Digitally Competent Graduates

This report presents the outcomes of Digitally Competent Graduates, the third major initiative in Aarhus University’s comprehensive and long-term digitalisation strategy (2017–2025).

The strategy’s first major initiative focused on strengthening digital research environments. The second addressed the development of learning technology infrastructure and the systematic integration of digital learning technologies through educational IT. Building on these efforts, Digitally Competent Graduates aimed to ensure that all Aarhus University graduates develop digital competences relevant to their disciplinary field.

This was pursued through two closely connected strands of work: the incorporation of digital subject matter and methods into curricula, and the development of educators’ competences in these areas.

CED has supported the Digitally Competent Graduates initiative throughout all phases of the work, including the development of the analytical framework, the facilitation of curriculum analyses, evaluation activities, and model development.

The final evaluation shows that the initiative has fully achieved its objectives and has already made a significant and lasting impact on Aarhus University’s portfolio of degree programmes.

During the project period:

• analyses were conducted and plans formulated for addressing digital development needs in more than half of Aarhus University’s degree programmes, and the first steps towards implementing these plans have been taken
• more than 2,000 educators participated in formal professional development activities within both learning technologies and discipline-specific digital competences
• a range of extracurricular activities were developed and implemented to support the acquisition of digital competences among particularly interested students
• curriculum development was initiated across a large number of the university’s degree programmes, including the development of four models for embedding digital elements in programme curricula
• a considerable number of external projects were secured, supporting the initiative and pointing towards the next phase of strategic work on generative AI

Across all faculties, digitalisation forms part of the forthcoming strategic work on the development of degree programmes. A recurring theme across all five faculties is the question of generative AI, which intersects with all three major initiatives in Aarhus University’s overall digitalisation strategy (2017–2025): the development of digital research environments, educational IT, and Digitally Competent Graduates.

In the next strategy period, the Education Committee will work intensively to identify ways of incorporating generative AI into degree programmes. This includes adjustments to assessment formats, ensuring that graduates acquire sufficient competences to use generative AI, and exploring the pedagogical opportunities offered by AI.

The Assess GenAI project, secured in 2025, supports these efforts.