November 2024
University of Oldenburg Faculty Newsletter
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November 2024
University of Oldenburg Faculty Newsletter
Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Award for Excellence in Teaching: Award ceremony
This year's winners of the Award for Excellence in Teaching under the patronage of the Vice President for Instruction Prof. Dr Andrea Strübind, will be announced at the award ceremony on Wednesday 20 November 2024 (location: Library Hall). We cordially invite you to join us and see who the prize winners are! Students could nominate courses they particularly liked and instructors have submitted their course evaluations in order to be considered for the award. The Award for Excellence in Teaching is sponsored by the University Society (Universitätsgesellschaft).
The winners of the photo competition "Capture your research with a click - Student research in action’ will also be announced at the event.
Forum Lernräume [Link only in German]
In recent years, the University of Oldenburg has created learning spaces that – by virtue of their design – promote very different forms of learning. Forum Lernräume was created as part of the Day of Teaching and Learning in 2024, in order to make these learning spaces more visible. With short films, Forum Lernräume showcases innovative learning spaces and their design that promotes learning.
forschen@studium
Call for proposals for instructional projects for Research-Based Learning and Ideas for Research-Based Learning open until 10 January 2025
As part of the Research-Based Learning funding programme, instructors and staff at the University of Oldenburg can receive assistance for implementing research-based learning formats. Proposals for funding instructional projects or Ideas for Research-Based Learning (e.g. hiring student assistants or covering material costs) can be submitted to forschen@studium until 10 January 2025. Applications can be submitted for grants up to a maximum of €3,000 for the 2025 summer semester or the 20205/26 winter semester.
Funded research-based learning projects for the 2024 summer semester
Under the patronage of Prof Dr Andrea Strübind, Vice President for Instruction, the Research-Based Learning committee has selected for funding the following projects: nine instructional projects under the funding line Research-Based Learning, two projects under the funding line Ideas for Research-Based Learning and four student research projects. The funded projects have started in the winter semester 2024/25.
New Erasmus+ Project "Posters in Brussels"
On 1 November 2024, a new project – Posters in Brussels – has been launched. The project aims to strengthen the European spirit through student research.
The University of Oldenburg coordinates the EU-wide Erasmus+ cooperation project, organised with four other partner universities (University of Vienna, Austria; Atlantic Technological University, Ireland; LCC International University, Lithuania; University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg). Students will have the opportunity to present their research in the national parliaments and thereafter in the European Parliament in Brussels.
9th Conference for Student Research [Link only in German]
On 24 October 2024, the Ninth Conference for Student Research, under the title Degrees of Freedom in Research – Dimensions, Diversity, Discourse, took place at the University of Hohenheim. Four UOL students presented their research to a Germany-wide audience and exchanged ideas with other students. The Tenth Conference for Student Research will be organised by the University of Oldenburg in the summer 2025.
Internal Surveys
Summer semester 2024 course evaluation results are now online [Link only in German]
Summer semester 2024 course evaluation results have been published. In the winter semester, course evaluation will be open between 6 January and 17 January 2025, varying periods are possible.
Handout on feedback in small groups
Together with other universities that are part of the working group Qualitative Feedback and Evaluation Methods in the German Association for Educational and Academic Staff Development in Higher Education (dghd), the UOL Internal Surveys Team has developed a handout for instructors.
The aim of the handout is to provide instructors with a collection of possible alternative feedback tools that they can use in small groups to obtain feedback on their teaching.
First-year student survey starts in November
Every two years, a few weeks after the start of the semester, bachelor's and State Examination students in their first semester are surveyed about their satisfaction with the start of their respective programmes as well as their expectations and wishes for their studies.
The results of the new student survey are used in annual programme conferences and contribute to the continuous development of the degree programmes at the University of Oldenburg. Counselling and service offices also receive the evaluation results pertaining to their work and can thus improve it.
The survey results from the 2024/25 winter semester will be published on the Internal Surveys pages in February/March 2025.
Results of the employee survey are now online
In the 2024 summer semester, the university's employees were surveyed about the working conditions, job satisfaction, culture of cooperation and other issues. The results of the employee survey are available on the intranet. Improvement initiatives are currently being discussed.
Student surveys in cooperation programs
Students in teacher training degrees at the universities of Oldenburg and Bremen have the opportunity to attend courses at the other university in subject which are not offered at their home institution. Studying simultaneously at two universities presents challenges, such as commuting or scheduling conflicts. The studyability of the cooperative degree programme is currently being evaluated. In the 2024/25 winter semester, a survey will be conducted among the students in the cooperative programmes, along with focus groups with those in charge of the degree programme, faculty and staff in the departments and schools at both universities.
Focus groups
The focus group is an offer increasingly in demand among the degree programmes and institutions of the University of Oldenburg. Focus groups are moderated group discussions based on pre-defined guiding questions. This qualitative method can be used to develop degree programmes or to address issues such as high student turnover and dropout rates.
Project news
SOUVER@N
Digital exchange and networking format ‘Open Space Niedersachsen’ [Link only in German]
As part of the project SOUVER@N – Digital Teaching and Learning in Lower Saxony, the digital exchange and networking format Open Space Niedersachsen was introduced at the end of 2023. This new format, which connects the service and support facilities for digital teaching at universities in Lower Saxony, will promote a lively exchange among colleagues in monthly online meetings.
For your students
Funding for student research projects – application deadline: 10 January 2025
We are looking for students from all disciplines (Bachelor's, Master's, state examination) who would like to carry out an extracurricular research project. A maximum of €5,000 per group is available for materials and work time (students would be hired on a student assistant contract). The topic for projects in the summer semester 2025 will be announced soon on the forschen@studium website. Applications can be submitted until 10 January 2025.
Photo competition ‘Capture your research (with a click) - Student research in action’
A total of 56 students submitted photos showing their research. A jury selected the three best photos, and students chose the audience favourite.
The award ceremony, together with the presentation of the Award for Excellence in Teaching, will take place on 20 November 2024. The photos will be exhibited at the StudiLounge for two weeks after the ceremony.