Make me think! Generative Lerntechniken ohne Künstliche Intelligenz - U:FF 2026

Make Me Think! Generative Learning Techniques Without Artificial Intelligence: A presentation by Laura Platte and Nadine Lordick at the University:Future Festival 2026. Generative tools make interacting with learning materials deceptively easy: With just a few prompts, content is summarized, explained, and structured. However, this ease of use, which a well-known usability book describes as "Don't Make Me Think," carries risks: Studies show that the use of generative technologies can have very mixed effects on learning outcomes. Furthermore, students may experience increased uncertainty about their own understanding. In our presentation, we invite you to revisit generative learning techniques – but WITHOUT "AI." We want to remind you that a certain amount of "friction" in the learning process, probing, and self-assessment can be beneficial, and we will demonstrate techniques that, through the independent generation of texts and images, promote the active, in-depth processing of information, sustainable retention, and the awareness and development of one's own abilities. /// The sixth edition of the University:Future Festival took place from June 22-24, 2026, under the motto "Under Pressure!" The hybrid festival was held in person in Berlin, Braunschweig, Essen, Graz, Hamburg, and Nuremberg. The University:Future Festival (U:FF) is the largest event dedicated to the (digital) future of academic education. Topics included AI, future skills, didactics, and strategic processes. Participants enjoyed a diverse program with approximately 280 presentations from around 550 speakers! The University:Future Festival is a collaboration between the Higher Education Forum on Digitalization, the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education, and the Stifterverband (Donors' Association for German Science). The partner stages were organized by the Emerging Tech Lab and the Media Lab of the Project House at TU Braunschweig, ORCA.nrw, Graz University of Technology, Ohm University and UTN Nuremberg, and the University of Hamburg in conjunction with OERCamp. More information is available at https://festival.hfd.digital/de/