Shaping international digital teaching

International digital teaching describes courses in which students and lecturers work together across institutional and national borders. This includes both fully online courses and formats in which face-to-face phases are combined with digital learning and exchange opportunities.

Digital formats allow courses to be opened up to external students, cross-location teaching collaborations to be implemented and international perspectives to be integrated into teaching without the need for physical mobility for all participants.

Advantages of international digital teaching

International digital teaching creates added value on several levels: It increases the reach and visibility of your courses, enables flexible participation options and opens up new scope for intercultural professional exchange. At the same time, it supports the internationalization of curricula and offers students low-threshold alternatives or supplements to traditional stays abroad.

Advantages at a glance

Contact persons at the ZML
Judith Borel (Eucor)
Phone: +49 721-608-48205
E-mail: judith.borel∂kit.edu

Dr. Carolin Henken (E-Learning Services)
Phone: +49 721-608-48204
E-mail: carolin.henken∂kit.edu

For teachers
  • Increased reach and visibility
  • More flexible organization of teaching
  • Cooperation with international partners
For students
  • Extended course selection and specialization options
  • Increased accessibility and flexibility
  • Promotion of intercultural and digital skills


Formats and possibilities

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Online event

Online courses are held completely digitally via video conferencing systems. Students take part from different locations. The format enables a high level of reach and accessibility as well as spatial flexibility.

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Hybrid event

In hybrid courses, students take part both on site and online at the same time. The format allows students to choose between on-site and online participation and thus offers a high degree of flexibility in terms of location.

More Information
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Blended learning event

Blended learning events combine synchronous and asynchronous learning phases with online and face-to-face formats. The format offers flexible participation options and a high degree of creative freedom, especially for project and collaboration-oriented scenarios.

More Information

Making courses accessible to international students

If you would like to make your course accessible to international students, there are various options available to you depending on the initial format and objectives.

Increase the visibility of existing courses for international students
You can increase the visibility of existing courses for international students by making them accessible to partner universities in ILIAS. The respective partner universities or networks can be selected under "Course release" in the course settings. The course will then appear in the linked course directories of the cooperation partners.
Improve accessibility for international students through didactic and organizational adaptation
International courses often pose additional challenges: different prior knowledge and study backgrounds, language barriers and different semester and examination times can make it difficult for international students to attend and actively participate. However, these hurdles can be reduced by making minor didactic and organizational adjustments so that the potential of international and intercultural exchange can be used in a targeted manner in the course.
Different approaches are possible depending on the initial format and target group:
 
  • Hybrid teaching format: the course or selected sessions are delivered in a hybrid format so that students can participate on site and online at the same time. This facilitates remote participation without sacrificing live interaction and access to site-specific infrastructures
  • Blended learning format: Online self-study phases and synchronous face-to-face or online sessions are combined to make participation flexible and to make greater use of contact times for exchange and collaboration.
  • Lecture recording: Lecture recording in the lecture hall or via ZOOM offers international students the opportunity to rework content at a later date, for example in the event of schedule conflicts due to different semester times. Recordings also make it easier to repeat complex content and can be used and reused by teachers as the basis for inverted classroom formats
  • Translation tools: Various options for automated simultaneous translation are available at KIT. These can be used in courses to reduce language barriers through subtitles and transcriptions. Furthermore, AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot or the AI Toolbox can be used to translate materials.
  • Online learning modules: Online learning modules allow students to work on content at their own pace, regardless of location and time. They are particularly suitable for preparing for or following up on courses, for example to compensate for different levels of prior knowledge and to make greater use of synchronous sessions for exchange and collaboration.
Realizing cross-location teaching collaborations
In addition to smaller adjustments, it is also possible to plan and run courses together with lecturers at partner universities. In such cross-location teaching collaborations, lecturers from different universities develop a joint course in which students from all participating locations take part. Teaching cooperations make it possible to pool complementary specialist expertise and systematically incorporate different perspectives from international learning groups.
Teaching cooperations can be implemented in various formats, for example in the form of a digital lecture series, a blended learning scenario with location-based attendance phases or a cooperatively developed online learning module.

Advice and support

If you have an idea for an international digital course or would like to further develop an existing format, we will be happy to advise you. We support you in the selection of suitable formats, didactic design and questions relating to technical implementation.

International alliances and networking opportunities

Eucor - The European Campus
Eucor is an association of the universities of Basel, Freiburg, Haute-Alsace, Strasbourg and the KIT. The aim of the alliance is to create a common scientific area with international appeal in the Upper Rhine region. A particular focus is on the promotion of cross-border mobility and joint courses. The ZML supports these goals with an individual advisory service for lecturers on suitable formats, didactic design options and assistance with the implementation of cross-location teaching collaborations.
EPICUR
EPICUR - European Partnership for an Innovative Campus Unifying Regions - is a European university alliance in which nine universities are working together to create an innovative European higher education area. The focus is on virtual mobility, a joint virtual campus and innovative, interdisciplinary courses. Lecturers can open their courses to students from all partner universities via the virtual campus and participate in joint teaching formats. The ZML supports lecturers with an individual advisory service and contributes its media didactic expertise to the activities of the EPICUR Teaching and Learning Center (TLC). The TLC offers teachers inspiration, networking opportunities and practical support for the design of international teaching and learning programs through a wide range of exchange and workshop formats.