Integration of Digitalization-related Competencies in Higher Education Teaching

A Procedure for Long-term Change Using the Example of Pre-service Biology Teacher Training at Leipzig University

Abstract

In order to use digital media in subject lessons, (prospective) teachers must acquire digitization-related competencies as part of their teacher training. Although various models describe such competencies, their integration into university curricula has been a challenge. In order to sustainably change university teacher training in a corresponding way, an approach is needed that does not merely transfer “top-down” change management approaches to universities, but takes their organizational characteristics seriously and involves relevant actors in the sense of a “bottom-up” process. Such an approach to changing university courses (by integrating digitization-related competencies) was sought in the “BiodigitaliS” project. This was done with reference to the model of pedagogical university development and using the “DiKoLAN” competence framework. The conception of the procedure as well as the results of its implementation at Leipzig University are described in this article. Considering the local contextual conditions (structure and organization of the courses offered, students’ prerequisites and needs) and strongly involving the educators, it was possible to integrate digitization-related competencies more comprehensively, specifically and systematically into the objectives of biology didactics courses. With these training objectives, the procedure provides a basis for designing and evaluating university teaching to promote digitization-related competencies. Based on these results, the article presents a procedure for integrating digitization-related competencies into the educational goals of university teaching (IKAL procedure) and discusses it on the basis of guidelines for sustainable changes in university teaching. Finally, an outlook is given on the transferability of the procedure to other areas of university teaching.