Content uploaded by Martin Ebner
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Martin Ebner on Mar 23, 2025
Content may be subject to copyright.
Draft – orginally posted in: Ebner, M., Schön, S., Alcober, J., Bertonasco, R., Brünner, B., Her-
czak-Ciara, A., Hoppe, C., Martikainen, J., Petersson, J. da Silva, F. M. 2025). Work-in-Pro-
gress: Key Prerequisites for IT Infrastructures for Learning and Teaching of the European
University Alliance “Unite!”. In: Auer, M.E., Rüütmann, T. (eds) Futureproofing Engineering
Education for Global Responsibility. ICL 2024. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol
1260. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-85652-5_34
Work-in-Progress: Key prerequisites for IT
infrastructures for learning and teaching of the European
University Alliance “Unite!”
Martin Ebner1[0000-0001-5789-5296], Sandra Schön1[0000-0003-0267-5215], Jesus Alcober2, Roberto Ber-
tonasco3, Benedikt Brünner1[0009-0005-8484-9160], Agnieszka Herczak-Ciara4, Christian Hoppe5,
Juha Martikainen6, Joakim Petersson7, Fernando M. da Silva8
1 Graz University of Technology, Münzgrabenstr. 36/I, 8010 Graz, Austria
martin.ebner@tugraz.at
2 Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC), Spain
3 Politecnico di Torino, Italy
4 Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland
5 Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
6 Aalto University, Finland
7 KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
8 Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
Abstract. In the dynamic landscape of higher education, digital technologies are
crucial for fostering collaboration and knowledge dissemination. European uni-
versities are embracing this shift through “European Universities”, transnational
alliances aimed at enhancing academic exchange and innovation. The Unite! al-
liance, as part of its Erasmus+ project, established the “Community Digital Cam-
pus” (Cm.2) to develop a modern digital campus framework. Based on an analy-
sis to identify and document the technological, organizational, and legal needs
for such a campus, using desk research, surveys, and stakeholder discussions, key
requirements are formulated. Key requirements identified include ensuring in-
teroperability among digital infrastructures, robust decision-making processes
for IT, strategic support for existing systems, and addressing budgetary consid-
erations for federated systems.
Keywords: European University, European University alliance, University
teaching, technology-enhanced learning, digital transformation, Unite!
2
1 Introduction: The Role of Digital Transformation in Higher
Education
Higher education is undergoing a significant shift as digital technologies increas-
ingly enable collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing. Across Europe, univer-
sities are embracing this transformation through initiatives such as "European Univer-
sities” [1], transnational alliances designed to foster academic exchange and promote
cutting-edge research and educational practices. These alliances aim to strengthen Eu-
ropean values and identity while enhancing the quality and competitiveness of higher
education.
One such alliance, Unite!, exemplifies this effort through its commitment to building
a modern digital ecosystem. A key component of this initiative is the “Community 2
Digital Campus” (Cm.2), established under the Erasmus+ framework. This project fo-
cuses on unifying technological, organizational, and legal infrastructures across mem-
ber institutions to create a seamless and inclusive digital campus. By leveraging diverse
methods, including desk research, surveys, and stakeholder consultations, the project
identifies and addresses essential requirements for a federated digital system.
The analysis and implementation of these requirements aim to support students and
educators within Unite! by enabling a hybrid, multilingual learning environment that
fosters transnational collaboration [2]. This initiative represents an important step to-
ward realizing a state-of-the-art European educational network, providing innovative
learning opportunities and advancing pedagogical practices.
2 Research approach for requirement analysis
Community 2 Digital Campus tasks focus on digital infrastructures related to learn-
ing and teaching, addressing broader IT-related project requirements within the alli-
ance. Figure 1 illustrates the diverse approaches taken from November 2022 till January
2024 to achieve this comprehensive overview. First, we started to identify and describe
the general key platforms and its features and responsibilities used within Unite!. Sec-
ondly, we aimed to systematically describe each partner's digital teaching infrastruc-
ture, facilitating knowledge sharing and identifying common building blocks and pro-
cesses across all partner institutions to harmonize the varied IT backgrounds. Thirdly,
insights into all partners internal computer systems' interoperability status of our Euro-
pean Student Card Initiative (ESCI) and Erasmus without Papers (EWP) projects was
given e.g. with EWP registry service data. As a fourth approach, relevant (other) issues
3
were identified, e.g. teams responsible for digital teaching support were surveyed to
gain insights into their experience and support needs for the federated system Meta-
campus. An interactive event, “Unite! Dialogue Week” in Grenoble, was held in Sep-
tember 2022 to promote exchange with stakeholders, gather feedback, and identify fu-
ture requirements for the digital campus.
Fig. 1. Overview of topics selected, methods applied, and stakeholders identified for the require-
ment analysis for digital teaching and learning infrastructure within the European university al-
liance Unite!
Based on the overviews and analyses, we attempted to distill a quintessence by fo-
cusing on a few key requirements. Representatives from all nine universities were in-
volved in this process, collaboratively selecting and formulating these central require-
ments. We aim to present these key findings in the following sections. All the different
approaches and the results of the requirement analysis formed the basis for a formal
report submitted to the EU and have been published as a report [3]. Our approach to
developing illustrations and, especially, homogenizing the representation of IT infra-
structures for digital learning and teaching has been detailly described as well [4]. In
this article, we primarily present the key findings - the requirements – to a scientific
audience. We additionally share how we try to enhance interoperability through LTI
and enhance management with the implementation of a “Technical Commission”. In
creating the texts, we utilized ChatGPT 4.0 for initial drafts, which were subsequently
reviewed and refined by all authors.
With our contribution, we aim to foster exchange with other alliances to collabora-
tively enhance the European university landscape.
3 Requirements for IT infrastructures for learning and
teaching of the European University Alliance “Unite!”
3.1 Requirement 1: Interoperability amongst the digital infrastructures of
partners and with European standards
Interoperability is the backbone of any federated digital system, especially when
navigating the complexities of international collaboration. Ensuring seamless integra-
tion and compatibility between the diverse IT infrastructures of Unite!’s partner insti-
tutions are critical. This involves not only harmonizing learning management systems
but also establishing robust protocols for secure data exchange, such as APIs and
GDPR-compliant encryption methods.
From a user perspective, achieving interoperability means fostering accessible and
intuitive platforms. Tailoring interfaces for students, faculty, and administrative staff
ensures that the tools remain inclusive and easy to navigate. Compliance with accessi-
bility standards further strengthens this goal, making digital resources available to users
with varying needs. Supporting these efforts with comprehensive training resources and
IT assistance is crucial for smooth adoption and operation.
4
3.2 Requirement 2: Implementation of decision-making concerning IT
infrastructure for digital campus and Unite!’s Technical Commission
Establishing efficient governance structures is essential for managing the complex
IT landscape of a federated alliance. The formation of the Unite! Technical Commis-
sion provides a platform for inclusive and transparent decision-making. By representing
all partner institutions, this body ensures that the needs of diverse stakeholders are ad-
dressed.
The decision-making process must prioritize interoperability and resource equity,
aligning technical developments with the alliance's strategic goals. Transparent com-
munication within this framework fosters trust and collaboration, while regular feature
reviews and cost-benefit analyses ensure that IT solutions meet the expectations of all
involved parties.
3.3 Requirement 3: Strategic support for the effective utilization of existing
IT systems, especially the Metacampus
To maximize the potential of the Metacampus, Unite! must develop strategies that
encourage its use for collaborative learning and teaching initiatives. This involves clar-
ifying the responsibilities of the Community 2 Digital Campus team and providing tar-
geted support to teachers, students and administrative staff.
Current challenges include the lack of incentives for lecturers to make their courses
accessible to external students within the alliance. Strategic interventions, such as fund-
ing mechanisms or recognition programs, could address this gap. Additionally, raising
awareness about the benefits of using the Metacampus for transnational collaboration
is a key step toward its wider adoption.
3.4 Requirement 4: Clarifying future (learning) scenarios, mobility, and other
issues for IT infrastructure development
The future of digital learning within Unite! depends on a clear understanding of the
scenarios the alliance aims to support. This includes identifying key use cases, such as
joint programs, micro-credentialing, and blended learning opportunities, and ensuring
that the IT infrastructure aligns with these goals.
While the Community 2 Digital Campus team is not responsible for deciding the
alliance’s educational direction, their role in facilitating discussions and proposing scal-
able solutions is indispensable. By anticipating user needs and scalability challenges,
the team can prepare the digital campus for a variety of innovative learning pathways.
5
3.5 Requirement 5: Budgetary considerations for federated systems
development and maintenance in the alliance
Sustaining a federated digital system requires consistent funding for maintenance,
updates, and scaling. While Erasmus+ grants provide critical support for new develop-
ments, they often fail to account for ongoing operational costs. Unite! must explore
sustainable financial models to address this challenge.
Collaborative budgeting efforts across partner institutions can mitigate disparities in
resource availability, ensuring that all members of the alliance can contribute effec-
tively to the system’s growth. Additionally, advocating for support from European
funding bodies can help secure long-term stability for the federated systems.
4 Steps forward to meet the requirements
Developments that we have done since we published our requirement analysis in-
clude expanding Metacampus support and resources [5], updating Metacampus, im-
proving ESCI services [6], maintaining and further developing eduGAIN, and integrat-
ing MOOCs [7]. We would like especially to highlight here our steps further concerning
interoperability of LMS and the technical commission.
4.1 The interoperability challenge: Unite! as positive example and first
successful LTI pilots
Unite! has made significant progress in addressing the interoperability challenge, as
evidenced by its inclusion as a case study in the study by Berger et al. on interoperabil-
ity challenges in European university alliances [8]. This recognition highlights Unite!'s
efforts and achievements in creating a federated learning management system (LMS)
that facilitates cross-institutional collaboration and resource sharing.
However, despite these advancements, there are still further developments needed to
achieve full technical interoperability. One of our current activities is piloting the inte-
gration of different LMS platforms using the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI)
standard. This approach aims to connect our federated LMS, Metacampus, with the
LMS systems of our partner institutions. By leveraging LTI, we hope to enable seam-
less content sharing and updates across different platforms, eliminating the need for
content duplication and allowing for centralized management. First pilot at TU Graz
were successful [9]: Members from all Unite! universities were participating at a uni-
versity lecture about the topic of “Open Educational Resources (OER) in higher educa-
tion” at the Metacampus which was successfully connected via LTI to the Austrian
MOOC platform iMooX.at (hosted by TU Graz). With this approach, MOOC content
was displayed in the Metacampus and MOOC results were successfully added to the
students’ profile. Further pilot projects are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of LTI
in enhancing interoperability and for identifying any remaining challenges that need to
be addressed. As we continue to refine these connections, we aim to create a more in-
tegrated and efficient digital campus experience for all members of the Unite! alliance.
6
4.2 The technical commission after one year
The establishment of governance structures in European university alliances is not
trivial [10]. The same is true for decision-making concerning the IT-infrastructure. Im-
plementing IT infrastructure decisions is crucial for effective and efficient processes
within our European university alliance's digital campus. In response to the needs iden-
tified within our project, we have taken steps to enhance the transparency of our feature
request process concerning Cm.2 issues. Now, all stakeholders are asked to articulate
their digital campus requirements using an online form. If needed, these inputs are fur-
ther clarified through initial discussions with our staff, ensuring a comprehensive un-
derstanding of the needs. Once it is evident that the request aligns with the definition
of a “Feature Request”, be it the integration of plugins on the Metacampus or the de-
velopment of new technical solutions such as a repository for teaching materials, the
request is presented to the Technical Commission, which decide on next steps (see Fig-
ure 2).
[Add Fig. 2 here]
Fig. 2. The Unite! Digital campus form and the technical commission as essential feature of the
digital campus processes
The Unite! Digital Campus Technical Commission was established in summer 2023,
comprising decision-making representatives from all partner institutions. This body re-
views all feature requests, determining the subsequent course of action for each. The
commission held its inaugural meeting in September 2023, with subsequent meetings
scheduled monthly. The outcomes of the consultations are documented in a transparent
manner, as stipulated by our principle of clear communication. These findings are then
communicated as necessary, especially when feedback from other stakeholders within
Unite! is required.
Between October 2023 and October 2024, the Unite! Digital Campus Technical
Commission successfully addressed 16 feature requests. Of these, 10 were imple-
mented, contributing to the enhancement of the digital campus infrastructure. Two re-
quests are currently under development by Cm.2 groups, while two others were for-
warded to the Unite! Steering Committee (USC) for further consideration. Addition-
ally, two requests were redirected to other Communities or transversal groups to ensure
they are addressed by the most relevant teams. This progress reflects the Technical
Commission's commitment to fostering collaboration and ensuring efficient decision-
making across the alliance.
5 Outlook
The work plan for Community 2 Digital Campus from November 2024 to October
2028 addresses three key strands: Metacampus, European Student Card, and Integration
Services. Currently we are considering next steps for the (potential) future develop-
7
ments of the alliance: Looking ahead, the Unite! alliance envisions potential advance-
ments in its digital infrastructure that could further enhance collaboration and alignment
with European higher education objectives. Possible areas of future work include ex-
ploring the development of a unified transnational course catalogue with standardized
metadata to improve course integration and accessibility, as well as expanding the Open
Educational Resources (OER) infrastructure to support the sharing of high-quality
learning materials. Additionally, accelerating the implementation of the European Stu-
dent Card Initiative (ESCI) and integrating virtual mobility options and digital creden-
tialing systems into the Metacampus may offer new opportunities for flexible learning
pathways and support for European Degree Labels. These directions represent promis-
ing avenues for continuing to build a robust and innovative digital ecosystem within
the alliance.
References
1. European Commission (2023). European Universities initiative. URL: https://educa-
tion.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/european-universities-initiative (2023-
11-06)
2. Unite! (2022). Unite! Mission Statement 2030. URL: https://www.unite-university.eu/me-
dia/unite-mission-statement-2030.pdf (2023-11-06)
3. Ebner, M., Schön, S., Alcober, J., Bertonasco, R., Bonani, F., Cruz, L., Espadas, C., Filgueira
Xavier, V., Franco, M., Gasplmayr, K., Giralt, J., Hoppe, C., Koschutnig-Ebner, M., Lange-
vin, E., Laurent, R., Leitner, P., Martikainen, J., Matias, J., Muchitsch, M., Oller, M., Pereira,
A.B., Petersson, J., Santiano, G., Schmidt, A. da Silva, F.M., Steitz, K., Taraghi, B., Torchi-
ano, M., Villas, S., Würz, A. (2024). Aligning IT infrastructures for digital learning amongst
the European university alliance Unite! - The Unite! digital campus framework and require-
ments (1.0). Unite! Community 2 Digital Campus, Graz University of Technology.
https://doi.org/10.3217/36yen-0wy21
4. Ebner, M., Schön, S., Alcober, J., Bertonasco, R., Gasplmayr, K., Herczak-Ciara; A., Hoppe,
C., Langevin, E., Laurent, R., Leitner, P., Martikainen, J., Petersson, J. Reignier-Tayar, N.,
da Silva, F.M.,Steitz, K., Taraghi, B., Würz, A.(2024). Examining IT Infrastructures for
Learning and Teaching in the European University Alliance Unite! Accepted for EUNIS
proceedings 2024. In print.
5. Schön, S., Gasplmayr, K., Ebner, M., Alcober, J., Hoppe, C., Koschutnig-Ebner, M., da
Silva, F.M. & Taraghi, B. (2024). The Development of “Teaching Management Patterns”
from the Perspective of IT Infrastructure as a tool for consulting and further development in
a European university alliance. In T. Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate
Learning (pp. 146-155). Brussels, Belgium: Association for the Advancement of Computing
in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/224515/.
6. Bertonasco, R. (2024). OUR experience as in-house developers. Presentation at ESCI Day
Italia on May 15, 2024
7. Ebner, M., Gasplmayr, K., Kreuzer, E., Leitner, P. Schön, S. & Taraghi, B. (2023). Imple-
mentation of MOOCs for Microcredentials and European University Alliances. In: Sam
Goundar (ed.), Massive Open Online Courses – Current Practice and Future Trends,
IntechOpen, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.1001466
8
8. Berger, F., Galati, N. & Witteler, S. (2023). Making Interoperability Work, Challenges and
Solutions for an Interoperable Higher Education System, In: Hochschulforum Digitalisier-
ung Report No. 72 / September 2023, URL: https://hochschulforumdigitalisier-
ung.de/sites/default/files/dateien/HFD_report_no.72_Making_interoperability_work.pdf
9. Schön, S., Ebner, M., Edelsbrunner, S., Gasplmayr, K., Hohla-Sejkora, K., Leitner, P. &
Taraghi, B. (2024). Federated virtual learning management in a European University alli-
ance: General challenges and first experiences using LTI to connect LMS in Unite!. In T.
Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 132-145). Brussels, Bel-
gium: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/224514/.
10. Gorski, M. & Waligóra, A. (2021). Strategies and phases of shaping governance structures
in European universities’ alliances EDULEARN21 Proceedings, pp. 11867-11874. DOI:
10.21125/edulearn.2021.2477
