The goal of making the outstanding teaching visible within the university and beyond its border was something that motivated Heidi Schelhowe. In her role as Vice President Academic, she also got many a ball rolling in the field of research-based learning. In 2001, Heidi Schelhowe was appointed as the Chair of Digital Media within the Faculty of Mathematics / Computer Science at the University of Bremen. She built up a research group that developed novel software and hardware, especially for children and youths, and always viewed their work in connection to pedagogic concepts. Heidi Schelhowe was a member of the ZDF advisory board between 2011 and 2020. She remained head of the Digital Media in Education working group in the Faculty of Mathematics / Computer Science until her passing.

Heide Schelhowe was posthumously named a fellow by “Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V.“ at their yearly conference in 2021. With this award, the society annually honors computer scientists who actively foster the sustainable promotion of computer science, increase the reputation of computer science nationally and internationally, or enrich the society in a special way with their dedicated work.