Day of Teaching

Our this year's Perspektivwechsel took place on May 29, 2024 under the motto "Stadt, Land, Lehre  - in Freiheit und Demokratie" . In view of the state elections in Thuringia in 2024, the 75th anniversary of the Grundgesetz and the 35th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution, these are highly relevant topics.

Together with students, doctoral candidates, lecturers and staff from the University of Applied Sciences Nordhausen and the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, we looked at how teaching can be organized in uncertain times. A diverse programme with face-to-face, online and hybrid offerings enabled individual participation connected via the Virtual Campus Thuringia. Keynote speeches, workshops and discussion panels invited participants to delve deeper into individual topics and gain new perspectives. Various questions were discussed: How can teaching respond to crises? What does good teaching mean in 2024? Can good teaching be passed on? If so, how? What gaps are there in teaching? How and with what can they be filled?

The Day of Teaching thus offered a great opportunity to contribute one's own perspective, exchange ideas together and thus shape current and future teaching at Thuringian universities!

On May 24, 2023, the first Day of Teaching took place at the University of Applied Sciences Nordhausen as part of the "Perspektivwechsel" project - a day dedicated entirely to teaching and presenting projects, teaching concepts and teaching units from regular courses. The aim of the day: to strengthen exchange and cooperation between the departments in order to jointly address current developments and think ahead together.

Motto of the day: Aus den eigenen Reihen (From our own ranks)

Designed as a participatory project to promote exchange, appreciation and thinking ahead, we put together a varied program for the first Day of Teaching together with all of the university's teaching staff. Together, we began the day with a kick-off workshop by Prof. Dr. Cordula Borbe, Vice President for Studies & Teaching. This was followed by 16 workshops - designed by lecturers for lecturers. A lunch lecture was also offered during the lunch break. These varied offerings enabled lecturers from all subjects to exchange didactic methods and approaches with each other and to think ahead. The day was rounded off with a coffee break, which once again invited participants to exchange ideas. The 16 participating teachers were given an hour's time on various topics by other teachers in return for their commitment. This included an hour practising sailing knots with Prof. Dr. Frank Wiese or an hour with Prof. Dr. Sabrina Schramme, who explained how to best gender your verbal language with just a few linguistic moves.

According to the participants, the Day of Teaching promoted three key aspects: Appreciation, dialog and inspiration. The positive feedback suggests that a new edition of the Day of Teaching will be well received.

(The project was coordinated by the Department of Studies & Teaching together with e-Team and with the support of Dr. Pascal Leibbrandt ).