University didactics

Further training in university didactics

For new teachers and staff at RWU, we offer numerous must-have basic courses and in-depth workshops every semester.

Together with the PH, we also offer a comprehensive training program during the semester. The training courses take place either via BBB or in our Didactics Center in building K. Of course, we can also offer you internal team training courses - just contact us.

You can find a current flyer with a list of the individual training dates at the bottom of the profile page.

University Didactics RWU Certificate

Anyone who attends further training courses in the field of university didactics amounting to 40 work units (AE) can apply for a "University Didactics RWU Certificate", which can be claimed when applying for performance bonuses. In order to obtain the certificate, it is possible to attend further training courses from the following subject blocks:

Subject block

	1: Basic Introductory course in higher education didactics for newly appointed professors or basic course in higher education didactics, advanced course and in-depth workshop for lecturers. Max. 24 AE
	2: eLearning/media Seminars or lectures on: teaching and learning concepts, teaching methods, communication, presentation and media. Max. 20 AE
	3: Communication Seminars or lectures on: advising students, assessment and evaluation, legal principles, improvement of framework conditions, curriculum and degree program development. Max. 20 AE
	4: Project orientation Projects (implementation of innovative higher education didactic projects) and individual activities such as participation in coaching sessions, contributions to higher education didactic conferences, teaching observations, didactic exchange, etc. Max. 20 AE

These blocks and the number of possible AE are closely aligned with the Baden-Württemberg Certificate for University Didactics and are therefore recognized by the Office for University Didactics (GHD) for the acquisition of the institution's more comprehensive Baden-Württemberg Certificate for University Didactics. Optionally, focus areas can be set in areas such as e-learning and project-oriented teaching, which are recognized by the GHD and mentioned in the Baden-Württemberg certificate.

Responsible for the concept idea:
Prof. Dr. Jörg Wendorff, M.A. Irena Schreyer and M.A. Jochen Weissenrieder (in consultation with Prorector Prof. Dr. Theresia Simon)

Playbook of online teaching

Discover a variety of methods for every occasion in our wiki METHODEN-BAR. The online teaching playbook is your information platform for all aspects of teaching, learning and didactics. It is embedded in the local knowledge database and invites you to browse and linger. Here you will not only find specific methods and materials for your teaching units, but also theoretical principles from the field of memory and learning psychology with practical tips for everyday teaching and learning. In addition, the platform offers descriptions for defining teaching/learning objectives and contemporary didactic models. You are also welcome to enrich the methods bar with your own experiences, preferred techniques or critical comments.

To the playbook of online teaching.

Ongoing projects

Spend

The central goal of SPEND is to use the advantages of intensively digitalized elements in teaching.
SPEND stands for structuralchanges, personnelsupport and facilitiesto enable and establish new degreesat RWU. With the New Degrees, RWU is implementing a recommendation of the University Rectors' Conference from 2020 to explore the added value of so-called MicroCredentials for universities.

What are MICROCREDENTIALS?

MicroCredentials are short courses as well as the certificates that can be acquired through them. Students acquire very specific skills in 8 to 30 hours and receive a (digital) certificate in return. The content can be both subject-specific and interdisciplinary and can be used for study orientation, study qualification, professional qualification or preparation for the practice shock.

What distinguishes MicroCredentials?

All MicroCredentials use a high proportion of digital techniques, from teaching-learning videos, automated tasks and digital collaboration platforms to virtual or immersive learning scenarios. They can be completely asynchronous or completely synchronous and face-to-face and everything in between.

As MicroCredentials are smaller than standard events or modules, they can be used more flexibly and are much easier to develop. This makes the potential and success of digital enrichment of teaching and learning content more tangible for teachers and more teachers can be won over to participate. We at RWU are experimenting with new formats, methods and content in the MicroCredentials and are also using the courses in standard teaching and applying the experience gained to other courses.

We combine the MicroCredentials as StudiumDigitale and can thus offer students an extended range of courses. In StudiumDigitale, students "practise" selecting course content independently and thus individualize their studies and set priorities. In the medium term, we also want to open up parts of StudiumDigitale to external target groups and thus make it available for study orientation or academic further education.

In order to develop StudiumDigitale, we are working on the three levels mentioned above: Structural changes create the formal framework such as the recognition of MicroCredentials as ECTS (students) or teaching hours (lecturers). In terms of personnel, we provide each faculty with a digitization support team that identifies potential topics for MicroCredentials, recruits lecturers for the project and supports them in digitizing the formats. Centrally, there are experts in media didactics and immersive learning who develop concepts, provide advice and continuously train the team and RWU. As a third level, we are also creating facilities to support this process. This ranges from virtual spaces and scenarios for teaching, to digital platforms for information and exchange, to physical spaces for digitized teaching and the Immersive LearningLabwhich serves as a gateway to the virtual world.

The project will (initially) run for 3 years (August 2021 to July 2024) and is funded by the Foundation forInnovation in University Teaching. The project is managed by Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Heidi Reichle and Jochen Weißenrieder.

Contact: spend@rwu.de

Virtual electrolysis plant

The Immersive LearningLab at RWU brings electrolysis plants to life for students by recreating them in virtual environments. Together with the head of the Energy and Environmental Technology course, Prof. Dr. Christoph Ziegler, work is underway on a template that is particularly interesting for small degree courses.

In future, the sequence and control of process and energy technology processes will be taught in training sessions at a VR workstation with corresponding software, as most universities of applied sciences do not have the appropriate pilot plants with large-scale experiments. Different variants of the electrolysis process can be flexibly experienced in VR environments. Adaptations to new process concepts can be made in VR with little personnel and financial effort. From the winter semester 2023, students will be able to try out the system virtually without fear of causing damage and using up expensive and scarce resources.

The Digital Fellowship is funded by the Stifterverbrand with €50,000.

Immersive psychodiagnostic training and conversation management training of all kinds

Diagnostic skills are of enormous importance for prospective mental health professionals. As part of the "Virtual reality-based psychodiagnostic training for students" project, students on the Applied Psychology degree program train in the practical implementation of their ability to diagnose mental disorders. They experience virtual scenarios that simulate typical situations based on diagnostic models. The training is designed to promote skills in the assessment of mental disorders, communication of diagnoses and empathy for patients. This takes place in a protected environment in which students can try things out without consequences and with the possibility of repetition.

An adaptation of the VR app "RWU Talk" to other departments with specific communication content is possible and currently in progress.

Former projects

RWUalive was funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts and was defined by the "Program to mitigate pandemic-related learning backlogs". 325,000 was available for this until mid-2023. Some components of RWUalive, such as the learning café, STEM advice and writing advice, will continue in the future.

RWU's talent scanner offers all students the opportunity for flexible and practice-oriented orientation on their inclination and suitability to study. The online trial course designed by us provides school leavers seeking guidance with the opportunity to find out a general inclination for a subject independently of the university.

In a project-oriented way, pupils learn about the elements of the individual degree courses in our online trial course. Simple basics establish the link between school knowledge and academic skills. Existing gaps can be clarified and mitigated. Students become familiar with the content they can expect to study. At the same time, pupils are given the opportunity to ask personal questions about student life and its challenges.

Further information about our talent scanner can be found on the website Online trial studies.

T.E.A.-House:

We support lecturers in anchoring cross-faculty project work in their teaching.
As a central hub for project-oriented teaching, we stimulate the exchange between lecturers. Processing, elaboration and information about experiences and methods of project-oriented teaching. As part of the project, we have established the Didactics Center in building K. The Didactics Center is intended to be a meeting point for questions about teaching and learning.

The center houses the LearningLab (a versatile classroom), the film studio, the immersive LearningLab and coworking areas for students. The DidacticsCenter thus offers space for innovative teaching, project work and agile and creative working methods.

Talent awakener:

Project-oriented teaching in the introductory phase of studies.

• International tandems in electrical engineering: international students in their fourth semester work on a project together with German students in their third semester.
• Semester 1B in Mechanical Engineering: Project work with external cooperation partners to increase subject-specific identification.
• Cross-semester module linking at Faculty T through projects and portfolio work.
• Making student data usable and recording project-oriented teaching.

All previous university didactic projects were funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.