Abstract:

The teaching project HIS (Holistic International STEMs – Learning with case studies and real life industry experiences) is presented as part of the poster session.
Experience shows that German (outgoing) and international (incoming) students have difficulties to communicate properly at the workplace in Germany as well as abroad due to language differences, especially in STEM terms. In addition, young professionals often do not have experience in working in international or virtual teams. All those challenges are current job requirements, not just in global companies. But: How to teach this in higher education? The classical formats of lectures or seminars are not suitable. Therefore, there is a need to develop and prove new teaching formats, within the curriculum as well as extracurricular.

With focus on STEM subjects the presented project combines three current impacts on higher education: Internationalization, digitalization, and labor market orientation.
The concept of the project is that STEM students from different countries will attend an international, virtual summer school (April to June 2016). They solve real-life job case studies together in small interdisciplinary teams. The participants are mentored by national and international industry partners and STEM professors. With such, the participants will improve language and communication skills, and apply and exchange their expertise as well as gain intercultural work experience.
The concept was awarded by the “Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft” (Donors' association for the promotion of humanities and sciences in Germany).

The poster introduces the project and exemplary the three-dimensional assignments of one case study (occupational, lingual, and intercultural). At present, the project should be handled as a “project in progress”.

Keywords:

Case studies, e-learning, higher education, STEM, Blended Learning.