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The BASA-online university network was launched in 2003. Now the network is celebrating its 20th anniversary. BASA-online makes it possible to study social work part-time at one of eight universities in Germany. What makes it special: Since its inception, digital teaching and learning has been part of the equation. Around three-quarters of the bachelor's program can be completed online, and students come to their university for around one-quarter of the time.
"Our concept is truly unique and is based on student-centered teaching and the didactic style of learning coaching," says Professor Dr. Hedwig Griesehop, managing spokesperson for the BASA-online university network. Among other things, this means: "Students have great flexibility; decide for themselves when and where they learn. And to promote exchange, they usually come to the university once a month for a block event. This makes it possible to combine work, private life and studies in the best possible way."
What is special about the study program
The study program is implemented by means of a digital learning platform. Students use it to communicate with each other and with their teachers, receive study materials and exchange information in chats, forums and online meetings. In addition to classic documents such as readers, multimedia content such as videos or podcasts is also offered as teaching material. It is possible for students to become creative themselves: In the BASA-online course, students can try out new things. For example, at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, students created a film to didactically rework social work topics in the framework of a seminar.
"It is really a pleasure to see the commitment of our students. Especially since many of them have exciting backgrounds: Most have been working in social work for years - but without a university degree. They now want to catch up on this. The many years of practical professional and life experience of the students make the seminars and the exchange particularly exciting and valuable, that meshes. As a distance learning program, we have accumulated more than 20 years of expertise, including designing online-based teaching-learning environments and teaching-learning settings and developing teaching concepts that have proven their worth," says Griesehop.
That the concept is successful is also shown by the steady growth in the number of universities offering the BASA-online (social work) degree program of the same name. The course first started in 2003 with the three founding universities, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences and Potsdam University of Applied Sciences. Since then, additional university locations have been added: Münster University of Applied Sciences (since 2004), Munich University of Applied Sciences (since 2007), RheinMain University of Applied Sciences (Wiesbaden location since 2008), Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin (since 2010) and Kiel University of Applied Sciences (since 2019).
Within this university network, the aforementioned universities jointly develop the online and face-to-face modules included in all degree programs, evaluate them, and create updates. In this way, synergies from the merger of the various universities in the BASA-online university network can be used. The universities are supported by the Center for Distance Learning in the University Network (zfh) based in Koblenz.
Research project H³: More study success through innovation
The further development of the study program of the BASA-online university network also includes the successful acquisition of third-party funding for the HYFLEX, HIGHTECH & HIGHTOUCH (H³) project. The H³ project aims to rethink teaching/learning scenarios in the direction of hybrid-flexible variants, develop personalized, digitally supported learning paths, focus on the competence development of students, use technical innovations and contribute to greater study success. The project is funded by the Innovation in Higher Education Foundation.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the BASA-online university network and the Project H³ final conference, a joint ceremony will be held in 2024.
Further information about the network and the contents of the study program can be found at www.basa-online.de.
Contact university network BASA-online:
Prof. Dr. Hedwig Griesehop (managing spokesperson) griesehop@ ash-berlin.eu
Dorothea Warnow (consultant to the managing spokesperson) dorothea.warnow@ ash-berlin.de