Since March 2012, I am working at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, teaching and facilitating bachelor and master courses for computer science and business information systems on topics like knowledge management & social collaboration, chatbots and the use of large language models, enterprise social media and user-centered design. I was also active in applied research projects in the Institute for Learning and Innovation in Networks, such as the European FP7 IPs EmployID (as Scientific Coordinator) and Learning Layers.
My current focus is on realizing the potentials of digital learning for achieving deeper and more sustainable learning. Instead of superficial change of medium, I am passionate about understanding and adapting the deeper structures, which involves rethinking teachers’ roles, embracing the agile transformation, and drawing upon the experiences of new forms of collaboration. The approach is built upon blending Learning Experience Design (e.g., Cross Action Spaces) with Unconditional Teaching concepts and User Experience Design, among others, and challenges traditional university structures as well as particularly their mindset.
As a supportive tool, I have created a new learning stack (Learning Companion) as lightweight and scalable alternative to old-style Learning Management Systems. The Companion builds upon a headless CMS, managing the knowledge graph created from the course materials, offers a powerful API and has all the batteries included for creating conversational interfaces (“Chatbot”) based on state of the art LLMs. It offers comprehensive observability, and self-evaluation, for improving the conversational experience.
Background
After completing my studies in computer science at the University of Karlsruhe (Germany), I was working as a researcher at the FZI Research Center for Information Technologies in Karlsruhe. In CoastBase, a European integration project for building a warehouse for coastal data and information, I was responsible for coordinating the technical implementation. Within the project Learning in Process where I was leading the scientific activities, I have developed a competency-oriented methodology for supporting work-integrated learning on demand (for more information see professional-learning.eu) and a technical infrastructure for user context management and context-aware services.
Afterward, I was technical coordinator the project Im Wissensnetz (In the Knowledge Web), which tried to develop the methodology into the direction of more informal learning processes in emerging domains and to incorporate social awareness. Furthermore, I was coordinating FZI’s activities in the EU project (eInclusion call) AGENT-DYSL aiming at an intelligent adaptive reading environment for dyslectic students.
Since spring 2008, I have been scientific coordinator of the FP7 IP MATURE, which builds upon the the knowledge maturing model I have developed as a bridge between e-learning and knowledge management. This is now further developed in the Learning Layers project. And we are offering consulting in various forms to companies as part of the Knowledge Maturing Consulting Network.
Furthermore, I have also been involved in two Ambient-Assisted Living projects:SOPRANO and UniversAAL. In this context, I have co-initiated the open source ambient middleware project openAAL.
Starting September 2005, I was coordinating the team activities of Professor Lockemann as a department manager within the research division Information Process Engineering and I was responsible for the competence area Knowledge and Learning. At the same time, I was an assistant lecturer at the University of Karlsruhe with a lecture on Information Integration and Web Portals.