Jens, what are your plans for your innovation professorship?
My goal is a learning tool for algorithms and data structures that we are building with the HOGENT University of Applied Sciences in Ghent and that the next generations of students can use. The tool contains teaching content that students can use to test themselves. For the development, I would like to integrate Master’s students into the teaching for the Bachelor’s programme. Each of the students should make a contribution.

You brought wooden toys with you to talk about your project. Why did you bring them?
I use a lot of wooden toys in my teaching to integrate a change of media. I immediately have the students’ full attention, even if it was more restless beforehand. I also encourage them to make their own toys, e.g. the towers of Hanoi out of coins.

You are doing the project in cooperation with HOGENT. How did the collaboration come about and how does it work?
The contact with HOGENT came about through U!REKA. I wanted to work with a university that is easy to get to without a plane. HOGENT has a project called The IT Professional. Students work there for a one-off 20 hours in an IT context. Our tool can be tested in this project. Later on, we will start joint software development projects at HOGENT and Frankfurt UAS. And perhaps we will also integrate bachelor theses at both universities into the project in the future.

How will students and teachers from both universities meet?
Two visits are planned for the first joint project: At the beginning of the semester, we will travel to Ghent for a week, and at the end of the semester, the students and teaching staff from Ghent will come here. In between, the project work will be done digitally.

What would you like to see as a concrete result of your innovation professorship?
I would like to learn how international cooperation works. For example, we need to find solutions for the poorly overlapping lecture times. I would also like to know whether we can organise and finance exchanges, physical mobility and joint courses. I think that’s a big challenge. And of course, I want to have a great learning tool.

What added social value does your project have?
It is important that we train young people well. The Master’s students are challenged and supported because they teach themselves, develop a tool and take responsibility for it together with me. The Bachelor’s students, on the other hand, are well trained because it is challenging to use modern technologies. Everyone learns how to develop learning software in a practical way.

What does the project mean to you personally?
It’s a project close to my heart that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. And fortunately, it has now materialised. And I also like the fact that it’s international. It’s a great experience for everyone involved.

Thank you for the interview!