How the Pandemic Transformed Higher Education in Germany's Health Professions
Survey Period: June-August 2020
Participants: 100 educators
Institutions: 75% Universities, 25% Universities of Applied Sciences
Main Challenge: Digital infrastructure
The COVID-19 pandemic presented Germany's universities with an unprecedented challenge: overnight, all teaching had to be digitized. Health professions—Public Health, Medicine, and Nursing—were particularly affected, as their education traditionally relies heavily on practical experience and personal interaction 1 .
A unique survey of educators provides insights into the turbulent first months of "Emergency Remote Teaching." The results show not only the enormous hurdles but also unexpected opportunities for the future of higher education 1 .
Researchers designed an online survey distributed through professional societies, reaching educators in Public Health, Medicine, and Nursing 1 .
"The evaluation of the survey showed a clear picture: Presentation tools ranked first, followed by learning management systems, video offerings, and digital texts." 1 6
While 53% of respondents confirmed creating teaching videos, polling tools were unknown to over half of the educators 1 .
The discrepancy between the use of simple presentation tools and the unknown or unused interactive options suggests that digitization was initially used as a pure transmission medium, less for redesigning teaching 1 .
These challenges show that the ad-hoc digitization required not only a technical but above all a didactic and organizational transformation—for which most institutions were unprepared 1 6 .
To address the challenges of digital teaching, educators used various tools. The following table provides an overview of the most important categories and their functions:
| Tool Category | Examples | Function in Teaching |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation Tools | PowerPoint, Prezi | Visual support, knowledge transfer |
| Learning Management Systems | Moodle, ILIAS | Course organization, material provision |
| Video Conferencing Tools | Zoom, BigBlueButton | Synchronous communication, virtual seminars |
| Teaching Videos | Explanatory videos, recordings | Asynchronous knowledge transfer, visualization |
| Polling Tools | Mentimeter, Kahoot | Interactivity, knowledge assessment, activation |
| Simulations | Virtual patients | Practice-oriented training, clinical decision-making |
The study shows a clear pattern: New technologies were primarily used for knowledge acquisition and knowledge transfer, rarely however for activating students or designing collaborative teaching and learning arrangements 1 6 .
This observation corresponds to the international phenomenon referred to in the literature as "Emergency Remote Teaching"—thus not a well-thought-out digital learning concept, but an emergency measure 1 . The lack of didactic support and lack of experience of teaching staff with digital teaching formats proved to be significant brakes on a more innovative design of teaching 1 .
In international comparison, it is shown that for example in Norway, the integration of small learning groups and strategic pedagogical support could increase the effectiveness of e-learning in nursing education 2 . This underscores the importance of didactic concepts beyond pure technology.
The examination of digital university teaching in the first COVID-19 semester provides valuable insights for the future of teaching in the health professions. It shows that the pure transfer of traditional teaching formats into digital spaces is not enough to exploit the full potential of digital teaching.
Enhancing skills of both educators and learners
Willingness to co-create a new educational environment
Improving institutional support at universities
The pandemic has irrevocably advanced the digitization of university teaching. The task now is to learn from the experiences made and develop a digital teaching culture that not only conveys knowledge but places collaboration, individualization, and activation of students at the center.