From virtual learning assistants and image generators to adaptive learning platforms: Artificial intelligence (AI) is finding its way into professors. It opens up previously unimagined possibilities, but also brings with it new challenges and tasks for lecturers and institutions of higher education. The online conference "HAWAII" on AI in Studying and teaching, initiated by the 24 Universities of Applied Sciences in Baden-Württemberg(HAW BW), was also held in this area of tension. The event (which attracted over 1,500 participants) was co-organized by Dr. Martin Franzen, who promotes innovative teaching and learning concepts as Digital Learning Manager at Aalen University of Applied Sciences.
"A new cultural technique that needs to be learned."
"The rapid development of generative AI is also shaking up professors," says Dr. Martin Franzen. Business and Economics Education: Teaching and Learning Processes; Teaching and Learning Processes; Examination Forms or Research Methods - the qualification of students, the role of lecturers and ultimately also the expectations of companies towards graduates are changing permanently. "It is extremely important to help shape this development in an innovative, responsible and future-oriented way," emphasizes Franzen, adding: "To put it simply, we are now moving from slide rules to calculators, computers and search engines to AI. It's a new cultural technique that needs to be learned."
Impressive start
The HAWAII conference was created to demonstrate the variety of possible applications and the constructive use of AI in contemporary professorships at HAW BW using concrete practical examples. "The largest conference ever held in Baden-Württemberg in this field (of)," says co-organizer Franzen, not without pride. The week-long conference got off to an impressive start: around 900 people from the entire DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) took part in the first three days alone. In total, over 1,500 interested people registered for the event (Allgemein), which covered a wide range of topics relating to the use of AI in Studying and teaching. Special fields included AI and academic research and writing, the funding of AI skills among students and the critical use of AI. All 24 Universities of Applied Sciences in Baden-Württemberg were represented with lectures, including Aalen University of Applied Sciences.
Great commitment from the Universities of Applied Sciences
Over 70 contributions came from lecturers, students, doctoral candidates, doctoral students and researchers and provided an impressive picture of the commitment of the institutions of higher education as well as the diversity and exchange within the "community". University Rector Prof. Dr. Harald Riegel was also delighted with the great response to the online conference: "Artificial intelligence is a key topic for the future. It will change all fields (of) which involve data. This is now the case almost everywhere. We want to prepare our students for this."
Supplementing learning processes in a meaningful way
Prof. Dr. Constance Richter, who was one of the speakers at the conference and who, as a Professor / lecturer / member of the academic staff in the Field of Study Human Centricity at Aalen University of Applied Sciences, has been working intensively with e-learning and artificial intelligence for a long time, speaks of AI as a "Cross-Cutting Skills". For her, AI is not just a tool, but also an experiment and discourse. "I don't learn for the students, but with them - and thus become a co-explorer myself," says Richter. "Our job as lecturers is to stay valid from a technician's point of view and actively use AI in teaching. Because AI affects every subject, every department." Her colleague Professor Dr. Holger Schmidt agrees. The Professors/ lecturer/ member of the academic staff at Aalen University of Applied Sciences sees AI as a great way of keeping learning content up to date and breaking down barriers to learning. "It should complement learning processes in a meaningful way, not replace them. For example, if a student has not understood something in a lecture but is afraid to ask questions in front of their fellow students, they can work through it with the help of AI or have assignments personalized accordingly. That's great!" says Schmidt enthusiastically.
Professors of the future will also be shaped with the help of AI
And for Dr. Martin Franzen, after the conference is before the conference, so to speak: together with Prof. Dr. Anselm Knebusch from Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences, he is hosting a workshop on the topic of AI in mathematics teaching on 23 October 2025 at Aalen University of Applied Sciences. "The field of mathematics teaching is also changing rapidly due to AI - from automated tutoring systems to personalized learning environments. We want to work out how the use of AI can be designed sensibly without jeopardizing subject-specific depth. Because one thing is certain: the professors of the future will also be shaped with the help of AI."
