prof. Dr. Astrid Nöfer, Prof. Dr. Claus-Ekkehard Koukal, Prof. Dr. Paul Molenda, Prof. Dr. Stefan Huch, Dr. Harvey Harbach;
The project’s track record to date shows the successful implementation of digital examinations in various subject areas: 135 examinations in STEM subjects, 143 examinations in business administration and 72 examinations in health and social affairs have already been carried out. As such, ii.oo is making an important contribution to modernizing the university examination culture in Bavaria.
