IU International University of Applied Sciences transforms Syntea into a comprehensive learning companion

• Syntea combines personalised learning with study organisation and proactive learning support for over 80,000 IU distance learning students.
• The standalone platform with chat-based interface includes document search, certificate downloads and progress overviews.
• Multimodal learning formats adapt to individual learning preferences – from interactive dialogues and adaptive quizzes to podcasts and visual explanations.
• Usage duration of the new Syntea version has quadrupled; over 70 per cent of respondents report significantly improved exam preparation and deeper understanding through this upgrade.

Erfurt, 5 March 2026 – Whilst general AI tools only provide short-term benefits, pedagogically designed AI leads to sustainable learning gains – according to the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026. IU International University of Applied Sciences has now further developed its AI-powered learning assistant Syntea into such an effective learning system: a comprehensive learning companion for over 80,000 IU distance learning students.

Syntea, which was awarded the Gold Award at the prestigious QS Reimagine Education Awards in London in December 2025, aims to provide individual support throughout the entire course of study – through increased motivation, structured learning planning, greater confidence in handling learning content, and organisational relief. This applies particularly to students who pursue their studies alongside work, family or other commitments. The fact that Syntea has become a central point of contact in everyday student life is also demonstrated by the latest usage data: the new version in the form of the learning companion is already being used four times longer on average than the previous version.

With this further development, Syntea now provides continuous support to IU students in their everyday learning:

Learning tailored to individual sweet spots: Whether commuting with a podcast, between meetings in dialogue with Syntea, or in the evening at the desk with visual explanations – students can choose how they learn best: Those who think visually receive diagrams and charts; those who learn through application receive practical tasks.

Interacting by voice and learning interactively: In the new Syntea version, students can now also upload their own documents for Syntea to analyse; and interaction – as with ChatGPT, for example – is also possible via voice input. Unlike conventional AI models that only provide answers, Syntea asks targeted follow-up questions – as in a real conversation. This helps students sharpen their thinking and actively identify knowledge gaps.

Finding one's own rhythm: Syntea recognises students' current status and suggests the next meaningful learning steps. On request, they receive a reminder of upcoming learning units via push notification or WhatsApp – in this way, students keep their studies continuously in view even with changing everyday demands.

Less administration, more learning: Syntea now also consolidates study organisation – from retrieving relevant documents and downloading certificates to planning the next learning steps. This saves valuable time in often already full daily schedules between work and learning.

This combination of flexible learning formats, dialogue-based interaction, adaptive support and organisational assistance enables the over 80,000 IU distance learning students to make continuous progress even with irregular learning times – without losing the thread or having to laboriously catch up.

(A detailed overview of all functions and learning benefits can be found in the annex below.)

Survey confirms: better exam preparation and deeper understanding

Initial results from a survey¹ among IU distance learning students and Syntea users show that the comprehensive learning companion approach works: More than 70 per cent of respondents respectively indicate that with the newer Syntea version they:

• feel better prepared for exams,
• achieve a deeper understanding of learning content,
• and learn more effectively than with traditional formats.

Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences, says: "Syntea has fundamentally changed the way many of our students learn. This is also confirmed by the positive feedback from students. At the same time, through daily use of Syntea, they learn to use AI competently and reflectively. That's a clear advantage in the job market."

How the new Syntea feels in everyday student life

Bianca Kroll, Bachelor degree student in Social Media at IU:
"The new Syntea has completely changed the game for me. Previously, learning was more like a compulsory programme – reading scripts, highlighting, hoping something sticks. Since Syntea has been involved, it feels like interactive tutoring."

Nadine Zettl, Medical Assistant and Bachelor degree student in Health Management at IU:
"Without Syntea, I would actually have had to drop out. Learning with just scripts doesn't work for me when you're constantly interrupted by childcare and daily life. With Syntea, I can pick up again at any time without having to spend ages reading up on where I left off. With three children, I would have been desperate."

Developed for the reality of distance learning students

The challenge that Nadine Zettl describes is real: Nearly a third of IU distance learning students have children in their household according to an IU first-semester survey³, and more than half work full-time alongside their studies.

The fact that Syntea is so closely oriented to everyday life is also due to the way it was developed: Since its inception in early 2022, the platform has been further developed under the leadership of Quintus Stierstorfer, Senior Director AI Products at IU International University of Applied Sciences, together with teaching staff and through continuous feedback from students:

"From the very beginning, our aim was to design learning in a way that fits into different life realities," explains Stierstorfer.

"Many use it regularly for precisely this reason – because it actually helps them to progress with their studies reliably and more efficiently even under challenging conditions such as professional or family commitments. Syntea thus plays a central, complementary role in teaching by optimally supporting self-directed learning processes," Stierstorfer continues.

Annex: new features in detail

The new Syntea is now available to all IU distance learning students as a standalone platform at syntea.com². Students can now use it for almost all learning tasks: from creating flashcards to preparing for exams.

The following functions have been specifically optimised for study purposes and combine multimodal formats (text, audio, visual explanations) with dialogue-based micro-apps that can be flexibly integrated into everyday learning. All functions are based on the latest AI language models, which means they are at a performance level otherwise reserved for paid Pro versions.

Learning support and deepening

• Exam trainer: Knowledge testing through questions on various course sections with direct evaluation and overview of learning progress; the trainer helps students realistically assess their level of preparation. To increase exam confidence and minimise exam anxiety and procrastination, a mock exam mode including an exam readiness indicator is currently being rolled out.
• Learning dialogue: Understanding-oriented learning based on the Socratic method through open questions that promote critical thinking and gradually unlock complex content. It also strengthens the ability to articulate thoughts clearly and precisely – both in exam situations and in professional communication.
• Extended question-and-answer function: Answers course-related and general questions using constantly updated AI language models.
• Interactive online script: Supplements existing online scripts with comprehensible explanations, summaries and clear classification of learning objectives.
• Progress indicators: Make learning status transparent – students see where they stand, which provides more confidence and is intended to reduce exam anxiety and procrastination.

Exploration and introduction

• Exploring new topics: Enables low-threshold entry into new content before targeted deepening or learning.
• Course overview: Provides compact orientation at the beginning of a course on structure, requirements and next steps.

Organisation and documentation

• Document search: View and reflect on previous grades and centrally retrieve study certificates and certificates – for less administrative effort.
• Central overview: Consolidates all learning and organisational functions in one place; additional services are being added gradually.
• Documenting learning progress: Automatic documentation after each quiz and dialogue with overview of progress in the course.

Additional formats

• Podcasts (Beta): Dialogic audio format for reviewing and contextualising existing course content – ideal for learning on the go, for example.
• Feedback function: Students can provide feedback on the use of Syntea and actively contribute to its further development.

ABOUT SYNTEA

Syntea is the in-house learning AI of IU International University of Applied Sciences and has been supporting all online students in distance learning since the end of 2023. The platform was specifically developed for distance learning students who organise their studies flexibly and independently alongside other commitments such as work and family. Syntea supports them in their self-learning phases with time- and location-independent learning formats – without compromising on academic depth or competence orientation. Use is voluntary for students and not exam-relevant. In future, Syntea is also to be available via native app on mobile devices.

Syntea was awarded the Gold Award in the category "AI in Education by Higher Education Institutions" at the QS Reimagine Education Awards & Conference 2025 in London in December 2025. This award is regarded as one of the world's most prestigious prizes for innovation in higher education. Syntea had previously received several international prizes in the field of AI and higher education – for example at the Global EdTech Awards in 2024.

Previous IU press releases on Syntea: https://www.iu.de/en/news/?h=1&t=syntea

¹ Between December 2025 and January 2026 and ongoing, Syntea users were surveyed in a voluntary short survey on the benefits of the new Syntea version. The samples varied by question/answer: Deeper understanding of learning content (n = 230), More effective learning (than with traditional formats) (n = 349), More confidence in exams (n = 264)

² Note: The syntea.com interface is only accessible to Syntea users by entering student login credentials.

³ The data are from an IU first-semester survey of 2,272 distance learning students who began their studies between October 2023 and March 2025 (survey period: February 2024 to May 2025).

Image material on speakers

• Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences
• Quintus Stierstorfer, Senior Director AI Products at IU International University of Applied Sciences

Press enquiries for interviews or live demos

Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences, and Quintus Stierstorfer, Senior Director AI Product, are available for interviews and background discussions. We can also organise a live demo of Syntea or a press briefing on request.

Additional image material is available on request.

Press Contact:

André Adler
Press Office – IU International University of Applied Sciences
E-mail: andre.adler@iu.org
Telephone: +49 (0)173/7426 113