Organizational Adaptivity in the German Higher Education Context (OrA)
Organizational Adaptivity in the Higher Education Context (OrA) is a cooperation project with the FernUniversität in Hagen (Research Cluster „Digitalization, Diversity and Lifelong Learning – Consequences for Higher Education“ D²L²). The project investigates how institutions and their stakeholders (e.g. leadership, teaching, and administrative staff) implement digital teaching practices and ensure their adaptivity and longevity. The research project is designed to further our understanding of the digitalization of higher education as well as translate research findings into concrete recommendations for higher education practitioners through an Interactive Research Model and Knowledge Transfer Workshops. To this end, the project encompasses three empirical studies with two main topics.
Educational technology
Currently, we are conducting in-depth comparative case studies of higher education institutions which use educational technology to different degrees. Through a mixed-method design, we explore the organizational conditions – e.g. institutional leadership, communication, culture – that hinder and foster the implementation and sustainability of educational technology in different institutional and international settings.
The rapid turn in higher education
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted two empirical studies which examined national and international responses to the rapid digital turn in higher education. In the first study, we analyzed the experiences of instructors, working in various disciplines and German higher education institutions. Through their experiences, we identified commonly occurring as well as specific subject challenges related to online teaching in addition to institutional crisis management responses.
In the second study, we investigated, through the experiences of higher education leaders at universities and intermediaries, how the pandemic created new challenges, sparked innovation and collaborations, as well as exposed new and existing inequalities across diverse higher education institutions and organizations.
Associated Researchers:
- Len Ole Schäfer, Dr.
- Friedrich W. Hesse, Prof. Dr., Dr.
- Uwe Elsholz, Prof. Dr.
- Elisabeth Mayweg, Prof. Dr.
- Tiana Tschache
| Duration | 04/2020 – 03/2023 |
Melissa Laufer, Dr.
Benedikt Fecher, Dr.
Benedikt Fecher, Dr.Head of Research Programme: Knowledge & Society
Bronwen DeaconResearcher and project manager: Knowledge & Society
Melissa Laufer, Dr.Researcher: Knowledge & Society
Moritz TimmResearcher & Project Coordinator
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Paola Perrin de BrichambautFormer Student Assistant: Knowledge & Society
Journal articles and conference proceedings
Laufer, M., Leiser, A., Deacon, B., Perrin de Brichambaut, P., Fecher, B., Kobsoda, C., & Hesse, F. (2021). Digital higher education: A divider or bridge builder? Leadership perspectives on EdTech in a COVID-19 reality. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(51). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239‐021‐00287‐6 Publication details
Elsholz, U., Fecher, B., Deacon, B., Schäfer, L.O., & Laufer, M. (2021). Implikationen der Covid-19-Pandemie für digitale Lehre: Organisierte Freiheit als Veränderungsparadigma. MedienPädagogik: Zeitschrift für Theorie Und Praxis Der Medienbildung, 40(CoViD-19), 472-86. DOI: 10.21240/mpaed/40/2021.11.29.X Publication details
Book contributions and chapters
Schütz, J., Rosenkranz, L., Deacon, B. & Elsholz, U. (2022). Never walk alone. Über das Verhältnis pädagogischer Professionalität und organisationaler Bedingungen an Hochschulen in Zeiten der Pandemie. In H. Angenent, J. Petri, & T. Zimenkova (Eds.), Hochschulen in der Pandemie: Impulse für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung von Studium und Lehre, In press. Bielefeld: transcript. Publication details
Other publications
Deacon, B. & Leiser, A. (2022). INEQUALITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD) BLOG. Publication details
Deacon, B., Laufer, M. & Sokolovska, N. (2022). Sharing knowledge: Impact of Covid-19 on digital teaching. Digital society blog. Publication details
Deacon, B., & Timm, M. (2021). Possibilities for change – higher education and digitalisation. Elephant in the Lab. Publication details
Custer, S., Deacon, B., Herckis, L., Hesse, F. W., Hörig, M., Kercher, J., Knoth, A., Knüttgen, N., Kobsda, C., Leiser, A., Meyer-Guckel, V., Ndemo, B., Saxberg, B., Vignare, K. , & Willems, D. (2021). Global Learning Council (2021). Digital Transformation of Higher Education—Global Learning Report. SSOR. Publication details
Deacon, B. & Laufer, M. (2020). The rapid digital turn: How are universities faring? Digital Society Blog. Publication details
Lectures and presentations
Qualität in der digitalen Lehre – Eine Untersuchung von EinflussfaktorenTagung der Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung 2021. Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung. Online, Siegen, Germany: 16.09.2021 Further information
Moritz Timm, Bronwen Deacon, Melissa Laufer, Len Ole Schäfer
Enge und lose Kopplungen in der Hochschule – Die COVID-19 Pandemie und digitale LehreSoziologische Betrachtungen zur Digitalisierung der Lehre (in der COVID-19-Pandemie). DIPF | Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsinformation. Online, Frankfurt am Main, Germany: 10.09.2021 Further information
Bronwen Deacon, Len Ole Schäfer, Moritz Timm, Melissa Laufer
The Rapid Digital Turn: An Exploration into the Tight and Loose Coupling of University Structures [paper presentation]43rd Annual EAIR Forum 2021: Transformation Fast and Slow: Quality, Trust and Digitalisation in Higher Education.. Humboldt University of Berlin. Online, Berlin, Germany: 10.09.2021 Further information
Bronwen Deacon, Len Ole Schäfer & Melissa Laufer
The rapid digital turn – an exploration into the tight and loose coupling of university structuresUnderstanding Digital Transformations of Higher Education Teaching and Learning in the Nordics and Beyond.. Agder (Norway), Aarhus (Denmark) and KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden). Online, Online, Norway, Denmark, Sweden: 30.03.2021 Further information
Bronwen Deacon, Len Ole Schäfer, Melissa Laufer
Re-imagining higher education: Shifting gears and shifting visionsUNIVERSITY:FUTURE FESTIVAL - LEARNING, SYSTEMS AND THE NEW NORMAL. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung. Online, Berlin, Germany: 08.10.2020 Further information
Anne Leiser, Melissa Laufer, Bronwen Deacon, Christian Kobsda
Lehren in der Krise, Lernen aus der Krise? Erfolg & Verstetigung digitaler Lehr- und LerninnovationenUNIVERSITY:FUTURE FESTIVAL - LEARNING, SYSTEMS AND THE NEW NORMAL. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung. Online, Berlin, Germany: 07.10.2020 Further information
Melissa Laufer, Bronwen Deacon, Len Ole Schäfer
Panels
Inequalities in higher education – A global perspectiveUniversity:Future Festival 2021 - Open for Discussion. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung. Online, Berlin, Germany: 03.11.2021 Further information
Anne Leiser, Bronwen Deacon, Pam Fredman, Amy Ogan, Barbara Moser-Mercer, Jeff Grabill
Digital higher education – A divider or bridge builder? Leadership perspectives on digital learning for collaborationCHER 33rd Annual Conference Promoting Closer Relations and Scholarly Dialogues Between European and Asian Higher Education Researchers. University of Hong Kong; CHER Board of Governors. Online, Hong Kong, HKSAR: 01.09.2021 Further information
Bronwen Deacon, Anne Leiser, Erle Lim Chuen Hian & Ilka Parchmann
Organisation of events
The Rapid Digital Turn: An Exploration into the Tight and Loose Coupling of University StructuresUnderstanding Digital Transformations of Higher Education Teaching and Learning in the Nordics and Beyond. From 30.03.2021 to 31.07.2021. Online, Online, Online. Co-Organised by: Universities of Agder (Norway) Aarhus (Denmark) and KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden) (International) Further information
Melissa Laufer, Bronwen Deacon