Gunilla Budde, Vice President for Studies and Teaching, yesterday honoured nine lecturers with the "Teaching Prize" for the 2013/14 academic year. For the first time, the jury awarded a special prize in the "Project" category.
"First-class teaching is a cornerstone of our university," said Budde. "With the 'Teaching Prize', we would like to recognise the pioneering approach of lecturers and highlight the importance of an attractive learning environment for the success of students."
The prize in the "Best Module" category was awarded to lecturers Prof. Dr Alexander Nicolai, Benny Biering and Dirk Brunnberg from the endowed professorship of Entrepreneurship in the Department of Business, Economics and Law. Physicists Prof Dr Christoph Lienau and Dr Petra Groß impressed with their didactic concept in the "Best Event" category. The Germanists Jan Michalsky and Heike Eva Schoormann received the "Teaching Award" in the "Research-based Learning" category for their commitment to involving students in research as early as possible.
The special "Project" prize went to Peter Vollhardt and Peter Janßen - both from the Institute of Music. Vollhardt and Janßen led the stage project "The 70s Revue", in which more than 40 students put on a musical revue of hits from the decade in which the university was founded over the course of two semesters. The winners each receive 500 euros in prize money as well as earmarked personnel funds for teaching. The special thing about it: The nomination for the prize is made by the students.
The University of Oldenburg has been honouring outstanding achievements by university lecturers in teaching and supervision since 1998. The jury that decides on the award consists of lecturers, students and representatives of the Universitätsgesellschaft Oldenburg e.V. (UGO). The "Teaching Prize 2013/14" is sponsored by the UGO.
An overview of the award winners:
Category: Best module
Module: "Start-up management - an introduction for non-economists"
Prof. Dr Alexander Nicolai, Benny Biering, Dirk Brunnberg, Department of Economics and Law.
From the jury's statement: Successful teaching of specialist and entrepreneurial skills in start-up management to students from other disciplines, convincing practical relevance through innovative use of media, interdisciplinary character, transferability of the innovative teaching concept
Category: Best course
Course: "Experimental Physics II: Electrodynamics and Optics"
Prof. Dr Christoph Lienau, Dr Petra Groß, Institute of Physics Petra Groß, Institute of Physics
From the jury's statement: convincing didactic concept that meets the challenges of the research subject on different levels in a solution-oriented manner, imparting fundamental knowledge by successfully combining different teaching/learning methods, diverse and innovative use of media
Category: Research-based learning
Courses: "Spoken Language: Standard German (Seminar)", "Spoken Language: Varieties (Exercise)"
Jan Michalsky, Heike Eva Schoormann, Institute for German Studies
From the jury statement: Convincing didactic concept to introduce students to academic work at an early stage, student research project already in the Bachelor's programme, presentation of research results at a student conference at the end of the seminar, coherent examination format
Special prize "Project"
Event: Music theatre project "Die 70er Jahre Revue"
Peter Vollhardt, Peter Janßen, Institute of Music
From the jury statement: comprehensive communication of the creation of a stage project - from research to participation in the performance, coherent didactic concept that combines a high degree of personal responsibility on the part of the students with goal-oriented support from the teachers, regular and individual feedback
