Abstract:

Future Skills have become a strategic priority in higher education as universities respond to rapid technological and societal transformation. While institutional frameworks increasingly emphasize competencies such as Critical Thinking, Digital Literacy, and AI Competence, the perspectives of students - the primary stakeholders of these developments - remain insufficiently understood.

This exploratory pilot study is based on six undergraduate student-authored concept papers from Business Administration studies at a University of Applied Sciences in Germany, in which learners designed their ideal Future Skills modules. The papers were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to examine how students define relevant competencies, justify their importance, and propose pedagogical approaches. To strengthen the methodological rigor of the study, three professors independently reviewed and evaluated the material, and discussed the interpretation as a form of researcher triangulation.

The student-authored concept papers reveal that students strongly welcomed the opportunity to actively co‑design modules in the curriculum, indicating that participation and shared ownership are perceived as essential components of meaningful learning. They conceptualize Future Skills as interconnected and embedded in authentic, interdisciplinary scenarios rather than as isolated abilities.

The pilot study offers initial evidence of how students expect a redesign of university teaching in the age of AI (e.g. simulations, micro-credentials, Collaborative Online International Learning (COILs)). The results indicate a clear shift away from traditional lecture‑based instruction. Students consistently favor collaborative, problem‑based, and practice‑oriented learning formats supported by contemporary digital and AI‑enhanced tools. A notable finding concerns the role of human–machine interaction in digitized future work environments. Students view AI systems - particularly generative AI - as valuable sparring partners, while simultaneously emphasizing the necessity of critical evaluation and systematic plausibility checks due to incomplete or erroneous AI outputs. At the same time, they repeatedly highlight the importance of distinctly human competencies such as empathy, constructive feedback, and effective teamwork. This dual perspective underscores the growing relevance of AI literacy as both a technical and social competence.

The results can inform the development of Future Skills modules and outline implications for curriculum design, instructional strategies, and future empirical research.

Keywords:

Future Skills, Co‑Creation, Digital Literacy, AI-Competence, Human–Machine Interaction, pedagogical innovation.