Suche
Mein Konto
Future of exams: Digital formats for more equal opportunities!
Scientists at TU Ilmenau are developing digital exam formats to ensure learning success-oriented, data-secure assessments.
Future of exams: Digital formats for more equal opportunities!
The future of examinations at universities is dominated by digitalization. On July 8, 2025, the scientists will report TU Ilmenau about new developments that aim to establish competency-oriented and student-centered examination formats. The students’ experiences flow directly into this project.
An important aspect is the identification of suitable exam scenarios for digital and hybrid exam formats. In order to meet the requirements, technical infrastructure and the equipment of teaching halls are necessary. This includes, among other things, setting up an e-examination lecture hall and workshops for digital production. The online platform FabLab@TU-Ilmenau also offers students the opportunity to make bookings in order to gain practical experience.
Innovations and concrete projects
As part of the examING project, twelve sub-projects have already been developed that pursue innovative approaches to teaching. These include, among others:
- Neue Tools für die Programmierausbildung
- Die Digitalisierung von Luftdruck- und Temperaturmessungen im Physikpraktikum
- Radartechnik als digitaler Zwilling in Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik
Gunther Kreuzberger, sub-project leader, emphasizes how important technological support is for teaching and learning. The focus is on supporting students in their learning and personal development. A central element is the development of an autograder that automatically evaluates programs and provides AI-generated feedback. This tool is used in various engineering courses as well as in business informatics.
Another of Kreuzberger's projects deals with the integration of reflective learning and e-portfolio work into engineering and business learning experiences. These approaches are designed to increase learning success and optimally prepare students for their professional future.
Digital exams as an opportunity
In the context of digital exams, this has changed Project “Designing digital exams to be learning success-oriented, data secure and equitable” proven to be groundbreaking. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, together with the University Network Digitalization of Teaching Baden-Württemberg (HND-BW), has taken advantage of funding from the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft. The interdisciplinary approach aims to find didactic, technical and networked solutions for digital exams.
Advantages of digital exams include flexible, location-independent and barrier-free performance assessments that enable individual feedback. These exam formats show a wide range of possibilities, from proctored exams to open book formats to innovative scenarios such as gamification and research-based learning.
Nevertheless, those involved face a number of challenges. Technical, legal and didactic aspects must be mastered. A central point of the project is the participatory involvement of all stakeholders, including university management, data centers and eLearning services, in order to develop a digital testing competency cluster. Dialogue with politically relevant actors at federal and state levels is seen as essential for the success of the initiative.
In summary, it can be said that the digitalization of examinations not only represents an adaptation to modern forms of teaching and learning, but also offers a fundamental opportunity for the transformation of higher education.