Prof. Dr. phil. Dörte Hein

Academic Profile

Prof. Dr. phil. Dipl.-Soz. Dörte Hein teaches and conducts research at Dresden University of Applied Sciences in the Chair of General Educational Sciences and Pedagogy. Her work focuses on adult education and continuing professional development, digital education, learning in the workplace, and learning guidance and support in heterogeneous and challenging contexts (such as the prison service). Drawing on her many years’ experience in academic evaluation studies, programme development, organisational consultancy and university teaching, she combines sociological perspectives with practice-oriented approaches to adult and social pedagogy. She has been working at Dresden University of Applied Sciences since March 2015 and plays a key role in research and development projects as well as in supervising various degree programmes.

Academic and professional background

After studying sociology at Dresden University of Technology, Prof. Dr. phil. Dörte Hein graduated in 2002 with a Diplom in Sociology. From 2003 to 2007, she was a state scholarship holder of the Free State of Saxony and was awarded a Dr. phil. degree in 2011 by the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Dresden University of Technology for her dissertation on learning guidance to support skills development in prisons.

Prior to her appointment at Dresden University of Applied Sciences, she held the W3 professorship in Adult Education/Vocational Further Education at Dresden University of Technology from April 2014 to February 2015. In addition, from 2007 to 2013 she was coordinator of the ‘Family-Friendly University’ audit at TU Dresden, and since 2006 she has worked on a freelance basis in continuing education, organisational and human resources development, and as a lecturer. Since 1 March 2015, she has held the Chair of General Educational Sciences and Pedagogy at Dresden University of Applied Sciences.

Key research areas and interests

In her research, Prof. Dr Hein focuses primarily on learning guidance and support in higher and vocational education, digital teaching and user behaviour in relation to collaborative tools (including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic), as well as the realisation of learning potential within the work process.

Current and completed research projects include, amongst others, the ProKomSe project (proactive support structures for self-study phases), PFLEX SACHSEN (analysis of staff shortages in community care), as well as research into online teaching during lockdown and the learning environment in Saxon prisons.

Teaching

Prof. Dr Hein teaches on several Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes at Dresden University of Applied Sciences:

Social Pedagogy and Management (B.A.): Fundamentals of Academic Writing, Anthropology, Pedagogical Approaches, Educational Concepts, Media Education, Biographical Coping.

Nursing and Health Management (B.A.): Communication, Counselling, Intercultural Aspects, as well as Public Health and Prevention.

Vocational Education (B.A. & M.A.): Introduction to Media Education and Educational Technology, School Development and Law.

She also contributed her expertise to the development of various new degree programmes (including the B.A. in Digital Education Management and the B.A./M.A. in Vocational Education for Nursing and Healthcare Professions).

Projects (selection)

MeGA – Mentors in Healthcare Work Contexts (since 2025)

RENOY (Erasmus Key Action 2): Transnational project on alternative perspectives on the education of young people in the prison system and ‘Authentic Inquiry’ as a socio-educational learning method (2019–2020).

Publications (selection)

Görl-Rottstädt, D., Andrä, M., & Arnold, M. (2023) Analysis of Mission Statements of Social Service Organisations as Practical Anthropology – An Example from Teaching in Social Work Management at a German University of Applied Sciences, IN Arnold, M. (Ed.). Handbook of Applied Teaching and Learning in Social Work Management Education: Theories, Methods, and Practices in Higher Education. Springer Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18038-5_15

Görl-Rottstädt, D., Arnold, M., Heinrich-Zehm, M., & Köhler, M. (2022). Considerations for the implementation of a framework for (digital) learning guidance and support in higher education and vocational college contexts. In R. Arnold, & S. Schön (Eds.), Learning support: Notes on a mode of pedagogical professionalism (pp. 177–194). Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren.

Görl-Rottstädt, D. (2022), Practice-oriented approaches to incorporating media education topics into learning guidance and support in social pedagogy studies. In R. Arnold & S. Schön (Eds.), Learning support: Reflections on a Mode of Pedagogical Professionalism (pp. 39–52). Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren.

Görl-Rottstädt, D., Knospe, Y. Learning guidance and support in prisons from the perspective of senior staff – Transfer into curricular structures to support degree programme development (2022) In R. Arnold & S. Schön (Eds.), Learning support: Reflections on a mode of pedagogical professionalism (pp. 115–129). Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren. 5. 25.

Görl-Rottstädt, D. (2019): ‘Adult-oriented teaching and learning at the intersection of heterogeneity and diversity: the example of the part-time degree programme “Social Pedagogy and Management”’. In: Schutt-Pfeil, G./ Gaisch, M. & Darilion, A. (eds.): 7th Teaching Day at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Kontextdruck, Linz, pp. 61–68, URL: Fhooe_tdl_tagungsband_fh2019.pdf [15 November 2019]

Presentations and trade fair participations (selection)

Contributions and peer review at the GeNeMe annual conference (Dresden, from 2018 to present): Communities in New Media – Centre for Open Digital Innovation and Participation (CODIP) – TU Dresden

8th International Conference on Education (ICEDU, 2022): Developmental Conditions for Accepting the Role of Learning Counsellor and Learning Guide

Lectures and workshops at the Teaching Day at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (Linz, 2019–2022)

ICL2021 Conference (Dresden, 2021): Critical Teaching and Learning Situations in Higher Education and Vocational Education – A Qualitative Analysis of the Use of Digital Approaches and Tools

23rd International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL 2020, Tallinn): Development of Knowledge Management and Transfer Approaches on the Path to a Learning Organisation: The Case of Prison Staff

3rd International Symposium on Sociology in the Public Sector (Hanover, 2019): Challenges for Managers in Implementing Staff and Organisational Development in the Prison Service

Involvement

Reviewer and chair roles at international conferences (including ICEDU, ICL/IGIP, GeNeMe)

Deputy member of the State Advisory Board for Adult Education at the Saxon State Ministry of Culture (SMK, 2014–2015)

Member of the advisory board for the ‘Self-organised Continuing Professional Development!’ project at TU Dresden (2016–2018)