Learning curators for the HSG Learning Center

New teaching and learning processes are required which are initiated, configured, implemented and evaluated by the actors in order to develop a change in the studying and learning culture. 

Besides the learning community managers in the HSG Learning Center, Prof. Bernadette Dilger considers new actors – so-called “learning curators” – to be indispensable for the promotion of future-oriented learning activities and teaching/learning scenarios. According to Prof. Bernadette Dilger, building and room design as such has a limited effectiveness with regard to teachers’ and learners’ conduct. New teaching and learning processes are required which are initiated, configured, implemented and evaluated by the actors in order to develop a change in the studying and learning culture.

New actors for the HSG Learning Center
Besides the learning community managers in the HSG Learning Center, Prof. Bernadette Dilger considers new actors – so-called “learning curators” – to be indispensable for the promotion of future-oriented learning activities and teaching/learning scenarios.

Prof. Bernadette Dilger

Practice within reach
According to Prof. Dr. Bernadette Dilger, learning curators are aware of the best learning sources and develop new learning opportunities for the users of the HSG Learning Center from emerging situations. They are the guardians of the learning option collections and help users to compile their individual “learning playlists”. The learning curators are actively involved in inviting inspiring personalities and unconventional thinkers from the international and regional environment to the HSG Learning Center in order to stage significant learning events. They “scout out” problems, examples and development trends in the industries and professions and, on the basis of this, they design learning opportunities (for instance in the form of events). Not only do they have the instruments enabling them to identify the emerging competence requirements in the sense of early identification systems, they are also professionals with regard to the development of highly effective didactic designs. These then account for a large part of the didactic programme in the HSG Learning Center, which is continuously being innovated.

But what characteristics and skills do students think that learning curators should possess? We asked student Jennifer Richardson.
I think learning curators should be competent and open-minded, should “like” young people and have good relationships with them. This attracts students. In this way, students are likely to dare to ask some more questions since there are no “wrong questions” and the learning curators’ openness encourages them to ask questions. Also, the learning curators should be open-minded in order to provide students with better support regarding creativity and self-realisation and to remove the general conditions that are always limiting in everyday life at least to a certain extent.

How should learning curators face up to the issue of “digitalisation”?
In the age of digitalisation, the learning curators must be digital natives: on the one hand, in order to be able to make optimal use of the infrastructure of the HSG Learning Center, and on the other hand, in order to support students in the development of their skills in the field of the “digital world” and to give them advice.

What else is needed?
In addition, the learning curators should be competent and be knowledgeable in a variety of fields. It would also be desirable if the learning curators had a subject-related knowledge (at least an affinity with the subjects involved) to ensure that they are familiar with topics that are relevant to students. They should be familiar with the University of St.Gallen (including its branch institutions). In this way, the learning curators would be able to refer students to the right experts if the learning curators were unable to answer questions themselves. It is indispensable that the learning curators are well connected in networks not only inside but also outside the University. Cooperation with various firms should be aimed at, in particular – perhaps as a complement to the HSG Career Center. In this way, students could profit more from the networks (not only at the HSG Career Days).

Jennifer Richardson