Dr. Melissa Laufer

Photo: An Duc Dang_photoduke

Dr. Melissa Laufer

Senior Researcher and Project Lead at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Project lead ORC

Email: melissa.laufer

Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft (HIIG), Berlin
Forschungsprogramm Wissen & Gesellschaft

My site at the HIIG

• My short vita

  • Senior Researcher and Project Lead at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Research Program “Knowledge & Society” (since 2020)
  • Doctorate in Sociology, Ghent University (2020)
  • Researcher at York University (2018 – 2020)
  • Visiting Scholar at the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) (2018)
  • Visiting Scholar at National Chengchi University (2017)
  • Visiting Scholar at Center for International Higher Education, Boston College (2016)
  • Researcher at the Centre for Higher Education Governance Ghent, Ghent University (2014 – 2020)

• My research interests

  I´m interested in investigating organizational change processes at higher education institutions. In particular, I´m passionate about topics related to organizational culture, leadership, networking, and strategy building.

• My projects within CATALPA

  • Organizational Resilience and Creativity: Exploring the Future of Educational Technology in Higher Education (ORC, from 04/2023)
  • Organizational Adaptivity in the (German) Higher Education Context (OrA, until 03/2023)

• My CATALPA associated publications

  2024

  Journals

  • Laufer, M., Deacon, B., Mende, M. A., & Schäfer, L. O. (2024). Leading with Trust: How University Leaders can Foster Innovation with Educational Technology through Organizational Trust. Innovative Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09733-5

  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/

  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

  • Talks and Poster Presentation

  • Deacon, B., Kuper, F., Laufer, M., Sievering, M., & Schäfer, L. O. (2024). Sensemaking and the future university: Exploring the role digitalization strategies play for university teachers' engagement with EdTech. https://www.egos.org/jart/prj3/egos/main.jart?rel=de&reserve-mode=active&content-id=1662944489704&subtheme_id=1670171686630&show_prog=yes

  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
  • Fecher, B., Hebing, M., Laufer, M., Pohle, J., & Sofsky, F. (2023). Friend or foe? Exploring the implications of large language models on the science system. AI & SOCIETY. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-023-01791-1

  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, Juli). 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

  • Web Documents

  • Laufer, M., Mende, M. A., & Sievering, M. (2023, July). EdTech: The secret to its implementation. Digital Society Blog. https://www.hiig.de/en/edtech-the-secret-to-its-implementation/

  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

  • 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 DigitalChange: 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 BadThing?: An exploration into why university staff resist digital teaching. SRHEConference 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 Sessions2. 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. Global Learning Council (GLC). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.73580

  Web Documents

  • Deacon, B., Laufer, M., & Sokolovska, N. (2022). Sharing knowledge: Impact of Covid-19 on digital teaching. Digital Society Blog. https://www.hiig.de/en/digital-teaching/

  2021

  Journals

  • Elsholz, U., Fecher, B., Deacon, B., Schäfer, L. O., & Laufer, M. (2021). Implikationen der Covid-19-Pandemie für digitale Lehre: Organisierte Freiheitals Veränderungsparadigma. MedienPädagogik: Zeitschrift für Theorie und Praxis der Medienbildung, 40, 472–486. https://doi.org/10.21240/mpaed/40/2021.11.29.X
  • Laufer, M. (2021). Spinning Stories: Communicating Internationalization Through Organizational Storytelling. Journal of Studies in International Education, 25(2), 167–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315319893652
  • Laufer, M., Leiser, A., Deacon, B., Perrin de Brichambaut, P., Fecher, B., Kobsda, C., & Hesse, F. W. (2021). Digital Higher Education: A Divider or Bridge Builder? Leadership Perspectives on Edtech in a COVID-19 Reality. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00287-6

  Conferences

  • Deacon, B., Schäfer, L. O., & Laufer, M. (2021a, March). The Rapid Digital Turn: AnExploration 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 DigitalTurn: An Exploration into the Tight and Loose Coupling of UniversityStructures. 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 derCOVID-19-Pandemie). DIPF – Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsforschung undBildungsinformation. https://www.dipf.de/de
  • 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

  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/
  • Leiser, A., Laufer, M., Deacon, B., & Kobsda, C. (2020, October). Re-imagining higher education: Shifting gears and shifting visions. University:Future Festival– Learning, Systems and the New Normal. Workshops:Day. HochschulforumDigitalisierung. https://festival.hfd.digital/de/programm/workshops/

  Web Documents

  • Laufer, M., & Deacon, B. (2020). The rapid digital turn: How are universities faring? Digital Society Blog. https://www.hiig.de/en/the-rapid-digital-turn-how-are-universities-faring/

• My profiles on the web

  • Google Scholar