8 Areas of Teaching and Learning

The courses in the didactica program address the following eight areas:

The shift from teaching to learning at university level has redirected our attention from teaching to learning. Courses in this area look at student learning from various perspectives, taking into account neurobiological and psychological aspects and social and structural factors. Current research and insights from gender and diversity studies provide helpful ideas for university instructors to build on.

In designing courses or modules it is essential to define target goals, structure teaching content and methods, and choose a suitable teaching format. Courses in this area deepen knowledge of these aspects and cover a variety of techniques for planning and preparing courses. Examples include how to activate students; promoting interactivity in various settings; and deploying group work.

University teaching involves diverse topic areas and teaching formats, and various target groups. Courses in this area offer a wide variety of methods to help you address the associated challenges. The aim is (depending on your objective and the given context) to introduce or consolidate knowledge of various university teaching methods in order to widen your range of approaches and help you to cover content and skills in a targeted, systematic manner.

Teaching, as a special form of communication and interaction among instructors and students, is usually based on the oral and visual presentation of academic content. Here instructors must vary their approaches according to situation and topic. Courses in this area are primarily designed to expand your communication repertoire and develop your oral communication skills for university teaching.

In addition to classical teaching, instructors must answer questions and guide and supervise students in the context of semester papers, theses and project groups. Courses in this area help you to increase the effectiveness of your guidance skills and develop strategies for traditional face-to-face or media-aided settings. They lay special emphasis on interpersonal communication.

Courses in this area cover various approaches to revealing student achievement. Some provide assistance with designing reliable and meaningful assessments. Others look at ways to follow student progress during the semester, with the goal of using the information obtained to shape teaching and to give students feedback on their learning progress.

Students are expected not only to acquire subject knowledge but also to gain those skills which enable them to study and work efficiently and effectively. Such key skills include study ability and time management, and also competences in research, problem-solving, academic writing, and communication. Metacognitive skills which enable reflection on one’s own actions are also important. Instructors must therefore concentrate on imparting these skills as well as specialist subject knowledge. Courses in this area will help you to integrate the acquisition of key skills into your courses.

The variety of tasks and activities faced by university instructors is very demanding in terms of their organizational skills, competences and resources. To address the often very diverse requirements of the university working environment it is helpful to become aware of one’s own strengths and to continually broaden one’s skills. The didactica program offers courses and coaching services for personal development which will help you to reflect on your own role in specific contexts, and to develop new approaches where indicated.