Len Ole Schäfer

Photo: Hardy Welsch

Dr. Len Ole Schäfer

Lead of the project ORC

Email: len-ole.schaefer

FernUniversität in Hagen
Universitätsstr. 27 - PRG / Building 5 / Room A129
58097 Hagen

• My short vita

  • Postdoc in the research center CATALPA at the FernUniversität in Hagen (2019 - ).
  • PhD in Sociology on the impact of the Research Excellence Framework on academic practice in the UK (2018).
  • Research associate at the senior professorship for social theory and comparative macrosociology at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany (2018)
  • Visiting Scholar at University College London (UCL), Institute of Education, ESRC/HEFCE Centre for Global Higher Education (2016).
  • Research Assistant at the Chair of Sociology esp. Sociological Theory at the University of Bamberg (2012 - 2018).
  • Diploma in Sociology (2012) on the construction of rankings in science

• My research interests

  I am passionate about higher education research and particularly interested in the organizational conditions of creativity and the relationship between organisational resilience and educational technologies at higher education institutions. Topics that spark my interest are sociological theory, sociological methods, organizational sociology and educational technologies.

• My CATALPA associated publications

  2024

  Conferences

  • Schäfer, L. O., Deacon, B., & Laufer, M. (in press). Die Rolle der Digitalisierungsstrategie bei der Implementierung und dem Erhalt digitaler Lehre. Digitale Kulturen der Lehre entwickeln. https://dikule-symposium.de/
  • Schäfer, L. O., & Saner, P. (2024, March). The Vulnerable Organization in Times of Multiple Crises. A Theoretical Reflection on Institutional Theory. 19th Workshop on New Institutionalism (NIW). Track B5: Conceptual Developments: Institutions, Vulnerability and Whistleblowing. https://www.wiwi.uni-jena.de/en/9889/19th-workshop-on-new-institutionalism

  Chapters in Edited Books

  • Schäfer, L. O., Deacon, B., & Laufer, M. (2024). Die Rolle der Digitalisierungsstrategien bei der Implementierung digitaler Lehre. In L. Mrohs, J. Franz, D. Herrmann, K. Lindner, & T. Staake (Eds.), Digitale Kulturen der Lehre entwickeln: Rahmenbedingungen, Konzepte und Werkzeuge (pp. 29–35). Springer Fachmedien. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43379-6_3

  2023

  Journals

  • Deacon, B., Laufer, M., & Schäfer, L. O. (2023). Infusing Educational Technologies in the Heart of the University - A Systematic Literature Review from an Organisational Perspective. British Journal of Educational Technology, 54(2), 441–466. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13277
  • Thorbrügge, C., Desel, J., & Schäfer, L. O. (2023). Vorqualifikationen und Anerkennungsoptionen im Informatikstudium. Hochschuldidaktik Informatik HDI 2021 (Commentarii informaticae didacticae), 13, 73–89. https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-61394

  Conferences

  • Laufer, M., Kuper, F., Mende, M., Schäfer, L. O., & Tschache, T. (2023, April). How to Organize Edtech at the University: A Practitioner’s Field Guide for Implementing Edtech. University:Future Festival Heads Up!
  • Laufer, M., Schäfer, L. O., Kuper, F., & Deacon, B. (2023, July). The intersection of resilience, creativity and edtech: A conceptual framework for universities. 39th EGOS Colloquium: Organizing for the Good Life: Between Legacy and Imagination. Sub-Theme 67: Resilient Individuals, Organizations, and Societies: Blenders of Legacy and Imagination. https://www.egos.org/jart/prj3/egos/main.jart?rel=de&reserve-mode=active&content-id=1658501434997&subtheme_id=1637466415521&show_prog=yes

  Other Publications

  • Laufer, M., Kuper, F., Mende, M. A., Schäfer, L. O., & Tschache, T. (2023). Organizing Digital Change at the University. The Practitioners’ Field Guide for Implementing Educational Technology. In HIIG Impact Publication Series. https://graphite.page/fieldguide-edtech/

  2022

  Journals

  • Elsholz, U., Schäfer, L. O., & Huynh, H. N. (2022). Kompetenzsensible Studiengestaltung als mehrdimensionale Herausforderung. die hochschule journal für wissenschaft und bildung, 31(1-2), 82–93. https://www.hof.uni-halle.de/journal/dhs222.htm
  • Timm, M., Deacon, B., Laufer, M., Schäfer, L. O., & Tschache, T. (2022). Atomisierung, Innovation und Organisation: Qualität der Lehre im ersten Digitalsemester. die hochschullehre, 8(1), 395–408.

  Conferences

  • Laufer, M., Deacon, B., & Schäfer, L. O. (2022, September). Leadership in Digital Change: An exploration of organizational trust and innovation in universities. EAIR Forum 2022: Accelerating the Future of Higher Education. https://www.eairweb.org/
  • Laufer, M., Schäfer, L. O., & Deacon, B. (2022). Resisting Digital Change: Is it a Bad Thing?: An exploration into why university staff resist digital teaching. SRHE Conference 2022, Mobilities in Higher Education.
  • Schäfer, L. O., Deacon, B., & Laufer, M. (2022, July). Organizational conditions and dynamics of digital teaching. Academic Practice and Technology (APT): Shaping Academic Practice Through Diversity and Flexibility. Parallel Sessions 2. https://reflect.ucl.ac.uk/aptconference/presentations-papers-archive/conference-2022-video/

  Chapters in Edited Books

  • Laufer, M., Deacon, B., & Schäfer, L. O. (2022). The Power of Informal Networks. How middle management, central leadership and trust can impact innovation at the university. In F. W. Hesse, C. Kobsda, & C. Schemmann (Eds.), Digital Transformation of Higher Education - Global Learning Report 2022 (p. 54). Global Learning Council (GLC). https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.79627

  Web Documents

  • Schäfer, L. O. (2022). Freiheit in der digitalen Lehre. #NewLearning Blog. https://newlearning.fernuni-hagen.de/freiheit-in-der-digitalen-lehre/

  2021

  Journals

  • Elsholz, U., Fecher, B., Deacon, B., Schäfer, L. O., & Laufer, M. (2021). Implikationen der Covid-19-Pandemie für digitale Lehre: Organisierte Freiheit als Veränderungsparadigma. MedienPädagogik: Zeitschrift für Theorie und Praxis der Medienbildung, 40, 472–486. https://doi.org/10.21240/mpaed/40/2021.11.29.X

  Conferences

  • Deacon, B., Schäfer, L. O., & Laufer, M. (2021a, March). The Rapid Digital Turn: An Exploration into the Tight and Loose Coupling of University Structures. Understanding Digital Transformations of Higher Education Teaching and Learning in the Nordics and Beyond. Universities of Agder (Norway), Aarhus (Denmark) and KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden). https://cedit.uia.no/understanding-digital-transformations-of-higher-education-teaching-and-learning-in-the-nordics-and-beyond-call-for-papers/
  • Deacon, B., Schäfer, L. O., & Laufer, M. (2021b, September). The Rapid Digital Turn: An Exploration into the Tight and Loose Coupling of University Structures. 43rd Annual EAIR Forum 2021: Transformation Fast and Slow: Quality, Trust and Digitalisation in Higher Education. https://www.eairweb.org/forum-berlin-2021
  • Deacon, B., Schäfer, L. O., Timm, M., & Laufer, M. (2021, September). Enge und lose Kopplungen in der Hochschule – Die COVID-19 Pandemie und digitale Lehre. Soziologische Betrachtungen zur Digitalisierung der Lehre (in der COVID-19-Pandemie). DIPF – Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsinformation. https://www.dipf.de/de
  • Thorbrügge, C., Desel, J., & Schäfer, L. O. (2021, September). Studienverkürzung durch Anerkennung von Kompetenzen. Eine Interviewstudie über Vorqualifikationen von Informatikstudierenden. 9. Fachtagung Hochschuldidaktik Informatik (HDI) 2021.
  • Timm, M., Deacon, B., Tschache, T., Schäfer, L. O., & Laufer, M. (2021, September). Qualität in der digitalen Lehre: Eine Untersuchung von Einflussfaktoren. Tagung der Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung. https://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/fb03/institutefb03/erziehung/abteilungen/hd/gfhf2021

  Web Documents

  • Zhao, F., Schäfer, L. O., van Rijn, L., & Wöhrle, J. (2021). Snails on the chase: How to cope with anxiety in academic career. Elephant in the Lab. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5574873

  2020

  Conferences

  • Laufer, M., Deacon, B., & Schäfer, L. O. (2020, October). Lehren in der Krise, Lernen aus der Krise? Erfolg & Verstetigung digitaler Lehr- und Lerninnovationen. University:Future Festival - Learning, Systems and the NewNormal. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung.https://festival.hfd.digital/de/programm/workshops/

  2019

  Books

  • Schäfer, L. O. (2019). Universitäten im Leistungswettbewerb: Forschungsevaluation in Großbritannien. Springer Fachmedien. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-23395-2

• My networks and cooperations with CATALPA relations

  • Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft (HIIG)
  • Reviewer for Higher Education - The International Journal of Higher Education Research
  • Member of the advisory board of the #NewLearning Blog of the FernUniversität in Hagen

• My profiles in the web

  • Google Scholar