Learning Technology
Symposium

June 23, 2025 – Fraunhofer FOKUS
© AI-generated | Fraunhofer FOKUS

Shaping the Future of education with interoperability and AI

The Learning Technology Symposium (LTS) is an essential event for topics related to Technology-Enhanced Learning in Berlin, Germany. Its first edition took place on June 23, 2025. We were thrilled to welcome more than 60 registered participants from ten different countries, making this event a truly collaborative experience. National and international experts from Fraunhofer and industry presented various technology areas of e-learning, particularly in relation to AI and interoperability. We had exciting talks and interesting tutorials that showcased the latest advances in learning technologies and explored current and future topics.

The symposium took place on Monday, June 23, 2025 marking the kick-off to Media Web Week with the two-day Media Web Symposium that followed. 

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    Fraunhofer FOKUS , Learning Tech Symposium
    Fraunhofer FOKUS , Learning Tech Symposium
    Fraunhofer FOKUS , Learning Tech Symposium
    Fraunhofer FOKUS , Learning Tech Symposium
    © Paul Hahn / Fraunhofer FOKUS
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Learning Technology Awards

At LTS, we presented four awards to our outstanding speakers. Each award recognized a unique contribution to the future of digital education.

A heartfelt thank you to our award jury for your fantastic support:

  • Gordon Priebe (AVM GmbH)
  • Lena Gehlhaar (Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH)
  • Dr. Danny Pająk (Capgemini)
  • Nezih Sorguç (DAS Akademie - Deutsche Akademie für Sprachen)
  • Christine Harzer (Fraunhofer Academy)
  • Dr. Christopher Krauss (Fraunhofer FOKUS)
  • Dr. Anne-Sophie Waag (Wikimedia Deutschland e. V.)
  • Fernanda Lange Boettcher (WFBB - Economic Development Agency Brandenburg)
  • Tim Deussen (XRBB - Extended Reality Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.)
  • © Paul Hahn / Fraunhofer FOKUS

    𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

    Congratulations to Lewis Erckenbrecht (Bitkom e.V.) for the best presentation (chosen by the audience) with a dynamic and engaging talk on 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, including a generated game about the symposium itself!

    Lewis Erckenbrecht
    Policy Manager, Digital Education Policy, Bitkom e. V.
  • © Paul Hahn / Fraunhofer FOKUS

    𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

    Chosen by our audience, this award went to Jan Renz (FWU – das Medieninstitut der Länder gGmbH) for the insightful talk on the development of 𝗔𝗜 & 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺.

    Dr. Jan Renz
    Co-Department Head Mediaservices, FWU – Das Medieninstitut der Länder gGmbH
  • © Paul Hahn / Fraunhofer FOKUS

    𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

    Also jury-selected, this went to Boris Heithecker (𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻-𝟮𝟭: 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗲. 𝗩.) for advancing 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘅, a cross-border interoperability standard enabling seamless exchange of school and student data between school systems and services.

    Dr. Boris Heithecker
    Projektleitung moin.schule – Schulischer Anmeldeservice Niedersachsen, Landesinitiative n-21: Schulen in Niedersachsen online e. V.
  • © Paul Hahn / Fraunhofer FOKUS

    𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

    Awarded by our expert jury to Marian Guenther (Microsoft) for the talk on 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 & 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Marian showcased practical examples of cutting-edge AI tools already transforming education.

    Marian Guenther
    Tech Lead & Strategist for Research (GER), Microsoft Deutschland GmbH

    • Recap

    The Learning Technology Symposium offered insightful tutorials in the morning and presentations by our partners from industry in the afternoon, covering important trends and prospects in the field of educational technology.

    We talked about interesting topics with people from different countries. In 2025, we concentrated on these subjects:

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    • Technologies, frameworks and standards for education

      The symposium began with a foundational tutorial led by Truong-Sinh An and The-Anh Nguyen from Fraunhofer FOKUS, who explored the critical role of interoperability standards such as LTI, cmi5, Common Cartridge, and xAPI. Their session emphasized the importance of scalable and adaptable educational ecosystems and demonstrated how middleware can bridge fragmented systems while ensuring GDPR compliance and enabling learning analytics. This theme continued with Dr. Boris Heithecker from Landesinitiative n-21, who introduced Schulconnex, a standardization initiative enabling seamless data exchange between school systems. Ingo List, CEO of Antares Project GmbH, showcased how AI can enhance interoperability in educational content discovery, offering a glimpse into the future of intelligent, connected learning platforms.
      View Agenda

    • Connected education ecosystems in practice

      Real-world applications of connected learning environments were brought to life through compelling case studies. Dr. Jan Renz from FWU – Das Medieninstitut der Länder gGmbH offered a strategic view of Germany’s federal approach to building an AI-enabled educational ecosystem. Clara Neumayer from Amazon Web Services (AWS) presented AWS’s ecosystem approach to addressing the digital skills gap in Germany, highlighting collaborative strategies across sectors. Till Poser (who took over for Matthias Kutter) from BWI GmbH presented the vision behind a virtual learning environment for the Bundeswehr, outlining both the opportunities and challenges of building sustainable digital training infrastructures.
      View Agenda

    • XR, Gamification and Serious Games

      The power of play in education was explored through innovative approaches to gamification and immersive learning. Lewis Erckenbrecht from Bitkom e. V. delivered an engaging session on gamification and serious games, including a GenAI-generated game about the symposium itself. Fax Quintus from i-mmersive showcased AI-driven personalized XR training solutions, while Oliver Schuler from TriCAT GmbH discussed the role of AI agents in the industrial metaverse, evolving from advisors to multi-agent learning assistants. These sessions highlighted how interactive technologies are reshaping engagement and effectiveness in professional training.
      View Agenda

    • GenAI in education

      Generative AI emerged as a transformative force across multiple sessions. Marian Guenther from Microsoft Deutschland GmbH opened with a forward-looking perspective on GenAI trends in research and education, showcasing real-world applications already reshaping the classroom. Martin Schulze of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) shared how AI is being integrated into military learning management systems to support scalable, mission-critical training.  Jörg Müller from THE SKILL shared insights from designing GenAI-augmented learning experiences, while Philipp Kröpelin from KPG Kröpelin Projekt GmbH demonstrated how GenAI accelerates e-learning through the ILIAS platform. Rolf Reinhardt and Clarisse Ni Mhuineachean from LinkedIn presented innovations in the LinkedIn Learning Hub, where AI is used to align individual skill development with organizational agility. Complementing these were Naomi Schoppa and Bach Do from Fraunhofer FOKUS, who explored how AI enables personalized learning through recommendation systems, learning analytics, and the integration of large language models into LMS platforms. 
      View Agenda

    Agenda

    • 09:00 - 10:00 | June 23, 2025

      REGISTRATION, WELCOME COFFEE

    • In the rapidly evolving landscape of educational offerings, new demands are being placed on educational ecosystems, interoperability, and compliance with GDPR. This tutorial will discuss approaches and share best practices for building educational ecosystems that not only address these emerging challenges but also encompass critical themes such as scalability, adaptability, and learning analytics.
      We will explore the fundamental standards LTI vs. cmi5, Common Cartridge, and xAPI, and their significance for the integration and interoperability of learning systems. Our goal is to equip you with the insights needed to create robust educational frameworks that meet contemporary needs.
      The tutorial is structured as follows:

      1. Introduction to Learning Technologies: Overview of the role of technologies in education and the necessity of standards.
      2. Educational Ecosystems – Best-of-Suite vs. Best-of-Breed: Discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches in shaping learning environments.
      3. Interoperability – Specifications and Standards: Examination of relevant standards and their impact on the integration of learning systems.
      4. The Role of Middleware – Use-Cases: Analysis of how middleware enhances interoperability, supported by a demo for illustration.

      Join us to expand your knowledge of the technologies that are shaping the future of learning!

      Download slides

       

      Truong-Sinh An

      , 

      Project Manager R&D

      , 

      Fraunhofer FOKUS

      The-Anh Nguyen

      , 

      Research Associate

      , 

      Fraunhofer FOKUS

    • In education, artificial intelligence is enabling a profound transformation. This tutorial offers you a comprehensive insight into the world of AI-powered education and shows how these technologies can be used to create personalized learning experiences. AI’s ability to analyze and adapt learning processes offers new ways to meet individual educational needs. Find out how you can use AI to make education more efficient and accessible. Immerse yourself in the future of educational technology and discover how AI is fundamentally changing the way we learn.

      Our tutorial is structured as follows:

        • AI in education: Discover how AI is redefining learning methods and enabling innovative educational solutions.
        • Personalized Recommendations: Learn how AI-based systems provide tailored course recommendations.
        • Learning Analytics: Incease learning success and optimize education through data-driven insights.
        • LLMs: Use large language models to make learning more efficient and effective.
        • Integration in LMS: Find out how AI can be effectively integrated into learning management systems.

      We look forward to discussing and exploring the possibilities of AI in education with you.

      Download slides

       

      Naomi Schoppa

      , 

      Research Associate

      , 

      Fraunhofer FOKUS

      Bach Do

      , 

      Research Associate

      , 

      Fraunhofer FOKUS

    • 12:00 - 13:00 | June 23, 2025

      Lunch & Demos

    • The Learning Tech Night will take place at TROFEO, within walking distance of Fraunhofer FOKUS. More details will be announced on the LTS.

      Tickets are available at the registration desk (while supplies last) when you check in at Fraunhofer FOKUS for the Learning Technology Symposium on the morning of the event.

    Contact

    If you are interested or have questions about the FOKUS Learning Technology Symposium, please contact us by email. We look forward to hearing from you.

    Venue

    Situated in Berlin’s vibrant Charlottenburg district, the Fraunhofer FOKUS provides an inspiring environment, ideal for groundbreaking discussions and networking opportunities.

    Fraunhofer-Institute for Open Communications Systems - FOKUS
    Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 31
    10589 Berlin
    Germany
    How to find usHotels near the Venue

    Gallery

    Impressions from this year's Learning Technology Symposium