Capacity Building in Higher Education: LLL at Danube University Krems

Exchanging good practice is a basic aspect of the COMPASS project. During the the Study Visit at Danube University Krems, we shared our experiences with 20 rectors, vice-rectors and delegates from the ministry of education in Moldova.

The Study Visit in Krems

Together with the help of my colleagues at the Department for Continuing Education Research and Educational Technology as well as colleagues from other departments and other faculties I have planned and conducted the COMPASS Study Visit for your project partners in Moldova. Rectors and vice-rectors from 10 different Moldovan higher education institutions visited us:

1. Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova
2. Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts
3. State University of Physical education
4. State Pedagogical University
5. Trade Co-operative University of Moldova
6. Comrat State University
7. Cahul State University “B.P. Hasdeu”
8. State Agrarian University of Moldova
9. Technical University of Moldova
10. State University A.Russo from Balti

Furthermore, also the main consultant for policy in higher education as well as the main consultant for lifelong learning at the Moldovan ministry of education visited us. So you see: Many people from different institutions and backgrounds came to visit us. I tried to consider this also while planning the study visit.

Danube University Krems itself is basically a university for lifelong learning. Our students are on average 40 years old and we provide post-graduate courses and study programs. At the study visit we tried to give an insight in our study programs, our target groups/students and our legal basis.

Legislation and Implementation of LLL

The main aim of the study visit was to explain our legal background, based on which we provide post-graduate courses and study programs at Danube University Krems. Furthermore, another aim was to show our guests from Moldova how we organize our programs and which programs we provide in general.

Therefore, I planned the following program for our guests:

Day 1: Welcome and Introduction

Day 1 Program

• Welcome
• Get-To-Know Activity as Ice-Breaker
• Campus Tour
• Funding Principles of Danube University
• Presentation of different Departments and Centres at Danube University to understand what kind of study programs we provide
• Alumni Voices: Alumni shared their experiences about their studies at Danube University, how it impacted their personal and professional lives

Day 2: Legislation and eLearning

Day 2 Program

• Vice Rector Dr. Ratka talked about the legal situation of Danube University and in Austrian Education
• Assoz. Prof. Dr. habil. Attila Pausits, researcher at Danube University Krems as well as AUCEN board member
• Mag. Mag. (FH) Irmgard Fallmann, head of the center for digital teaching and learning talked about eLearning at our university and show us the new Media Lab, which will be officially opened on 4th of June 2019

Day 3: Management and Communication

• Mag. Dr. Hahn, the head of the office for quality management talked about quality of study programs and the curriculum development process as well as the validation of prior learning
• Wolfgang Rauter, MSc. and Mag. Andrea Schlager talked about study program management, communication and marketing.
• Workshop activity: To create personas for LLL study programs!

Here you can look through Andrea’s and Wolfgang’s Prezi:

Reflection and Feedback

I learned a lot during the study visit – about organizing an event like this, about Danube University Krems and about my colleagues. Usually, I work in my department and I do not reach out to colleagues from other faculties too often. This study visit gave me the chance to see how cooperative and nice my colleagues from other faculties are! They happily shared their experiences and took time for our guests. Without them and my colleagues from my deparment, I couldn’t have organized the study visit in this way. Thank you!!

We gave out feedback questionnaires to our guests and most of them seemed to be happy – which also makes me happy 🙂 Here a few nice quotes:

Everything we had discussed here was very interesting and useful. The topics were very well chosen. The speakers were very competent.

Thank you for a great organisation of our study visit at Danube University Krems!

Topics were interesting. Covered a lof of aspects regarding Austrian HEI, LLL legislation and blended learning.

All in all, this was a very positive experience, also if it was sometimes also a bit challenging. I basically organized it within 1 month next to all my other tasks, as the first Meeting in Chisinau was in Mid-March. It was first necessary to understand the needs of my guests before I could plan the study visit. All in all, due to the support of my colleagues and our alumni, it turned out fine 🙂