By Dr Prue Goredema

 

Around 230 delegates convened at the FernUniversität in Hagen’s main campus from 8 -10 October for the annual conference of the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU).    Speaking at the conference opening, FernUni Rector Prof Stefan Stümer affirmed the conference theme: “Rethinking Higher Education: Engage, Adapt, Include,” reminding attendees that making higher learning accessible to all is a “social imperative”.

The role of the university is resolutely as a place of higher learning and research, yet rapid and resounding changes in society necessitate a rethinking of how these noble responsibilities might best be handled. Invoking Lampedusa’s novel The Leopard — ‘we must change in order to stay the same’ — Prof Stümer drew a round of applause at the conference closing where ‘The Message of Hagen’ was declared.

Showcasing the successes of the academic competence development team of studyFIT in the Centre for Learning and Innovation (ZLI) were Coordinator Dr André Biederbeck, Dr Moritz Kohls our Data Literacy and AI expert and yours truly, Dr Prue Goredema, Project Manager of English Learning Support.  The former jointly gave a presentation entitled “Equipping lifelong learners with AI-driven study skills” whilst my own talk was entitled “Code words: Cracking the lexical secrets of Maths and Computer Science.”

The three-day programme featured diverse contributions from scholars from disparate disciplines representing around 30 different countries, many of them members of EADTU and most from European institutions, though several delegations had made the trans-Atlantic journey to be amongst Europe’s distance teaching movers and shakers.  Dr Bryan McGeary and Christina Riehman-Murphy from Penn State University, USA, gave a presentation entitled “Shared Labor, Shared Learning: A Collaborative Model for Inclusive and Equity-Centered OER Development” which was well-received.

In light of the disruption wrought by generative AI, there was no shortage of presentations and workshops on various aspects of learning, teaching and collaborating in the age of AI.

Michael Stephan of the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA) hosted a workshop entitled “Developing quality assurance standards in blended and online education”.  “We need to keep anticipating how AI might change how we approach education,” he opined.  “When it comes to higher ed, ‘Business as usual’ is a saying of the past,” he added.

A further positive take on the role of AI was offered by Mélanie Bonvin of UniDistance Suisse.  She shared insights on rethinking students’ learning practices, based on a project being undertaken alongside Cadi Ayyad University (Morocco).  Representing the ADMIT project, Dr Virpi Uotinen of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland shared some preliminary findings on the adoption of large language models in higher education.

The conference also afforded the OpenEU alliance the platform to publicise its ongoing successes.  Facilitated by a €14.4 million grant from the European Commission, the alliance aims to transform digital education continent wide, bolstering collaboration and supporting the drive towards micro-credentials and dynamic course structures – directions that aim to promote lifelong learning whilst enhancing employability – both areas of great import for students across the continent.  FernUni Hagen’s OpenEU Project Manager Sebastian Lauritz had much on his plate before and during the conference.

“The EADTU conference is an opportunity for some of the stakeholders to meet in person and make further headway as we craft a way forward for the alliance,” Lauritz said at the Wednesday evening shindig that was generously hosted by the City of Hagen.

No expense had been spared.  Buses shuttled delegates from campus to the Theatre; a lavish spread awaited, and the white wine flowed as freely as the conversation.  Deputy Mayor Martina Soddemann welcomed attendees to the Stadt der FernUniversität, and delegates also heard some student voices – creatively piped through the overhead speakers – sharing their perspectives on the concerns and opportunities of open and distance learning.

Perhaps the only downside to the conference was that with such a packed programme and so many experts brushing shoulders, many a conversation was cut short as participants raced off to secure a seat at the many alluring talks, workshops and panel discussions.  With new contacts made and old ones revived, moving forward there will no doubt be many more conversations about further strengthening our alliances as we brave the brave new world, so that the discourse from Hagen will come to fruition.

Conference organiser Stefan Meuleman of the EADTU head office in Maastricht was pleased to see that the annual gathering had been met with much positive feedback from attendees.  Aside from the intellectual and practical insights shared, the seamless running of everything from IT to catering made for a smooth operation for which all those involved must take a bow.  “The FernUniversität in Hagen is to be commended for hosting such a successful event,” Meuleman beamed as those delegates not racing off to Duesseldorf Airport helped themselves to the cocktail burgers and finger food spread on Friday afternoon.

Founded in 1987, EADTU “currently has “28 members, among them 11 open, online and distance teaching universities, 14 [national university associations] and single universities and 3 associated members). In total EADTU represents over 150 European universities and 3 million students.”  Continuous staff development and collaboration in research, teaching and innovation are just a few of the mandates of EADTU.  The conference is an annual highlight in a burgeoning array of activities and initiatives that ultimately serve staff, students and other societal stakeholders.

For those of us based in Hagen, the 2026 EADTU conference will entail a quick cross border trip, for the conference will take place in The Hague.  If it is anything like the smorgasbord of academic delights served up in Hagen, prospective participants have much to look forward to.