Digitally top-class

“Home-schooling” was an entirely new experience for many schoolchildren in Germany when they suddenly had to start learning from home in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Most schools found it challenging to provide the required technical equipment, but the Integrated Comprehensive School (IGS) Lengede in Lower Saxony didn’t. It is regarded as a pioneer in digital learning in Germany – and for its success in this area received the 2020/21 German School Award in the category “Digital Solutions”.

For its more than 1,000 pupils in years 5 to 13, digital solutions for teaching and learning, interconnectivity, remote teamwork and self-organised learning are all part of daily school life. Tablets and laptops are ordinary learning tools for them. This allows them to access the “L3KIDS” digital toolbox that the school has developed. By clicking on one of the colourful icons, they can find the application they need and complete tasks like creating a presentation, composing lesson notes or sharing ideas and thoughts with each other. These days, the school’s entire administration and communication takes places digitally, too.

The IGS Lengede is a comparatively young school that was established in 2010. Perhaps this sense of just starting out is also part of the reason for its success. “We have been creating a digital learning environment ever since we opened”, says its headmaster, Jan-Peter Braun. “Back then, the first step was to set up the technical infrastructure at the school with high-speed internet and good WiFi connectivity.” Braun also got parents and the 100 or so teachers at the school on board at an early stage. “If the teachers are not familiar with the project, there is also no point involving the pupils.”

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