The digitization of teaching poses technical and legal challenges to universities but also holds the potential to support the learning processes of students efficiently using artificial intelligence.

The research project “Flexible and individual support of disciplinary and interdisciplinary competencies through socio-technical design of systems of hybrid intelligence (Komp-HI)” aimed to exploit this potential by piloting applications for various university courses at the University of Kassel with didactically sensible use of AI systems. The goal was to provide students with a personalized learning experience through the combination of artificial and human intelligence (hybrid intelligence). In doing so, the project sought to strengthen not only professional but also interdisciplinary competencies (such as empathy and media literacy).

The Chair for Public Law, IT Law and Environmental Law (Prof. Dr. Gerrit Hornung, LL.M.) at the University of Kassel was dedicated to the legal study of the project subject. Within the legal part of the project, suggestions for data protection-compliant design of the systems used were developed and integrated into system development from the outset, focusing on the comprehensive processing of student data and the related use of artificial intelligence. Specifically, the project examined which legal bases are applicable for the processing of student data, how data protection requirements for technical design (Privacy by Design) are to be determined and implemented project-specifically, and how the requirements for transparency and purpose limitation can be met, particularly in view of the use of artificial intelligence. Furthermore, the requirements of national data protection law were examined.

The interdisciplinary project involved the Chair for Public Law, IT Law, and Environmental Law (Prof. Dr. Gerrit Hornung, LL.M.), the Chairs for Information Systems and Systems Engineering (Prof. Dr. Matthias Söllner, project coordinator), Developmental Psychology (Prof. Dr. Mirjam Ebersbach), Information Systems (Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister), Cognitive Psychology (Prof. Dr. Ralf Rummer), and the Dean of the Mechanical Engineering Department (Prof. Dr. Hartmut Hetzler) at the University of Kassel.

Funding:
Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space

Duration:
December 2021 - November 2025

Project leader: 
Prof. Dr. Gerrit Hornung, LL.M.

Staff: 
Hendrik Link