CODE University -
Digital Pioneers of Tomorrow

CODE University - <br/>Digital Pioneers of Tomorrow

Starting Point:

CODE University is a private, state-accredited university for the digital pioneers of tomorrow. It offers three innovative degree programs. At the core of these programs are real-world projects, so students learn through challenges. They develop skills, learn to collaborate in teams, and in this way can develop their full potential. This concept utilizes 'experiential learning' by activating the person's inherent curiosity. On the way to a solution, gained insights and skills will be useful for a lifetime.

So how are these insights and skills formulated into a classic "report card"? How can future employers get a picture of the competence profile of the applicants? What characterizes the learner and what has been (further) developed in this form of study?

The BIFI was assigned this challenge in the form of a larger long-term project and worked on it in close cooperation with the teachers at CODE University. A format was sought that solves both the entry assessment problem and the exit evaluation problem.


Implementation of the Study:

In order to capture the facets of a "report card" for the study programs oriented towards digital competencies, multidimensional clusters of competencies were extracted: on the one hand, from the perspective of teaching, on the other hand, from the perspective of future employers.



In-depth interviews with various types of companies that could be considered as future employers created profiles of "archetypal" companies for the students. These were displayed as human-sized poster walls in the university, so that the students could see in their everyday lives which professional format (from freelancer to startup and agency to corporate enterprise) particularly corresponds to their preferences. 



For the project, it was necessary to look into the heads of international CTOs (Chief Technology Officers): Which higher-level competencies (abstract, non-measurable constructs) are related - according to their professional experience - to which lower-level competencies (concrete, measurable variables)? Which lower-level competencies impact which knowledge and skills? But how do you reach one of the busiest professional groups in the world? 

The solution: by asking them to play a game that can be played in passing. The SKILL SWPR was built and published. With the help of the resulting database, statistical correlations across four levels could be determined.


Results:

A multidimensional, DQR/EQR-compatible competence grid was developed, which works and grows from the inside (personality dimensions) to the outside (concrete skills). It also formed the basis for concrete module planning in the departments. Since the three courses of study overlap and are integrated into each other, the result was a competence circle - the "Ciriculum". 







Solution:

With the help of the Ciriculum, CODE University teachers and students can present the developed competencies in an appealing, multi-faceted, and impressive way. Hard and soft skills are demonstrated and the extensive profile of the applicants is conveyed.