As AI reshapes coding and digital skills, educators face a key question: How can education empower learners to think critically, create, and adapt in an AI-driven world? This international online panel brought together experts from research, practice, and industry to discuss how programming education is evolving – from programming to computational thinking, problem-solving, and AI literacy. 

Panelists: 

• Chronis Kynigos, Professor and Director of the Educational Technology Lab, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
• Justin Edwards, Director of Learning Experiences, Minecraft, Seattle, USA
• Eva Marinus, Professor and Head of the Research Chair in Computer Science Education, PH Schwyz, Switzerland 

The event took place on Tuesday, 9 December 2025 as part of the series Education and Digitalisation, which is run by the Centre for Education and Digital Transformation, Zurich University of Teacher Education. It was organized by Bernadette Spieler (PHZH), who also chaired the discussion, with Tobias Röhl (PHZH) moderating the online questions.

Guest speaker: Professor Wiltrud Weidinger and Professor Rudolf Isler

In their lecture, Wiltrud Weidinger and Ruedi Isler linked different quality features of teaching with the needs of educational institutions in Ghana, Bahrain, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia. The projects resulted in a learning model and fundamental content that was discussed for teacher education. In addition, the audience gained insight into development work and transcultural experiences.

Presentation by Wiltrud Weidinger and Rudolf Isler (German)

Guest speaker: Professor Gabriele Kaiser, University of Hamburg and Nord University

As part of the TEDS-IME project, a measure to make teaching and learning algebra in lower secondary education more professional was developed that integrates both mathematics education and general pedagogical perspectives. The measure was implemented in Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia from February 2023 to February 2024 in cooperation with universities, schools and institutes for teacher education and training. To evaluate the professionalisation measures in a pre-post design, a video-based tool was developed to measure the professional perception of teaching by (future) teachers, focusing on inclusive teaching and relevant knowledge tests for pedagogical and mathematics education inclusion-related knowledge. Professor Kaiser presented the tool for the professional perception of teaching, the conception of the professionalisation measure and the first results obtained from implementing the professionalisation concept.

Speakers: Sandro Biaggi, Simone Herzog, Karin Landert Born, Stefan Marty, Silvia Menzi, Theresia Müller, Hanna Weinmann, Barbara Zumsteg

Teaching staff from PHZH’s pre-primary, primary and lower secondary levels provided insights into the curricula of the level-specific module “Teaching Quality”, which students complete as part of their education. Emphasis was placed on the theories and models of teaching quality imparted in the modules and the analysis of videotapes of their own and third-party teaching with regard to selected characteristics of teaching quality. In the subsequent inspiring discussion about the similarities and differences in the modules, experiences were exchanged, challenges were discussed and potential for future collaboration was identified.

After consultation with the speakers, the event’s minutes and the presentations can be requested from

Guest speaker: Wida Wemmer-Rogh, Chair for Research on Learning, Instruction, and Didactics at the University of Zurich

In her presentation, Wida Wemmer-Rogh presented the INSULA instrument, which was developed and validated at the University of Zurich, for the observation-based assessment of teaching quality as part of external school evaluations in German-speaking Switzerland. She explained its development background and presented the results of the evidence-based validation of INSULA. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of teaching assessment with INSULA were discussed.

• INSULA (German)
• Presentation by Wida Wemmer-Rogh (German)
• INSULA 2.0 Rating Manual

Guest speaker: Professor Benjamin Fauth, Institute for Educational Analysis Baden-Württemberg (IBBW)

In his lecture, Professor Benjamin Fauth addressed the fundamental dimensions of teaching quality. Teaching quality is a decisive factor in the learning success of pupils, with the underlying structure playing a decisive role. Overall, Professor Fauth clarified that teaching quality is a complex construct that must be considered on different levels. Successful lesson design requires a deeper understanding of the underlying teaching structures and a balanced consideration of the different fundamental dimensions of teaching quality. In this context, he presented a specific assessment tool that is intended to make teaching quality observable in concrete terms, thus bridging the gap between teaching research and teaching development.

Presentation by Benjamin Fauth

What role do educational institutions play at a time when disinformation is spreading rapidly and public debates are becoming increasingly polarised? Maik Philipp and Barbara Getto (both from the Zurich University of Teacher Education) discussed how disinformation arises and how educational institutions can counter it in an informed and reflective manner. Michael Geiss chaired the panel discussion on the role of literacy and media literacy in critical thinking.

Panellists:

• Maik Philipp, PHZH, is a professor of German language teaching and focuses on how people use texts as a means of learning and teaching – particularly in an age of increasing digitalisation of everyday life. He is also the author of the book “Disinformation? Clear Answers First-hand.”
• Barbara Getto, of the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PH Zürich), is a professor of media education at the Centre for Education and Digital Transformation. Her research focuses on media education, digital transformation in education, and organisational development in educational institutions.

Moderation:

• Michael Geiss, PHZH, is Head of the Research Centre for Education and Digital Transformation and a Professor of Educational Science. His research focuses on the role of education policy and public administration in digital transformation.

This panel discussion took place online via Teams on Tuesday 5 May 2026 from 4.30 pm to 5.45 pm as part of the “Education and Digitalisation” series of events. Organised by the Centre for Education and Digital Transformation, the series of events examines how research and practice are harnessing the opportunities offered by digitalisation in the education sector, whilst also highlighting the challenges that arise.

As AI reshapes coding and digital skills, educators face a key question: How can education empower learners to think critically, create, and adapt in an AI-driven world? This international online panel brought together experts from research, practice, and industry to discuss how programming education is evolving – from programming to computational thinking, problem-solving, and AI literacy. 

Panelists: 

• Chronis Kynigos, Professor and Director of the Educational Technology Lab, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
• Justin Edwards, Director of Learning Experiences, Minecraft, Seattle, USA
• Eva Marinus, Professor and Head of the Research Chair in Computer Science Education, PH Schwyz, Switzerland 

The event took place on Tuesday, 9 December 2025 as part of the series Education and Digitalisation, which is run by the Centre for Education and Digital Transformation, Zurich University of Teacher Education. It was organized by Bernadette Spieler (PHZH), who also chaired the discussion, with Tobias Röhl (PHZH) moderating the online questions.

Teachers face the challenge of increasingly heterogeneous school classes. Adaptive teaching, supported by digital media, offers innovative opportunities to support learners individually. Experts from research and practice demonstrated in this online event how this approach can succeed.

Andreas Lachner (University of Tübingen) explained the central elements of adaptive teaching and presented research findings on its effects on students’ learning performance. Christine Plicht (Minna-Specht Comprehensive School Reutlingen) presented illustrative teaching examples that follow adaptive concepts and were implemented with digital media. She also highlighted the potentials and challenges that arise in the planning and execution of such teaching units. Subsequently, the speakers discussed how adaptive teaching with digital media can be successfully implemented in everyday school life and where possible limitations may be found.

Speakers: Andreas Lachner, Christine Plicht. Moderation: Leonie Sibley, Tobias Röhl.

How is history told and negotiated outside and within social media and what does this mean for public education? This panel discussion addressed these questions.

In this online event, Michael Geiss discussed with researcher Alexandra Krebs and Tiktok experts Susanne Siegert and Marcus Bösch. Alexandra Krebs is currently researching how young people deal with historical narratives in the digital space. Susanne Siegert is involved in Holocaust education and remembrance work on social media, including on Tiktok and Instagram under “keine.erinnerungskultur”. Marcus Bösch is known for his newsletter “Understanding Tiktok”. Together they discussed the question of how history and politics are negotiated outside and within social media and what this means for public education.

Speakers: Michael Geiss, Alexandra Krebs, Susanne Siegert, Marcus Bösch

In a podium discussion, participants looked at educational technologies from different perspectives. They discussed the benefits and risks of educational technologies and talked about the kinds of ethical issues that such developments in learning, teaching and training bring with them.

Podium participants:

• Adrienne Wiliams, Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR)
• Sigrid Hartong, Helmut Schmidt University
• Jessica Dehler, Head of the Centre for Learning Sciences at EPFL

Presenter: Tobias Röhl, PH Zurich

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Switzerland is a multilingual country – extending far beyond its official languages. In the canton of Zurich, almost one in two children is already growing up multilingual, speaking German and one or more languages of their parents’ origin. Multilingualism is a feature of educational practice, education policy and media discourse, and is a subject of controversy: whilst linguistic and cognitive benefits are emphasised, migration-related multilingualism is at the same time associated with academic underachievement.

In his presentation, Till Woerfel, Professor of German as a Second Language at the Zurich University of Teacher Education, addressed current discourses on multilingualism and explored the question of what makes language learning successful for monolingual and multilingual learners. In the ensuing discussion, perspectives on the pedagogical management of linguistically diverse classes and on teacher training were discussed with guests.

• Expert input: Till Woerfel, PH Zurich
• Host: Karin Frei – Mediator, presenter and former SRF journalist
• Guests:
  
  • Kathrin Schmocker Rieder, Head of the Education Department, Primary Education Office, Canton of Zurich
  • Murielle Zurbuchen, headteacher of secondary school Birmensdorf-Aesch
  • Elvirë Sinani, QUIMS-representative and primary school teacher in Affoltern am Albis
• Conversation partners from the audience:
  • Tamara De Vito, lecturer in language and communication, PH Zurich
  • Fatime Bunjaku, student at PH Zurich with a multilingual background

Presentation “Mehrsprachigkeit – beliebt, umkämpft, präsent” (in German)

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Digital learning environments are often introduced with the promise of tailoring teaching more closely to the needs of pupils. Adaptability, individualisation, heterogeneity and personalisation are just a few of the buzzwords used in this context. But do digital tools really make primary schools more equitable? Or are new forms of disadvantage and exclusion more likely to result?

This event organised by Research in Dialogu addressed this issue by bringing together perspectives from educational practice and tool development with research findings. A keynote speech from the research community was followed by a panel discussion with guests on the question of how educational equity can be guaranteed or even established in an increasingly digital education system. The discussion focused on the opportunities and challenges for greater educational equity thanks to digital technologies.

• Welcome: Kenneth Horvath, PH Zurich
• Expert input: Leonie Sibley, PH Zurich
• Host: Michael Geiss, PH Zurich
• Guests:
  • Anna Graf, Headmistress and Vice-President of the Winterthur School Board
  • Nicole Roth, Head of Digitalisation and PICTS, Dällikon
  • Andy Abgottspon, Founder of the Swiss company Hazu
  • Barbara Getto, Professor of Media Education at the Centre for Education and Digital Transformation at

Presentation “Gerechtere Schule dank digitaler Technologien?” (in German)

Constant disruption in class, inattention, violence: disruptive behaviour pushes teachers to their limits and causes concern among parents. Affected children are sent to school islands and time-outs to ensure that lessons can continue as normal.

Scientific studies show that disruptive behaviour is often the biggest stress factor for teachers and a risk factor for burnout. What solutions are there?

In his keynote speech, Reto Luder, Head of the Centre for Inclusion and Health in Schools at the Zurich University of Teacher Education, provided insights into the “Challenge” research project and described how, in collaboration with affected schools, a combination of scientific methods and practical experience is being used to develop courses of action that can be implemented in everyday life and relieve the burden on all those affected. In the subsequent dialogue, approaches to finding solutions were discussed with guests from different perspectives.

Speaker: Reto Luder, Professor für Sonderpädagogik PH Zürich

Guests:

• Lena Fleisch, President of the Zurich Teachers’ Association and primary school teacher
• Marcel Bassot, President of the Zurich Special Schools Conference and Headmaster of the Furttal Small Group School
• Christine Schulthess, Mother of a son who was described as a “behaviourally disturbed child” during his school years

Host: Karin Frei, Mediatorin, Presenter and former SRF journalist

Presentation “Verhaltensauffällige Kinder – was tun?” (in German)

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Large classes, increasing heterogeneity, growing support needs and limited support resources are leading to controversy in practice and education policy regarding school integration. School administrators, teachers, parents and children are coming under increasing pressure. But what opportunities does a stronger focus on inclusion open up for schools?

Silvia Pool Maag, Professor of Special Education at the Zurich University of Teacher Education, pointed out in her presentation that inclusion is not an ideology, but a process for dealing with heterogeneity that requires decisions and also takes into account the risks of exclusion. In the ensuing dialogue, guests from different perspectives engaged in an in-depth discussion.

Guests:

• Doris Zappini Abdallah, Mother of a son with trisomy 21 with experience in mainstream and special education and head of school integration in Winterthur
• Philippe Dietiker, Head of Special Support Department, Education Directorate of the Canton of Zurich
• Thomas Minder, President of the Swiss Association of Head Teachers

Host: Sonja Hasler, Presenter and journalist, SRF

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Is it possible to work as a teacher in a non-professional context? The use of individuals without a teaching diploma in the canton of Zurich since summer 2022 proves that it is indeed possible. But how does this work and what does it mean for the schools and lay teachers themselves? In a study by PH Zurich, people without a teaching diploma were accompanied on their “atypical career start” for more than a year. For the launch of the “Research in Dialogue” series, the findings of the study were summarised and discussed with guests from different perspectives.

Keynote presentation: Professor Tobias Leonhard, lead researcher for the study “Atypical Career Start in the Canton of Zurich” and Head of the Department for Research on Teaching Professions and Education Systems, PH Zurich

Brief dialogue: Andrea Friedli, e-learning developer and lower secondary school teacher without a teaching diploma

Research in Dialogue: Dagmar Rösler, President of the Swiss Teachers’ Association; Andrea Friedli, lower secondary school teacher without a teaching diploma, and Tobias Leonhard, lead researcher for the study “Atypical Career Start in the Canton of Zurich”

Presenter: Sonja Hasler

Stefan Keller, Head of Department for Research on Subject-Specific Education at PH Zurich, addressed the central pedagogical concepts of practice in his presentation. Using specific examples, he showed the importance of these forms of practice in specific contexts of technical learning. The presentation was followed by a discussion on the implications of existing research work for school settings.

Speaker: Professor Stefan Keller, PH Zurich

Having knowledge and accessing knowledge to solve problems are often two different things. In her presentation, Elsbeth Stern from ETH Zurich demonstrated how to promote the potential to transfer knowledge when acquiring and applying it.

Speaker: Professor Elsbeth Stern, ETH Zurich

Presentation (German)

Metacognition is the ability to monitor and control one’s own learning processes. In her presentation, Mariëtte van Loon from the University of Zurich presented studies that show the development of metacognitive self-monitoring and control skills in children and adolescents. The importance of these skills for teaching was discussed and social factors such as teachers themselves were discussed.

Speaker: Professor Mariëtte van Loon, University of Zurich

Presentation (German)

The third talk in the series “How does knowledge come about?” focused on developmental neurosciences, looking at how children acquire their knowledge about the world and how information is processed and stored in a child’s brain.

Speaker: Professor Nora Maria Raschle, University of Zurich

• Presentation (German)
• Study flyer (German)

The second presentation in the event series “How does knowledge come about?” shed light on the linguistic interactions between teachers and children from different perspectives. The focus was on the scaffolding measures applied and the technical terms used by the teacher. It also examined the extent to which the use and effectiveness of scaffolding measures on learning depend on the active participation of pupils during class and how the measures fit around the children’s contributions.

Speaker: Professor Henrik Saalbach, Leipzig University

Presentation handout (German)

The first lecture in the series “How does knowledge come about?” looked at the prerequisites for the emergence and development of elements of knowledge in children. These were discussed from different perspectives, with references made to subsequent events. Event speaker Ursina Markwalder, PH Zurich, then drew on her own research results to show how knowledge is passed on.

Speaker: Dr Ursina Markwalder, PH Zurich

Presentation handout (German)