The Digital Learning Lab at Hof University | Case study
by Dominik Roennekearticle from the archives of
The university in Hof has perfected media technology in one of its seminar rooms, making it suitable for students’ intensive group work. The implemented solution is based on the vSolution Cynap and the vSolution Matrix from Wolfvision. How did you move away from “frontal exposure” to this collaborative environment?
Our goal was to create a room that deviates from the standard, i.e. without ‘frontal radiation’, as we know it from normal seminar rooms. It should be something unusual for project work, group work and maybe even a presentation.” André Rister (digitalization of teaching (dal), technology coordinator) sums up the goal and implementation. As soon as you enter, you notice that a lot of things are different here than usual. Where the use of media in “normal” seminar rooms at colleges and universities is limited to a central display or a projection, perhaps supplemented by a digital whiteboard, in the “Digital Learning Lab” there are four work islands in addition to a double projection and four large displays the students.
Presentation content and work results are visualized for all seminar participants via a double projection. (Image: Michael von Aichberger)
Incidentally, the room also appears to be something special in terms of its furnishings: it not only has a stand and a video recording area with a green screen background and video lighting, but also very individual furniture for the students.
André Rister (digitalization of teaching (dal), technology coordinator) (Image: Michael von Aichberger)
In 2019, consideration began on the media technology setup of the future Digital Learning Lab. “We started looking around and finding out about suitable solutions. “We visited Learntec in Karlsruhe, among other things,” explains André Rister. “The seminar room should be flexible in use, both in terms of technology and furniture.” In the same year, he and his colleagues came into contact with Wolfvision. “We were amazed at how easy the whole thing was to use and how few hurdles there were. And we thought the solution would fit the space perfectly.”
The next step was to consider “how best to set this up”. It quickly became clear that some kind of “main station” would be necessary. This should be combined with four “project islands” for the students. Two of the islands should have a fixed location along the wall of the room, and two more should be positioned flexibly on the window side of the room. This is in view of the fact that there should also be a seating area on the window side so that a certain number of people can take part in presentation situations. For these scenarios, two of the project islands were designed to be spatially flexible. Of course, when planning, collaborative work was at the forefront of the vision: Students, divided into small groups, work on the individual displays and connect to their private devices. It doesn’t matter whether tablets or notebooks are used. In the teaching situation, it is possible at any time for the teacher to visualize the common content of each group via the projection for everyone present. All display content can also be visible via the projection at the same time. Annotations and graphic elements can be added simultaneously.
The implementation was made possible with the help of the vSolution Matrix from Wolfvision. It is an AV-over-IP-based collaboration solution that allows audio and video content to be streamed over the network. Multiple Cynap and Cynap Core Pro systems are connected to each other via the network. One of them is activated as a central system in the room.
Students can dial in using their digital devices. With Wolfvision vSolution Cynap and vSolution Matrix, media collaboration within the working groups or the sharing of content, controlled by the teacher, is fully organized for all seminar participants. (Image: Michael von Aichberger)
It is certainly no coincidence that the event directory for the collaborative space focuses on marketing, digital marketing or courses on project management or logistics. There are many possibilities for a collaborative work structure.
In the Digital Learning Lab, teaching is all about group work. (Image: Michael von Aichberger)
“We called this seminar room a ‘Digital Learning Lab’. And it should be used as such, it is a laboratory. Not everyone has access,” explains André Rister. The prerequisite for using the lab is that an introduction to the media functionalities must have taken place. “It doesn’t make sense for someone to use a space like that and fend for themselves and end up struggling with the technology, even though it might be quite easy.”
Nevertheless, it differs how deeply and to what extent the media system should be used. Some teachers only use the presentation functions on the individual displays. Others delve much deeper into the possibilities. It depends on the personal preferences of the lecturers.
According to André Rister, the basic functions are easy to master and easy to use, but the system can offer a lot. What is important, however, is the teacher’s own approach, the didactics pursued in combination with the technical affinity. If the teacher knows what he wants to teach and how, specific instructions from the Digitalization of Teaching department are easily possible.
Office products are often used in the Digital Learning Lab. The Miro whiteboard is also popular, including tools for computer scientists such as “Visual Studio Code”. The students get involved with their digital devices. The relevant data is either on the local devices or in the shared “Nextcloud”. Here folders are created and shared with each other and shared via the whiteboard.
According to André Rister, it should be consciously avoided that e.g. For example, due to a lack of space, “all possible courses can fit in there”. Only those events should take place in the lab where the media collaborative tools are actually used.
The Digital Learning Lab project was implemented in-house at Hof University. In addition to the central IT, the university also has the media technology and “digitalization of teaching” departments, in which André Rister works.
Each project island is connected to the network for collaboration in the seminar room via Wolfvision Cynap Core. (Image: Michael von Aichberger)
With these skills, the project’s areas of responsibility could be covered and Wolfvision’s “AV over IP” matrix and media technology could be integrated. The network connection of the stations required special attention: Originally, the mobile project islands were supposed to be connected via WLAN. However, since LAN connections turned out to be more reliable, a suitable cable solution had to be found: “I found exactly one company that could supply us with network cables as spiral cables for connection to the ceiling rail system in the room,” sums up André Rister.
The lecturer’s desk is the “control center” for the lecturers. The work process is controlled intuitively and easily via the interactive display. (Image: Michael von Aichberger)
From his point of view, the Digital Learning Lab is a perfect success because the technology and furniture are coordinated with one another in a flexible and flexible manner. Looking back, he is very satisfied because the Digital Learning Lab has been well received: “… by both the students and the teachers.”
Teaching and research at Hof University are based on the pillars of practical orientation, internationalization and intelligent use of resources. In the area of internationalization, the university places further emphasis on India; with regard to the topic of intelligent use of resources, the focus is on water and energy efficiency.
Hof University: “The most popular university in Germany” (Image: Hof University)
The broad and interdisciplinary range of courses ranges from economics to interdisciplinary and innovative sciences to computer science and engineering.
The Hof University of Applied Sciences is the most popular university in Germany and received the best grades for its teaching. This emerges from the recently published ranking of the renowned Internet portal Studycheck.de. In a nationwide comparison of a total of 512 universities, the Upper Franconian educational institution with its locations in Hof, Münchberg, Kronach and Selb achieved the best rating from current and former students.
In addition, a “digital readiness” ranking was published for the first time in 2023, which records the level of digitalization. The Upper Franconian university achieved second place among all German colleges and universities and is therefore also number 1 within Bavaria. The survey was based on almost 62,000 reviews from current and former students at German colleges and universities.
Can students also complete their studies digitally? How easy are professors and lecturers to reach online? And is the learning material also available online? The StudyCheck Digital Readiness Ranking provides insight into students’ satisfaction with the digitalization of their educational institution. Hof University of Applied Sciences received 337 ratings in this category and achieved an overall value of 4.37 out of 5. This meant that Hof University of Applied Sciences also received the “We are digital” seal, which was only awarded to 44 of over 500 German colleges and universities.
Hof University of Applied Sciences was also named “Most Popular University in Germany 2023” in an overall ranking by the portal.
