Two teaching projects at Brandenbug University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU, Germany) are getting funding from the Innovation in University Teaching Foundation, within the Freiraum 2022 programme.
Theese teaching projects are being funded with more than 370,000 euros at this university, which was understood by Prof. Dr. Peer Schmidt -Vice President for Studies and Teaching at BTU- as a recognition of the “great commitment of the teaching staff at BTU.”
- Teaching project “Learning inclusive(e) – Development of a template generator for inclusive, digitally supported university teaching at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg”. Its aim is to support inclusive university didactics at the BTU, i.e. to give greater consideration to students with impairments in teaching. Through newly generated didactic patterns (design patterns for teaching), teachers receive semi-automated recommendations on how to plan and implement their courses – according to the diversity of students. At the same time, the introduction of uniform design patterns along didactic design guidelines makes it possible to develop high-quality standards. In addition, the measure supports the promotion of future skills of students and teachers, as the use of digitally supported, inclusive teaching contributes to flexibility, open-mindedness and diversity competence. The Innovation in University Teaching Foundation has approved around 165,000 euros for a funding period of twelve months.
- The teaching project “BTU for Future – Climate Protection Participatory” is developing an innovative didactic concept that bundles inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives and competencies on climate protection and encourages, supports and actively involves the broadest possible student body as shapers of sustainable development. Already in the current summer semester of 2022, the new module “BTU for Future” will be offered in a trial run. It offers students from all disciplines as well as the interested public a comprehensive overview of climate research at the BTU, thus advancing inter- and transdisciplinary understanding. To this end, a public lecture series is held with rotating lecturers who examine the climate and sustainability crisis from ecological, social, economic, legal, and civil society perspectives. In cooperation with the BTU’s IKMZ, the module is to be expanded for the coming winter semester, including a broader digital teaching offering via the Moodle learning platform. The Innovation in University Teaching Foundation has approved funding totaling around 216,000 euros for 2022 and 2023.
Prof. Dr. Peer Schmidt also emphasised that “the funding decision of the Innovation in University Teaching Foundation is an expression of the fact that we at the BTU we are very close to the major challenges of the present and we are successfully placing the topics of inclusion, digitally supported university teaching, and climate protection in the highly topical focus of teaching. Our special thanks go to the Foundation, which is once again supporting and enabling future-oriented innovative projects with the ‘Freiraum’ programme.”
In total, the Innovation in University Teaching Foundation is providing around 1.46 million euros for innovative teaching from Brandenburg universities as part of its “Freiraum 2022” funding program. Funding is also being provided for projects at the University of Potsdam, the Eberswalde University of Applied Sciences for Sustainable Development and the Wildau University of Technology.
Background
The Innovation in University Teaching Foundation is funding 204 projects for innovative teaching in Germany. These projects have been selected from the applications for the “Freiraum 2022” call for proposals. Teachers can use this funding to develop and test new ideas. The total funding volume for the selected projects is around 46 million euros.
The successful projects impressed the jury with their innovative potential: their approaches go beyond existing teaching and learning settings and test new approaches to teaching and studying. The projects were selected by the project selection committee in a competitive, science-led process. The committee consists of experts from universities (including students) and science as well as representatives of the federal states and the federal government.
For more information: https://stiftung-hochschullehre.de
