Teaching Prize 2014 - University of Oldenburg awards the Teaching Prize

Commitment to teaching

On 27 November, Gunilla Budde, Vice President for Studies and Teaching, awarded nine lecturers 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. German studies students 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.

^{Photo: (from left to right) Christoph Lienau, Peter Janßen, Petra Groß, Oliver Thomsen (UGO board member), Peter Vollhardt, Alexander Nicolai, Gunilla Budde, Benny Biering, Heike Eva Schoormann, Dirk Brunnberg and Jan Michalsky.}

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.

The award winners at a glance

Category: Best module

Prof Dr Alexander Nicolai, Benny Biering, Dirk Brunnberg, Department of Economics and Law.
Module: "Start-up management - an introduction for non-economists"

From the jury's statement: successful teaching of specialist and entrepreneurial skills in start-up management to students from outside the subject, convincing practical relevance through innovative use of media, interdisciplinary character, transferability of the innovative teaching concept

Category: Best event

Prof. Dr Christoph Lienau, Dr Petra Groß, Institute of Physics
Course: "Experimental Physics II: Electrodynamics and Optics"

From the jury's statement: convincing didactic concept that meets the challenges of the research subject on different levels in a solution-orientated way, imparting fundamental knowledge by successfully combining different teaching/learning methods, diverse and innovative use of media

Category: Research-based learning

Jan Michalsky, Heike Eva Schoormann, Institute for German Studies
Course: "Spoken Language: Standard German (Seminar)", "Spoken Language: Varieties (Exercise)"

From the jury's 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"

Peter Vollhardt, Peter Janßen, Institute of Music
Event: Music theatre project "Die 70er Jahre Revue"

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 student responsibility with goal-oriented support from teachers, regular and individual feedback