Digital conference LEARNTEC xChange from February 2 to 4, 2021

The leading trade fair LEARNTECEurope’s largest event for digital education for schools, universities and careers, has been postponed by five months to June 24-26, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, even on the usual date at the beginning of 2021, visitors and newcomers will not have to miss out on information about digital learning. From February 2 to 4, the digital specialist event LEARNTEC xChange over the stage.

“This allows us to offer our community a platform for exchange and networking,” says project manager René Naumann from Karlsruher Messe und Kongress GmbH. Information on the online expert presentations and virtual roundtables on the digitalization of the learning and working world and the opportunity to register free of charge can be found at www.learntec.de.

Digital solutions determine everyday life

Virtual applications have received a crisis-related boost in recent months . Since the start of the corona pandemic, digital solutions for managing everyday working life have been more in demand than ever. “Working from home, video conferencing and digital lectures have become an integral part of work and education,” emphasizes Naumann.

For Prof. Dr. Peter Henning, a member of the LEARNTEC congress committee and the steering committee of karlsruhe.digital, digital solutions for completing the tasks set are not yet equally widespread in all areas. “At universities, digital learning went from being the exception to the rule in one fell swoop. In most cases, difficulties in adapting were quickly overcome thanks to the great commitment of the teaching staff,” says Henning. Schools, on the other hand, were only woken from their slumber by the coronavirus pandemic. “There is still a lot of chaos at some schools, which is mainly due to the lack of support for digital learning,” says Henning. Karlsruhe is a “notable exception” due to the good support from the school authorities.

“Technological innovation cycles have accelerated”

According to Henning, the innovative impetus provided by Europe’s largest industry show on digital learning is therefore particularly important for decision-makers in schools. “The technological innovation cycles have accelerated extremely in recent years and there is currently no sign of this trend slowing down,” says Henning. However, because social innovation cycles have stagnated, the benefits of digitalization would not reach schools and vocational training without a strategic approach .

Future technologies such as augmented and virtual reality and artificial intelligence could become increasingly important in the coming years, emphasizes Naumann. That is why it is also important that there is another face-to-face trade fair for digital learning as soon as possible.

LEARNTEC is scheduled to take place from June 22 to 24, 2021

Whether LEARNTEC from 22 to 24 June can actually go ahead as a face-to-face event. According to Naumann, whether LEARNTEC can actually go ahead as a face-to-face event at the trade fair as currently planned depends on the future development of the pandemic. “It is still unclear how the situation will develop in the coming months,” says Naumann. However, virtual broadcasts from Messe Karlsruhe will be set up in any case for visitors who are unable to attend on site for various reasons . As with LEARNTEC xChange, all congress presentations will be broadcast live online at .