On January 18 and 19, we hosted a Design Thinking Workshop at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam. Centred around the topic "Prototyping an Architecture for a European Interoperability Backbone", this workshop brought together a diverse group of higher education professionals and interoperability experts. By contributing their unique knowledge and perspective they worked further on a practical framework to facilitate learning, studying, and working across Europe (find some background info on the group and the framework in Reading Corner). 

By applying design thinking methods, the experts investigated how learners, educators, and administrative persons navigate through different interoperability use cases. Based on the approach “thinking with your hands”, the participants crafted tangible prototypes envisioning an ideal education ecosystem. A “European Higher Education Interoperable Credential Act – EURO CRED” in year 2030, a futuristic digital course catalogue "Edflix", and a shared license library for educational resources were among the imaginative scenarios explored. These prototypes came to life through role-playing, Lego constructions, and a trailer, allowing participants to vividly present their visions. 

Although the workshop highlighted the considerable gap between the current state and the envisioned ideal, it served as a promising starting point. The outcomes of this collaborative effort are set to play a crucial role in shaping the development of the HE Interoperability framework.

Find more pictures taken at the workshop in the Hub!