WHAT IS THE LEARNING ARCHITECTURE?
The Learning Architecture is a digital self-learning environment focused on topics related to digital higher education teaching. It covers a broad range of subjects, from student engagement and accessibility to serious games and non-disposable assignments. It enables users to refresh their knowledge flexibly and as needed, find inspiration for their own teaching, and develop new teaching concepts.
All content in the Learning Architecture is designed as Open Educational Resources (OER) and can be freely adapted and further developed, for example, for in-house training purposes at universities (see Open Educational Materials at the University of Cologne). Only a few elements, such as logos, are excluded from this licensing. The Learning Architecture is accessible on the open learning platform EduLabs at the University of Cologne, with no registration required.
STRUCTURE OF THE LEARNING ARCHITECTURE
The Learning Architecture is divided into two main areas: the training area and the area for Learning Architects.
In the training area, there are 52 online self-learning units available on various aspects of digital higher education teaching. The units are flexible to work through, take between 15 to 60 minutes, and were created using the open-source tool H5P. All materials are available under the CC BY 4.0 license and can be shared, used, and further developed as OER.
An optional digital workbook accompanies the units, providing space for reflection questions and various learning activities. It is available as an interactive PDF document, also under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Users can explore the content through a learning map or access it directly via a keyword-based overview. The learning map assigns the self-learning units to nine thematic fields of digital teaching, introduced through practical storytelling.
The area for Learning Architects offers access to the project experiences of the team that developed the Learning Architecture. Here, you will find templates, concepts, process plans, guidelines, checklists, and workflow processes, all available under the CC BY 4.0 license. Additionally, all 357 CC-licensed graphics used in the Learning Architecture are accessible via Wikimedia Commons. The contents of this area can be explored through five thematic fields or a keyword-based directory.
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEARNING ARCHITECTURE
The Learning Architecture was developed as part of the project “Higher Education Didactics in the Digital Age” (HD@DH.nrw), funded by the Digital University NRW (DH.nrw) from July 2020 to June 2024. The project aimed to provide opportunities for both newcomers to digital teaching and experienced educators to further develop their digital teaching competencies.
Within the project module “Teaching in the Digital Age,” the Learning Architecture was developed by a 13-member, cross-university team in an agile, co-creative process. Special emphasis was placed on regular feedback from experts and users, which significantly influenced the development process. Staff members from the University of Cologne, Malte Kneifel, and Anja Löwe (Vice-Rectorate for Teaching and Studies), were significantly involved in the “Didactic Design in the Digital Space” area, developing self-learning units on constructive alignment. In addition to basic learning content on planning digital learning, the units cover topics such as adaptive learning and the flexibilization and individualization of teaching-learning activities.
The Learning Architecture is not just administered at the Vice-Rectorate for Teaching and Learning at the University of Cologne after the end of the HD@DH.nrw project, but its content is also being further developed – entirely in the spirit of OER, providing a basis for creating new digital learning opportunities. For example, topic-related learning paths are currently being developed, also with recourse to the concept for digital education headed by Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Beatrix Busse. Via these learning paths, interested users will be able to engage in a structured way with online learning units on relevant topics of digital higher education, which are both anchored in the existing learning architecture and newly developed, in order to gain impulses for their digital teaching. Furthermore, they can obtain credentials as digital proof of their acquired competences completing online assessments.
I am thrilled that the learning architecture is being offered and further developed at the University of Cologne. What makes me particularly happy is that users can develop their skills flexibly and according to their interests with the learning units, while also being able to re-use and further develop the materials. In this way, the digital learning materials created in the HD@DH.nrw project can continue to have a lasting impact and, as open educational resources, contribute to an up-to-date, needs-orientated and inclusive digital university teaching.
Prof.‘ Dr.‘ Beatrix Busse, Vice-Rector for Teaching and Studies at the University of Cologne and Chief Development Officer of EuniWell
DISCOVER THE LEARNING ARCHITECTURE!
Are you interested in the Learning Architecture and training opportunities in digital higher education? You may find an idea here that you can integrate into your own teaching. Visit EduLabs and discover the Learning Architecture in the ILIAS learning management system. It is supervised and continuously developed by Malte Kneifel and Anja Löwe. If you have any questions or suggestions, they will be happy to assist you.
Authors: Malte Kneifel & Anja Löwe (University of Cologne, Vice-Rectorate for Teaching and Studies)
“The Learning Architecture by Teaching in the Digital Age at the University of Cologne – Open self-study offers on digital higher education teaching” by Malte Kneifel & Anja Löwe, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
