New Vice Rector of PHKA: Nadine Anskeit starts her term of office!

New Vice Rector of PHKA: Nadine Anskeit starts her term of office!

The Karlsruhe University of Education (PHKA) has appointed a new vice-rector for research: Prof. Dr. Nadine Anskeit will take up her position in October 2025. She follows Prof. Dr. Annette Worth, who did not seek re-election after three terms in office. Anskeit, who is a professor of German language and its didactics, brings extensive experience to the new position as she is also director of the Karlsruhe School of Education and a member of the management team of the Baden-Württemberg Teacher Training Association. As the PHKA reports, she has set clear goals to increase the visibility and appreciation of research at the university.

A central concern of Anskeit is the expansion of the transfer area in order to better integrate research results into school and social practice. She would like to strengthen cooperation within the university and with national and international partners. Prof. Dr. Dorothee Kohl-Dietrich was confirmed in her position as Vice Rector for Studies, Teaching and International Affairs. The PHKA Senate made the choice in June, while Rector Klaus Peter Rippe Prof. Dr. Worth for her nine years of service. The research infrastructure and funding as well as the acquisition of third-party funding were among her most important achievements.

Research focus of Prof. Dr. Nadine Anskeit

Nadine Anskeit's research focuses on writing didactics, digital media in German lessons and language learning in specialist lessons. She is also the spokesperson for the interdisciplinary research and junior college AQUA-d, which deals with the didactics of digital teaching. This college aims to promote the professionalism of teachers in digital teaching and thus increase the quality of education. The findings from the digital educational research indicate that the effectiveness of digital media is of central importance in both school and university teaching.

Research on digital media highlights aspects such as the design and use of AI in teaching as well as the necessary media infrastructure. The investigation of hybrid formats and simulations to increase the attractiveness of teaching at universities is also relevant here. Current models show how teachers and students can be better taken into account in terms of both their needs and their experiences.

Digital media and university development

The advancing digitalization of higher education is increasingly seen as an indispensable part of academic training. In this context, the University Forum for Digitalization is active, which develops strategies for implementing digital teaching formats. The first issue of the “strategy digital” magazine already highlights the role of students in media use and design at universities. The Education server offers comprehensive information about trends in digital higher education and the associated challenges.

Projects like the Hamburg Open Online University (HOOU) show how important the integration of digital technologies into face-to-face teaching is. Here, the practical relevance of research comes to the fore. Initiatives to support humanities and cultural studies scholars with digital resources and methods, such as DARIAH-DE, also contribute to the further development of digitalization.

Overall, the changes in higher education are closely related to developments in digital media use. The challenges and opportunities of digitalization present both teachers and learners with new tasks that need to be mastered.