This project developed a reference curriculum to teach explorative Business Process Management (explorative BPM) to university students. This was motivated by two observations. First, digital innovation is becoming more and more important, and future manager should know about potentials associated with emerging technologies. Second, while BPM has become an influential management paradigm in contemporary organizational work, it has traditionally neglected the role of (digital) innovation.In response to these observations, we developed a curriculum to teach explorative BPM. In doing so, we (1) conducted conceptual and empirical research and developed the Five Diamond Method to realize explorative BPM in organizations, (2) used this model to design a 4-ECTS curriculum which we have taught and evaluated at universities in Austria, Germany and Liechtenstein, as well as with practitioners and BPM professionals and (3) disseminated our results through academic talks, several publications and an innovative virtual workshop format.In terms of dissemination, we want to highlight the following numbers:- We taught the explorative BPM curriculum to around 200 students in three European unviersities- We presented the Five-Diamond-Method to around 170 practitioners in Europe- We presented and discussed our findings with around 80 academics at various conferences in Europe - We published our findings in academic as well as practitioner-related journalsTaken together, this project created considerable impact on students, practitioners and academics. In terms of long-term impact, we expect that our FIve-Diamond-Method will continue to enhance innovation activities in the context of BPM, and inform future research activities in the international academic environment.

<< Background >>Digital technologies affect all areas of contemporary work. They support, replace or augment human work, and they require special skills and competencies by those who use them. Process mining is a fast-growing technology concerned with managing and improving business processes. The potentials associated with process mining are vast and the market is estimated to grow tenfold over the next ten years; the process mining vendor Signavio has just been purchased by SAP for 1 billion Euros; and Celonis, a German process mining provider, had an estimated net worth of 2.5 billion US dollars by the end of 2019 and received the prestigious “Deutscher Zukunftspreis” (German Future Award), awarded by the President of Germany. Yet, there is little knowledge about how to adopt, use and manage this digital technology. This is important, however, because despite its potentials, it is often reported that process mining leads to misuse or discontinuance of use altogether. Hence, our work intends to support practitioners, and future students, in understanding, estimating and managing the implications of process mining.<< Objectives >>We will develop process mining capabilities which are related to the adoption, use and management of process mining. At this, our goal is to empower practitioners and higher education students to fully embrace the potentials of this technology. An important part of our project is to assess and analyze the needs and expectations of companies by means of empirical studies. As process mining is relevant for different organizations operating in diverse contexts, we will keep our findings broadly applicable and freely accessible.<< Implementation >>We will take several measures to teach our process mining capabilities to higher education students and practitioners. These capabilities will empower them to develop needed competences in order to use this technology efficiently and effectively. This will include workshops and trainings. Furthermore, we will teach our findings at three European universities; since process mining will continue to gain increasing relevance in practice, students should know about the challenges and opportunities related to this technology because they might deal with this technology when they are professionals.<< Results >>At the core of our findings will be the interdisciplinary process mining capability framework(s) as well as methods to executive process mining projects, which will integrate the technical, managerial and organizational aspects of process mining. The(se) capability framework(s) will empower practitioners and higher education students to make the most out of this technology. The associated savings in terms of cost and time efficiency will benefit not only various organizations but the national and European economy in broader terms. Celonis even claims that process mining could reduce the carbon footprint of companies as they are using this technology.

<< Background >>We observe the abundance of smart toys, adaptive learning applications, and digital assistants for schoolchildren on the market. These products are artificial intelligence (AI) based conversational agents that can communicate using natural language. The current pandemic challenge probably plays an important role in promoting their adoption. The truth is, however inconvenient, that we still do not know much about how schoolchildren harness these AI-based conversational agents for their benefits. Because of the way they are designed (i.e., real touchable physique versus digital character), schoolchildren may have different kinds of interaction and experience with them. Moreover, they may be perceived differently because of their appearances (i.e., pet-like and human-like characteristics). This project addresses a discussion that is likely to become more glaring in the next years, due to the increasing adoption of in AI-based conversational agents for learning and leisure activities. We focus on 11 to 13 years old schoolchildren in Liechtenstein, Germany, and France. In this age group, they begin to learn abstract reasoning (Jean Piaget’s concreate and formal operational stage) and develop belief in their own ability to solve tasks together with a sense of identity in relation to their social others (Erik Erikson’s stages 4 and 5 of psychosocial development). We also take into account the concerns about digital divide between schoolchildren and their caregivers, a cultural gap between digital natives and digital immigrants. By understanding how schoolchildren perceive and interact with conversational agents, we can equip parents and teachers with hands-on know-how in guiding schoolchildren to develop a mindful and healthy interaction with AI-based conversational agents.Ultimately, we wish to join ongoing European-wide initiatives that aim to provide a better and safer digital space for children. Examples of these initiatives are Better Internet for Kids (https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/policy/safer-internet-forum) and Eurochild (https://www.eurochild.org). We would also like to contribute to the broader discourse on artificial intelligence and children, joining the missions of UNICEF's (https://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/media/661/file). Finally, we also learn from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)'s (https://fra.europa.eu/en/project/2018/artificial-intelligence-big-data-and-fundamental-rights) discussion about artificial intelligent and the fundamental rights.In comparison to other ongoing Erasmus+ projects on the subject matter, our focus is on the social and cogntivie consequences of AI-enabled CA use for schoolschildren and not on how to teach AI to children (e.g., Generation AI - Grant 275440, Internship of ‘Artificial Intelligence and Coding’ appliations in the light of EU knowledge - Grant 55756).<< Objectives >>Responding to the problematisation, we pursue two main objectives in this project:•To explore and understand how schoolchildren interact with different types of AI-based conversational agents and how they perceive these conversational agents compared to their existing social others (such as family, friends, and teachers). This objective is addressed in work packages 1 (conceptual development) as well as 2 and 3 (field study).•To equip schoolchildren as digital natives and their caregivers with hands-on knowledge in dealing with the rapid advancement of smart technologies, especially those that appear to be social and human-like in either appearance or intelligence. This objective is addressed in work package 4 (project blog and a collection of short stories).<< Implementation >>We divide our main project activities into four work packages (WPs):1.WP 1 - Conceptual development. We will analyze available AI-based conversational agents on the market that specifically target schoolchildren and dig deeper into their design purpose, working mechanisms, and potential pros and contras. We will develop a typology of these conversational agents.2.WP 2 - First field study. We will interview 11-13 years old schoolchildren to explore how they perceive and interact with AI-based conversational agents. 3.WP 3 - Second field study. We will investigate the implications of the new learning strategies that schoolchildren develop when using AI-based conversational agents, compared to the more traditional learning strategies.4.WP 4 - Dissemination to a wide audience. We will share the insights directly to participating parents and teachers. We will also use the storytelling approach in disseminating them on a dedicated blog.<< Results >>Result 1 - A typology of conversational agents for schoolchildren. This project result will be delivered upon the completion of WP 1.Result 2 - Insights on how schoolchildren perceive and interact with AI-based conversational agents. This project result will be delivered upon the completion of WP 2. Result 3 - Insights on schoolchildren’s learning strategies with AI-based conversational agents. This project result will be delivered upon the completion of WP 3.Result 4 - Dissemination to a wide audience. We will share the insights directly to participating parents and teachers. We will also use the storytelling approach in disseminating them on a dedicated blog. This project result is addressed in WP 4.

Background:Higher education and especially small and private universities have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, university study programs have been taught in a physical classroom setting while online channels have mainly been used for organizational reasons such as the transfer of study material and the communication outside the classroom. With the arrival of the crisis, however, this has changed abruptly. Regulations and guidelines for the containment of the coronavirus led to a rapid shift in teaching methods as universities started to transform their lectures into pure online or hybrid (blend of offline and online lecture) formats. Pure online classes, however, have struggled with technical difficulties, inefficient didactics, and low engagement during class. Hybrid teaching, on the other hand, is supposed to integrate online and offline experiences live and at the same time, thereby combining the best of both worlds. That is why hybrid teaching has been particularly interesting for many universities; for being an appropriate balancing act to implement the required countermeasures against the pandemic, while at the same time preserving proven didactics to keep the quality of education high. However, hybrid teaching has turned out to be way more demanding than anticipated; primarily for the lecturers, as they have to multitask and show awareness for two channels simultaneously. It also turned out that the didactics and engagement strategies of offline course formats could not simply be transferred to a hybrid teaching environment without clear conceptual guidelines and appropriate training. Objectives of the project:This project aims to solve the issues described above by developing a new hybrid approach for courses and programs offered by universities. The idea is to still teach the program at the university in presence, but at the same time, offer this program live for remote participants, without a loss of quality for either side, especially by solving the problem of decreased interaction. This is achieved in particular through a concept study of a next-level classroom equipment, the development of training materials as well as guidelines in regard to technology, communication modes and examination modes. Moreover, it includes an exemplary curriculum adaptation of a certificate program for executives in the field of blockchain and fintech.Participants:The project will be coordinated by a core team under the lead of University of Liechtenstein consisting of the following organisations:* University of Liechtenstein* Kapsch BusinessCom* Frankfurt School Blockchain Center (Frankfurt School of Finance & Management)The University of Liechtenstein is a small regional and public university, while the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management is a larger private higher education institution. Kapsch BusinessCom is an IT company specialized in digital transformation and technology.Activities and methodology:1) TPM1 – Partners meet to plan the implementation process.2) IO1/Building a next generation classroom: installation of state-of-the art technology at the University of Liechtenstein serving as an experimental setting for hybrid teaching concepts.3) TPM2 – Partners meet to assess the past delivered activities and achieved outputs, and plan for the coming actions.4) IO2/Guidelines and best-practice approaches for next level classrooms: developing a framework for the technical setup and its application, new communication/interaction modes as well as suitable performance assessment alternatives. 5) IO3/Training material for students, teachers, and administrative staff: producing dedicated training materials and how-to guides for lecturers, students and the administrative staff to support the successful implementation of hybrid lectures.6) TPM3 - Partners meet to assess the past delivered activities and achieved outputs, and plan for the coming actions.7) TPM4 - Partners meet to assess past actions and plan the final implementation processes.8) E1 - Hybrid conference to promote the developed hybrid teaching concepts to lecturers, university staff and other interested parties.Results, impact and long term benefits:Main results include the implementation of an experimental state-of-the art technological setup at the University of Liechtenstein as well as dedicated training and learning materials (such as brochures, videos and written instructions) for lecturers, students and the administrative staff to help implement the newly developed technical, communication and examination guidelines in a targeted and efficient manner. These efforts shall lead to higher overall education quality in hybrid teaching formats, better positioning to competitive education programs from non-academic institutions and more crisis-resilient teaching operations.

"The project will identify skill gaps in the information security education and develop recommendations for curricula design in order to minimize such gaps. The project's methodology is based on a novel evidence building technique for characterizing industrial skill demand and academic skill offerings to be deployed in our analysis. We will use automatic tools for collecting job advertisements, extracting key topics from their text and aligning these topics with professional skills. Similarly, we will process academic module descriptions using the topic extraction tools to identify skills conveyed by study programs. By correlating these two types of ""skill landscapes"", we will identify skill gaps and measure the impact of potential curricula design measures. Based on the outcomes of our evidence-driven study, we will provide recommendations for further curricula development in the information security. We will discuss our findings in a public workshop with key stakeholders in the academic community as well as the respective governance bodies.For the sake of linguistic consistency, our study will be first limited to Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The tools to be deployed and developed in our project will be made available to the academic community so that similar studies could be carried out repeatedly and extended to other fields. Identification of skill gaps in information security education is essential for mitigating the shortage of security specialists in industry. The recommendations to be elaborated in our project will help academic institutions to improve their teaching portfolios and enable governance bodies to effectively steer further development of academic programs."