Today we are seeing a new form of blended learning: not only is technology enhancing the learning environment but formal and informal learning are combining and there is self- and peer-assessment of results. Open learning cultures are challenging the old and long-practiced methods used by educators and transforming learning into a more student-driven and independent activity , which uses online tools such as blogs, wikis or podcasts to connect resources, students and teachers in a novel way. While in higher education institutions most assessments are still tied to formal learning scenarios, teachers are more and more bound to recognize their students’ informal learning processes and networks. This book will help teachers, lecturers and students to better understand how open learning landscapes work, how to define quality and create assessments in such environments, and how to apply these new measures. To this end, Ehlers first elaborates the technological background for more collaborative, distributed, informal, and self-guided learning. He covers the rise of social media for learning and shows how an architecture of participation can change learning activities. These new paradigms are then applied to learning and education to outline what open learning landscapes look like. Here he highlights the shift from knowledge transfer to competence development, the increase in lifelong learning, and the importance of informal learning, user generated content, and open educational resources. He then shows how to manage quality by presenting a step by step guide to developing customized quality concepts for open learning landscapes. Finally, several methods dealing with assessment in these new environments are presented, including guidelines, templates and use cases to exemplify the approaches. Overall, Ehlers argues for assessment as an integral part of learning processes, with quality assurance as a method of stimulating a quality culture and continuous quality development rather than as a simple controlling exercise.

The starting point for the enormous career of the Future Skills concept is the insight that current concepts of higher education do not meet the urgent needs of our societies with convincing future concepts. Neither are they fit to help sustain our environment nor associated social or economic challenges. While social challenges are exacerbated by an accelerating process of globalisation and digital advancement, at the same time these are the very forces that enable a multitude of new options for human development. In this situation of digital acceleration, the characteristic feature is that of uncertainty and the inevitable necessity is that of creative responsibility. The NextSkills Studies are about models for future relevant skills, so-called Future Skills. They are developed through a multitude of research activities over the last decade, involving a diverse range of international experts. Future Skills are the skills that enable future graduates to master the challenges of the future in the best possible way. The results show that in order to deal with future challenges, students must develop curiosity, imagination, vision, resilience and self-confidence, as well as the ability to act in a self-organised way. They must be able to understand and respect the ideas, perspectives and values of others, and they must be able to deal with mistakes and regressions, while at the same time progressing with care, even against difficulties.

Quality and standardisation in e-learning have become crucial success factors for organisations in learning, education and training: E-Learning has changed from an ‘early adopter’ stage to an integrated part of learning scenarios leading to major changes in educational organisations towards quality orientation. For building a knowledge society, it is critically important to thoroughly understand quality and standards in e-learning. The handbook provides a cross-national perspective on these issues and draws a clear picture of the situation in quality development and standardisation. It covers topics of a rather foundational nature in quality and standardisation research as well as descriptions of quality approaches, instruments, standards, experiences and best practices. The Handbook is directed to learners, professionals, researchers and policy makers – people creating the next generation of learning.

The findings show that European e-learning stakeholders attach considerable importance to quality but that there are still obstacles that need to be overcome before direct improvement in the quality of education can be made. The survey also analyses the current situation in relation to the development of quality: knowledge, experiences and the capacity to deal creatively with quality approaches. The concept of quality competence is introduced and is empirically contextualised.

For building a knowledge society, it is critically important to thoroughly understand quality and standards in e-learning. The handbook provides a cross-national perspective on these issues and draws a clear picture of the situation in quality development and standardization. It gives a concise overview on the field of quality research which can be used for teaching purposes and contains examples of quality and standards and practice.

Dieses Open Access-Buch analysiert veränderte Grundkoordinaten der Hochschulbildung weltweit und stellt die Frage, wie Hochschulbildung sich entwickeln muss, um in einer Welt globaler Herausforderungen, sich immer schneller wandelnden gesellschaftlichen Umbrüchen und innovationsgetriebenen, agilen Arbeitsfeldern bestehen können. Mit der NextSkills-Studie wird über ein qualitativ-quantitatives Multimethodendesign erstmals ein ganzheitliches bildungswissenschaftlich fundiertes Future Skills Konzept konstruiert und validiert. Future Skills und das ihnen zugrunde liegende Triple Helix Model zukünftiger Handlungsfähigkeit werden im Detail beschrieben. Das Buch führt die Diskussionsstränge um die Zukunft der Hochschule zusammen. Es beschreibt die 10 Sekunden zukünftiger Hochschulentwicklung und entwickelt vier Szenarien für die Hochschule der Zukunft.

Was macht E-Learning erfolgreich? In der Qualitätsentwicklung im E-Learning ist es mittlerweile unstrittig, dass dem Lernenden, seinen Präferenzen und Anforderungen eine herausragende Stellung eingeräumt werden muss. In diesem Band wird erstmals ein empirisches Modell individueller Lernerpräferenzen vorgestellt. Es wird gezeigt, welche Faktoren für Lernende beim E-Learning von Bedeutung sind. Die Basis hierfür bilden Daten aus qualitativen Interviews und der bislang größten Onlinebefragung zum Thema, in der über 2000 Lernende zu ihren Präferenzen, Kompetenzen und Einstellungen in Bezug auf Lernsysteme befragt wurden.

In der Qualitätsentwicklung im E-Learning ist mittlerweile unstrittig, dass dem Lernenden, seinen Präferenzen und Anforderungen eine herausragende Stellung eingeräumt werden muss. Mit der vorliegenden Studie wird erstmals ein empirisches Modell individueller Lernerpräferenzen vorgestellt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen detailliert auf, welche Faktoren für Lernende beim E-Learning Relevanz besitzen.

Various challenges for Germany as a business location were already emerging even before the pandemic, and some of them are now becoming even more acute. Experts have confirmed that the country has tremendous deficiencies in digitalization. The environment and climate change require immense efforts. Globalization is intensifying competition and demanding more agile companies and much greater dynamism in business start-ups. The ?new normal= needs to be established in working life. Regulatory changes are also indispensable, but they usually become matters of controversy and are only being implemented tentatively. Alongside scientists and politicians, representatives of the business community in particular have their say in this volume on the topic of Germany as a business location. All of the authors carry out trenchant stocktaking on their respective topics and present clear and practical options for action.