November 2025
University of Oldenburg Faculty Newsletter
November 2025
University of Oldenburg Faculty Newsletter
Methods for engaging students, Gen Z, research-based learning: our current programme
The programme for the winter semester 2025/26 is online. The standard language of our workshops is German. However, most of our services and workshops are available in English upon request. Please contact us at hochschuldidaktik@uol.de for further information.
New curriculum for the certificate programme Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
The certificate programme Teaching and Learning in Higher Education will start with a revised curriculum starting in the winter semester 2025/26. Lecturers at the University of Oldenburg can participate free of charge in the events of the certificate programme held at the University of Oldenburg. The courses of the certificate programme can also be taken separately - depending on personal interests.
Inspiration for lecturers
The following pages provide ideas and resources to support your course design at the University of Oldenburg.
The page Designing courses with Stud.IP [German only] showcases Stud.IP tools and other resources that members of the University of Oldenburg can use to organise and support technology-enhanced teaching.
The collection Pedagogical inspiration for research-based learning [German only] offers a range of methods and activities to help lecturers put research-based learning into practice. The materials are organised around the typical phases of the research cycle.
The Course Design Collection [mostly German], showcases how university lecturers plan and deliver their courses, sharing both ideas and experiences. It includes examples of using digital media, teacher training initiatives, and award‑winning course designs recognised with the Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
New articles on:
Virtual reality (VR) in historical teaching [German only]
Museums as extracurricular places of learning [German only]
Board games in teaching [German only]
First survey of exmatriculated students (graduates and other leavers)
In the upcoming winter semester, for the first time, a survey will focus on students who leave the University of Oldenburg – either by withdrawing from their studies or by graduating and moving on without further study here.
The survey will be conducted directly after students have left or graduated and they will receive the link as part of the de‑registration process.
The survey will include general questions about their studies, satisfaction with their studies, reasons for dropping out or changing their place of study as well as questions about their future plans.
Results of the course evaluation for the summer semester 2025 are available
The course evaluation's results for the summer semester 2025 are available on the intranet [German only].
In the winter semester 2025/26, the course evaluation will run from 5 to 16 January 2026; alternative timeframes are possible
Student survey starts in November
Every two years, students from the second semester onwards are surveyed about their satisfaction with their studies in terms of supervision, courses and other general conditions, their acquisition of competences, the use of advisory services and many other aspects.
The results of the student survey are used in annual programme conferences to continuously improve the study conditions at the University of Oldenburg. The advisory and service centres also receive the results concerning their services to further develop their work.
The results of the survey from the current winter semester will be published on the Internal Evaluation website starting in February/March 2026.
Graduate survey starts at the end of the year
Every two years, University of Oldenburg's graduates are asked to retrospectively judge their studies and their entry into professional life.
The results of the graduate survey are intended to help optimise the quality of teaching and studies and create the best possible conditions for entering the professional world. They will be provided on the Internal Evaluation pages in March 2026.
Poster im Bundestag – Students present their research in the German Bundestag
Call for Abstracts by 14 December 2025
Bachelor students of all subjects from all over Germany are invited to submit an informative abstract of their research project by 14 December 2025. An independent jury will select up to 50 contributions from all applications. The selected students will then design an academic poster that will be exhibited in the German Bundestag from 24 June to 17 July 2026. Highlight: In the course of the exhibition opening by the President of the Bundestag on 23 June 2026, the students will have the opportunity to present their research to members of the German Bundestag and to other students.
The exhibition aims to show student research in all its diversity and to present new approaches and innovative ideas on socially relevant topics. The contributions within the framework of the overarching theme "Wissenschaftsfreiheit – die Freiheit zu forschen" emphasise the value of academic freedom for democracy.
Funded projects for research-based learning in the winter semester 2025/26
Under the patronage of Prof Dr Andrea Strübind, Vice President for Studying and Teaching, the Research-Based Learning committee has selected for funding the following projects: four teaching projects under the funding line „Research-Based Learning”, one project under the funding line "Ideas around Research-Based Learning" and seven student research projects. The projects have started in the winter semester 2025/26.
International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR)
In the week from 28 September to 02 October 2026, the ICUR will take place for the second time at the University of Oldenburg. Bachelor students from the University of Oldenburg and the University of Groningen can participate in this interdisciplinary hybrid conference and get to know young researchers from all over the world.
Further information on ICUR at the University of Oldenburg
General information about ICUR
News from the Office for Teaching Strategy
Development of an interactive platform on digitalisation and AI in studying and teaching
As part of the measures to implement the digitalisation strategy, the Office for Teaching Strategy [German only] is currently working in particular on the development of an interactive platform on digitalisation and AI in studying and teaching. To map possible functions, prototyping has begun in Stud.IP, based on initial surveys on the needs of teaching staff in all Schools. The need of uncomplicated networking and exchange, concerning different levels of experience and intensity of use, was expressed across faculties. This will be taken up prominently in the further development and design of the platform and the formats developed will be tested for manageability and usefulness in everyday teaching.
Establishment of the "Digital Teaching" working group
Another measure to realise the digitalisation strategy is the "consolidation and coordination of the development of qualification offers for lecturers and students on digital teaching". On 19 August 2025, the Office for Teaching Strategy [German only] met with library staff (BIS), the Department for Studying and Teaching (Teaching and Learning in Higher Education), the Division 1 - Personnel/Organisation and the Study and Career Counselling Service to set up the "Digital Teaching" working group. The aim is to coordinate and connect as well as to record and visualise existing qualification offers for lecturers and students on digital teaching at the UOL. These should then also be mapped/linked on the interactive platform for digitalisation and AI in teaching and learning (see above). The "Digital Teaching" working group will meet again in autumn 2025 to discuss further goals and steps.
SOUVER@N General Meeting 2025 at the University of Oldenburg
On 23 and 24 June 2025 the joint project "SOUVER@N - Digital Teaching and Learning in Lower Saxony", which is currently in the final phase of the project, held a general meeting. Under the overarching motto "Sustainability and reuse of achieved results in other contexts", the possibilities of long-term sustaining and (re-)using the products, achievements and experiences gained in the project were discussed. The SOUVER@N website provides a detailed report as well as access to results and products, includig a video.
Launch of the new certificate programme: "Certificate Critical Education against Antisemitism in Lower Saxony in the Context of School" (ZABIN)
In the winter semester 2025/2026, the new extracurricular Certificate Critical Education against Antisemitism in Lower Saxony in the School Context [German only] (Zertifikat Antisemitismuskritische Bildung in Niedersachsen im Kontext Schule – ZABIN) started under the coordination of the Office for Teaching Strategy [German only]. Student in teaching degree programmes of all subjects and school types from all over Lower Saxony can register for the programme. In a total of three modules totalling 15 CP, participants critically examine different forms of antisemitism – as well direct as structural antisemitism – and reflect on society's involvement in it. Not least, they acquire and develop skills to counter antisemitism in school.
New working group develops AI-resilient exam formats
The use of AI by students challenges many common examination formats. In co-operation with the joint project „Digitale Lehre Hub Niedersachsen" (DLHN), the new working group „Exam formats” will develop and trial AI-resilient examination formats and test their suitability for everyday use. Those interested in participating or in the results can find more information in the study group "AG Prüfungsformate - KI-robuste Prüfungsformate entwickeln, diskutieren und testen".
KIKO: Guideline configurator ensures greater transparency in dealing with Generative AI
Lecturers face the challenge of establishing and clearly communicating course regulations on the use – or non‑use – of generative AI with their students. To support them, the Office for Teaching Strategy [Germn only], in co-operation with participate@UOL [German only] and in consultation with the Deans of Studies of all Schools, developed the Generative AI guideline configurator „KIKO” [German only]. KIKO enables lecturers to create a customised handout for their own course using a modular principle. KIKO will initially be available online for a pilot phase in winter semester 2025/26. The findings from this pilot phase will be analysed and used to guide the further development of the service.
Call for participation: Testing of digital teaching/learning tools in the InnoTools project
In the sub-project „Discover, test and provide innovative teaching and learning tools” (InnoTools) (belonging to the joint project „Digitale Lehre Hub Niedersachsen”), digital tools are systematically tested for their didactic, technical and legal suitability for university teaching and trialled in test phases. Lecturers interested in trying out selected tools in their own teaching and contributing their experience to the process are being sought for the test phases. In counselling and feedback sessions, they will receive needs-based support from the project team. Interested lecturers are cordially invited to join the study group „Tool-Testungen mit InnoTools”, where further information is provided.
Exploring the potential of subject-specific AI tools with lecturers and students
In recent months, the first subject-related AI applications have been developed at course level [German only]. Co-creative processes with lecturers and students have proved particularly successful. The Office for Teaching Strategy would like to contribute to further developing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and is happy to make its expertise in process design and AI development available. If interested, teachers, even without extensive AI knowledge, are welcome to get in touch.
PLAR recognition portfolio now available on Stud.IP
At the University of Oldenburg, students can have the knowledge and skills they have acquired outside of higher education (academic appointments) recognised for study modules. They are supported by the PLAR service (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) in recording and presenting their competences in the form of a recognition portfolio and the entire application process. From winter semester 2025/26, a newly developed plugin in Stud.IP will enable a fully digitalised process. Students now create the recognition portfolio directly in Stud.IP and the entire recognition process takes place within the system.
Poster im Bundestag - Students present their research in the German Bundestag
Call for Abstracts by 14 December 2025
Bachelor students of all subjects from all over Germany are invited to submit an informative abstract of their research project by 14 December 2025. An independent jury will select up to 50 contributions from all applications. The selected students will then design an academic poster that will be exhibited in the German Bundestag from 24 June to 17 July 2026. The highlight: In the course of the exhibition opening by the President of the Bundestag on 23 June 2026, the students will have the opportunity to present their research to members of the German Bundestag and to other students.
The exhibition aims to show student research in all its diversity and to present new approaches and innovative ideas on socially relevant topics. The contributions within the framework of the overarching theme "Wissenschaftsfreiheit – die Freiheit zu forschen" emphasise the value of academic freedom for democracy.
International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR)
In the week from 28 September to 02 October 2026, the ICUR will take place for the second time at the University of Oldenburg. Bachelor students from the University of Oldenburg and the University of Groningen can participate in this interdisciplinary hybrid conference and get to know young researchers from all over the world.
Further information on ICUR at the University of Oldenburg
General information about ICUR