PhD Digital Transformation in Learning

We are in search of highly motivated and qualified candidates with a master’s degree to join our PhD program.  

Program description

In an increasingly data-driven world, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are changing when, what and how we learn. This development must not be one-sided, technology-driven, however, at our IT:U & JKU Doctoral School with a focus on active learning in higher education and beyond, we aim to shape intelligent learning technologies together with the participating students and professionals aiming to achieve long-lasting impact on higher education through active and project-based learning. We aspire to leverage artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to empower students to take responsibility for their own learning in close collaboration and engage within an inclusive, transparent, and fair learning environment.

The Doctoral School for Digital Transformation in Learning combines IT:U’s innovative interdisciplinary teaching approaches and digital competencies with the well-established and track record-proven concept of JKU’s Linz School of Education to build a lighthouse in higher education. Our structured PhD program aims to empower students to investigate how emerging technologies could enhance and expand active learning in higher education. Such novel technology-enhanced approaches may transform how we teach and learn to support us in addressing societal and scientific challenges, for instance, to employ technologies to offer personalized learning support or generate novel learning resources.

In our Doctoral School, you will work with outstanding supervisors from our local and international eco-system who will offer their individual experiences and perspectives to support your academic progress. The PhD program aims to explore new ways of active learning from a wide range of perspectives such as individual learning psychology, social dynamics in collaborative and project-based learning, educational considerations in virtual learning scenarios, or the effects of AI on learning can all be potential project topics. This novel learning environment, combined with the wide range of topics, will demand interdisciplinary methods to effectively explore and create innovative solutions. The combination of subject-specific knowledge and interdisciplinary key competencies aims to prepare students for key roles in a future driven by digital transformation and provides a creative ecosystem to think beyond usual research approaches.

More information on the structure of the doctoral school

More information on the Supervisory Committee

Responsibilities and tasks

You are up! We expect you to acquire new skills within our learning labs and to independently conduct interdisciplinary research. You will also gain valuable educational experience while having the opportunity to teach other students in your field of expertise. Over the course of four years, you will write and publish several research papers, culminating in writing and defending your PhD thesis. To achieve all of this, we expect you to work independently while also collaborating with your team and relevant stakeholders in the inspiring atmosphere of the JKU and IT:U university campuses in Linz, Austria.

Skills and qualifications

To qualify for the PhD program, you must have completed a degree equivalent to a Master’s degree in a field related to your desired project. It doesn’t matter what your study background is (from psychology over computer science to medicine), your interest in active learning counts! We are looking for curious minds with a keen interest in interdisciplinary research and fluent English communication and academic writing skills.

What you can expect

We value your work! You will be employed at IT:U during your entire PhD. We offer a gross salary in line with the market from EUR 3.578,80 on a 40-hour full-time basis. Our employees also benefit from a free Austria Climate Ticket, which covers all modes of public transportation. And of course, your coffee and snacks are on us.