Teaching Day 2020

The programme consisted of two keynote lectures, several workshops and discussions as well as a digital exhibition. Originally, at the suggestion of the AStA, it was planned to dedicate the Teaching Day 2020 exclusively to the topic of examinations. The organising team around Prof. Rosenkranz and Prof. Dr. Miriam Barnat, Executive Director of the Centre for Higher Education Didactics and Quality Development, expanded the topic in advance - the corona pandemic has an impact on exams, of course, but also on teaching and learning in general. At the Teaching Day, an initial interim assessment was made: "Digital teaching and learning has taken on special significance in Corona times, especially with regard to examinations," says Prof. Rosenkranz, "for us there is a great opportunity to learn from this field trial." He said the workshops had shown that there was a need to create spaces for interaction and digital networking.

Prof. Barnat explained that the topic of examinations has numerous aspects of a superordinate nature and should therefore not be viewed exclusively against the background of the current situation. On the one hand, examinations serve to control the learning behaviour of students; on the other hand, it is also a matter of monitoring learning progress. Both aspects should ideally be in balance.

Prof. Rosenkranz emphasised that a survey of students had shown that feedback processes and communication between teachers and students, but also within the group of students, were considered to be of elementary importance for learning success - regardless of digital or analogue teaching. Prof. Dr. Evelyn Korn, Vice-President for Studies and Teaching at Philipps-Universität Marburg, presented a model in her keynote entitled "Peer Review Process as a Form of Re-registration and Examination in Large Subjects" in which the students - to put it simply - give themselves grades as a group. A sophisticated grading system ensures that students not only develop an understanding of grading standards, but also feel that they share responsibility for the course.

The second keynote lecture was entitled "Examine or be examined - new examination formats in the Digital Semester" and added PD Dr. Malte Persike, Scientific Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Services (CLS) at RWTH Aachen University: "While concepts such as digital distance examinations or take-home exams were mostly laughed at German universities until a few months ago, they have become realistic options today." In his lecture, he gave an overview of digital examination formats, presented empirical findings on distance examinations as well as on the opportunities and challenges of alternative forms of examination. He emphasised that in addition to didactic, legal and organisational requirements, the technical component also plays a significant role in times of the pandemic.