IU Docs Repositorium

IU Docs

Repositorium

Researchers from IU publish their research results in numerous formats. Through this repository, we aim to make as many publications as possible available via Open Access. Gain insights into the dynamic and diverse research being conducted at IU!

Recent Submissions

Zwischen Kompetenzgefühl und Handlungssicherheit: Die Kompetenz-Anwendungs-Lücke in digitalen IT-Lernformaten
(IU Internationale Hochschule, 2026-07-27) Steinhardt, Sven; Dulgeridis, Marcel
Digital IT learning formats are often judged as successful too early. A format is used, content is understood, learners report an increased sense of competence, and initial tests produce positive results. However, this is not sufficient for vocational IT education. Acceptance, comprehensibility, and perceived competence are important intermediate steps. Yet they do not show whether learners will remain capable of acting later in ambiguous technical situations. This article addresses this threshold. Based on an exploratory quantitative study on digital IT learning formats, it introduces the competence–application gap as the perceived distance between perceived competence and expected application under realistic conditions. The study does not measure objective action security or actual transfer. However, it reveals a didactically relevant finding: perceived application competence does not automatically close the perceived application gap. Learners may feel more competent while at the same time recognizing more clearly that later application requires more than the learning moment itself can represent. Building on this, the article develops the principle of controlled application tension. Digital IT learning formats must not completely smooth out complexity if they are intended to prepare learners for professional action security. They must create situations in which learners work with incomplete information, contradictory indications, technical dependencies, and justified decisions. Not as a form of overload, but as targeted preparation for the realities of IT operations, security, infrastructure, and project work. The article does not provide conclusive evidence of impact but rather offers a didactic translation of an empirical impulse. Its core message is understanding does not yet mean being secure in action. Digital IT education must therefore not only convey content but deliberately shape the space between understanding and action.
KI-Impact-Scoring als Entscheidungsinstrument: Eine Priorisierungsmatrix zur Bewertung beliebiger KI- Anwendungen entwickelt am Use Case User Experience in Onlineshops
(IU Internationale Hochschule, 2026-07-27) Lange, Nico; Dulgeridis, Marcel; Cornelsen, Jens
Artificial intelligence applications increasingly promise efficiency gains, personalization, automation and improved user experiences. For medium-sized companies, however, the challenge is less the existence of potential use cases than the ability to prioritize them under resource constraints, heterogeneous data maturity and regulatory uncertainty. Building on a bachelor thesis on AI-supported user experience in online shops, this discussion paper reframes the developed prioritization matrix as a generic AI Impact Scoring Tool that can be applied to virtually any AI initiative. The proposed tool combines a value axis, a feasibility axis and a scenario-based sensitivity analysis. It draws on user-experience theory, technology acceptance, stimulus-organism-response reasoning, multi-criteria utility analysis and design-oriented model development. The e-commerce use case serves as a blueprint: AI-generated product imagery, personalized product recommendations and AI-based interaction systems are assessed to illustrate how different AI applications can be positioned as quick wins, strategic investments, experimental options or deprioritized initiatives. The central contribution lies in making AI investment decisions more transparent, comparable and adaptable. Rather than providing a one-time ranking, the model offers a reusable governance and decision framework for management teams that need to evaluate changing AI opportunities over time.
The Patagonia Vest as a symbol of status and group affiliation: A discussion of brand image, fashion communication and social identity
(IU International University of Applied Sciences, 2026-07-21) Schott, Franziska; Meißner, David; Schubart, Constantin
The Patagonia vest has increasingly moved beyond its original function as outdoor apparel and has become a visible symbol in business contexts, particularly in finance, consulting, and technology-related environments. This discussion paper examines whether the symbolic meaning of the Patagonia vest still aligns with Patagonia’s sustainability-oriented brand image or whether it is increasingly shaped by external social and professional influences. Drawing on concepts of fashion communication, social identity, brand image, and brand authenticity, the paper combines theoretical perspectives with findings from a quantitative online survey. The results indicate that the vest is perceived less as an expression of environmental consciousness and more as a marker of status, professional belonging, self-confidence, and success orientation. While Patagonia’s brand identity is strongly rooted in environmental responsibility, outdoor authenticity, and sustainable consumption, the vest’s meaning in business contexts appears to be shaped primarily by group affiliation and status symbolism. The findings suggest that symbolic meanings of branded garments can shift when products are adopted by specific professional groups and become embedded in social codes that differ from the original brand identity.
AI as a Study Partner in Mathematics Education: Evidence from a Multi-Program University Survey
(IU International University of Applied Sciences, 2026-07-21) Altin, Mehmet Evrim; Jäger, Kirsten; Jütte, Silke; Schneider, Florian
The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is fundamentally reshaping learning practices in higher education, particularly in mathematics and statistics courses. This study investigates how undergraduate students across multiple programs at IU International University engage with AI-based mathematics tools, which applications they prefer, and how they evaluate their performance. Drawing on survey data from 174 students enrolled in mathematics lectures during the spring term of 2025, we analyze awareness, usage intensity, and perceived usability, understandability, correctness, and value for money of leading AI tools. The results reveal a highly concentrated market structure: ChatGPT, Photomath, and Gemini dominate student awareness and usage. While ChatGPT is perceived as the most user-friendly and offers strong value for money, Photomath receives the highest ratings for correctness of results. Gemini, in contrast, is evaluated more cautiously across dimensions. Differences in awareness between math- intensive and non-math-intensive programs are small and statistically insignificant, suggesting that AI adoption in mathematics is broadly distributed across disciplines. The findings indicate that students integrate AI tools primarily as complementary learning aids rather than replacements for traditional materials. Overall, the study provides an empirical baseline for understanding how AI functions as a study partner in mathematics education and highlights the growing importance of evaluating not only usage frequency but also perceived reliability and pedagogical value.
Zwischen Inszenierung und Echtheit: Digitale Markenwahrnehmung von OKTAGON MMA Deutschland in der Social-Media-Kommunikation
(IU Internationale Hochschule, 2026-07-21) Perst, Florian; Schubart, Constantin; Welsch, Valeria
Social media has fundamentally changed how brands communicate and are perceived by consumers, increasing the importance of authenticity and credibility in brand communication. This study examines how social media campaigns by OKTAGON MMA Germany are associated with perceived authenticity, credibility, and brand perception, and whether differences exist between MMA fans and individuals with a general interest in sports. A quantitative online survey with 181 participants was conducted and analyzed using statistical methods. The results show that perceived authenticity has a strong positive association with both credibility and overall brand perception. Contrary to common assumptions, perceived advertising does not negatively affect authenticity or credibility but shows a weak positive relationship with brand evaluation. Furthermore, no significant differences between the analyzed content formats were found regarding perceived authenticity. The group comparison reveals that MMA fans evaluate the content significantly more positively across all examined dimensions than individuals with a general interest in sports. The findings contribute to a better understanding of authenticity, credibility, and brand perception in the context of professional sports social media communication and highlight the importance of integrating commercial elements in a credible and context-appropriate way. For practitioners, the results emphasize the need to balance strategic communication with perceived authenticity in order to strengthen brand perception in digital sports environments.