Kick-off Workshop of the DZdA Project – German Center for Digital Tasks in Higher Education Teaching

5 November 2025

Kick-off Workshop of the DZdA Project – German Center for Digital Tasks in Higher Education Teaching

The kick-off workshop of the project German Center for Digital Tasks in Higher Education Teaching (DZdA) took place on 31.11 and 01.11 as a two-day intense event with all nine project partners from universities across Germany. The host was OTH Amberg-Weiden, which, together with the strategic consulting firm pictomind GmbH, facilitated the event. The goal of the workshop was to establish a shared understanding of the project, define strategic objectives, and lay the foundation for successful collaboration.

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Day 1 – Development of the Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

The first day focused on developing the Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Through joint brainstorming sessions and intensive discussions, participants worked out:

  • the core goals of their respective project contributions (“What”),
  • the approaches and measures to achieve these goals (“How”),
  • as well as the connections between tasks, goals, and measurable results (“Convergence”).

This day served to build a shared understanding of the project’s strategic direction and create a clear basis for further collaboration.

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Day 2 – Finalization of the Key Results and Clarification of Dependencies

The second day centered on aligning the Key Results and identifying dependencies among the partner institutions. The focus included:

  • mapping and discussing overlaps and dependencies,
  • clarifying roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities,
  • as well as developing a concrete timeline and a 100-day action plan for the start of the project.

By the end of the workshop, all partners were aligned on their respective contributions, responsibilities, and shared goals—and committed to implementing them together.

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Results of the Workshop

According to the agenda of OTH Amberg-Weiden and pictomind GmbH, the following key results were achieved:

  • Strategic Alignment: Up to five core objectives were defined and refined for each of the nine participating organizational units.
  • Measurability: Each objective was assigned up to three concrete Key Results to make progress measurable.
  • Structure & Roles: Project governance as well as key roles and responsibilities were established, and dependencies between partners were identified.
  • Collaboration: A unified meeting structure and communication channels were defined. In addition, the central tool for OKR tracking was introduced and confirmed.

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Contribution of Our Research Group

Within the DZdA project, our research group will drive the development of AI-supported teaching and learning tools. A special focus will be on developing intelligent tutor chatbots that will provide long-term support for instructors and students and elevate teaching and learning to a new level.

Furthermore, our group will provide the project partners with AI-based solutions and bots to address their specific needs in higher education teaching—for example, by supporting digital task creation, feedback processes, or individual learning guidance.

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