STACK.nrw
Building a Collaborative Database for STACK Exercises
STACK.nrw aims to further develop the potential of the open-source software STACK, an innovative plugin for the learning management systems ILIAS and Moodle, and make it accessible to a broader audience of users. STACK is already widely used at numerous institutions of higher education in NRW to enhance teaching, learning, and assessment formats.
The primary goals of the project are to consolidate existing STACK exercises to create a quality-assured repository of OER materials at the level of individual exercises, develop the necessary infrastructure for sharing, and establish a state-wide network of teachers and staff across
Open Exercise Database
Development of both centralized and decentralized infrastructure
STACK.nrw is developing an open, Git-based infrastructure for STACK exercises that enables easy sharing, versioning, and integration into the learning management systems ILIAS and Moodle. Through this technical solution, STACK.nrw facilitates access to high-quality exercises for educators and promotes sustainable development and collaboration.
Quality-Assured Exercises
Integrating Existing Resources
STACK.nrw collects existing STACK exercises from various OER initiatives and creates a central, quality-assured repository of exercises for all institutions of higher education in NRW. This provides educators with easy access to high-quality, reviewed exercises and fosters greater collaboration within the educational community.
Cooperation
Promoting Networking and Knowledge Exchange
STACK.nrw promotes networking and collaboration among educators and staff by building a state-wide network across NRW. STACK.nrw is supported by a sounding board composed of members from the ORCA network, the AG Information Infrastructure, dedicated educators from NRW, and additional STACK experts.
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Events
Enhancing Reach and Visibility
STACK.nrw leverages events to expand its visibility and strategically strengthen connections within the community.
International Meeting of the STACK Community 2025 from April 6 to April 9, 2025 in Durham, UK
In the presentation STACK.nrw: A Collaborative Exercise Repository for STACK, Michael Kallweit and Benjamin Schulz-Rosenberger introduced the key objectives and technical foundations of the STACK.nrw project. The focus was on building a Git-based pool of exercises, interfaces with existing learning management systems, and the automated enrichment of exercises with metadata. The presentation was aimed at the community to raise awareness of the project, highlight points of connection, and invite collaboration – with the goal of bringing together existing expertise and avoiding parallel developments.Presentation Slides: "STACK.nrw: A Collaborative Exercise Repository for STACK"
43rd ILIAS Development Conference on March 27, 2025 in Duisburg, Germany
In the talk STACK.nrw – Aufbau einer kollaborativen Aufgabendatenbank für STACK-Aufgaben, Jörg Horst and Tanja Schenck presented the STACK.nrw project. As background and motivation for the project’s development, they addressed shortcomings of existing task pools as well as current challenges educators face in creating, finding, and using STACK exercises. They also introduced the planned Git-based structure of the database, which aims to improve the discoverability and usability of the tasks. Further project goals were also outlined, including the promotion of collaboration and exchange to foster synergies and consolidate expertise within the community.Vortragsfolien: "STACK.nrw – Aufbau einer kollaborativen Aufgabendatenbank für STACK-Aufgaben"
ILIAS: Working Groups and Special Interest Groups (March 2025)
The project STACK.nrw was presented by Jörg Horst and Tanja Schenck in various working groups and special interest groups (SIGs) within the ILIAS community — including the SIG Mathe Digital, the SIG OER, and the Working Group on Engineering Mathematics — all of which focus on the digitalization of teaching. The central goals of the project were introduced, with a particular focus on the planned development of a collaborative database for exercises. In addition, potential points of connection for collaboration and exchange with interested members of the ILIAS community were discussed.
ORCA.nrw Conference 2024 on Novemver 11, 2024 in Essen, Germany
In the presentation STACK.nrw: Git-basierter Aufgabenpool für STACK-Aufgaben, Michael Kallweit and Benjamin Schulz-Rosenberger discussed the current challenges faced by educators and lecturers in searching for STACK exercises and demonstrated how STACK.nrw will address these issues in the future. The focus was on the role of STACK exercises in digital teaching, the objectives of STACK.nrw, current technical developments, as well as feedback and suggestions from the community.Presentation Slides: "STACK.nrw: Git-basierter Aufgabenpool für STACK-Aufgaben"
Experience and Expertise from Previous Projects
Foundation for Innovative Development
STACK.nrw builds on the successes of previous projects, which led to the creation of the repositories DOMAIN – Database of Math Instructions and Digitaler Aufgabenpool Mathematik – Kompetenzorientiertes digitales Prüfen. The insights gained from these projects provide valuable inspiration for further developing innovative approaches for STACK.nrw.
DOMAIN – Database of Math Instructions
DOMAIN is a cross-university platform that enables the efficient exchange and use of digital mathematics exercises, regardless of the e-learning system being used. With quick search functionality based on specific criteria, it supports educators in sharing high-quality digital content and promoting its use in higher education teaching.
Digitaler Aufgabenpool Mathematik – Kompetenzorientiertes digitales Prüfen
Digitaler Aufgabenpool Mathematik is a centralized collection of STACK-based exercises designed to support educators in creating competence-oriented digital assessments. The exercises are classified according to didactic taxonomies and can be flexibly exported for homework, practice formats, and exams.
STACK.nrw Team
The STACK.nrw team consists of dedicated experts from three higher education institutions with expertise in integrating modern technologies into teaching, developing digital learning materials, and utilizing artificial intelligence in education and research.
Prof. Dr. Angela Schmitz
Patricia Graf
Prof. Dr. Jörg Horst
Tatiana Schenck
Dr. Michael Kallweit
Dr. Benjamin Schulz-Rosenberger
The project STACK.nrw is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia under file number 214-76.01.08-37-2024-5925 and is financed through funds from the Zukunftsvertrag Studium und Lehre stärken. The project STACK.nrw runs from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2027.
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