Modern teaching methods motivate

Furtwangen University (HFU) has awarded this year's teaching prizes, honouring lecturers who have made a special contribution to high-quality, innovative, and student-oriented teaching. The awards are based on nominations and subsequent evaluations by students, as well as assessments by an internal and external jury.

In the full-time teaching staff category, Prof. Dr. Dieter Schell was recognised for his course “Mathematics 1.” Students particularly appreciated the communication on an equal footing, the active involvement in teaching, and the varied and well-prepared materials. Despite the challenging content, they found the course to be consistently motivating. The jury also emphasised that the course takes the different levels of knowledge among students into account very well. The targeted use of digital tools such as GeoGebra and Kahoot, as well as the overall well-thought-out and didactically convincing teaching concept, were also rated positively. Prof. Dr. Schell emphasises, “I was personally very pleased to be nominated for the teaching award by my students because it shows me that my commitment in the lecture hall is appreciated and valued. This award is a great form of recognition and encourages me to continuously develop my teaching.”

The teaching award in the category of lecturers went to Serah Jung for her course “Writing for Interactive Media.” Students nominated the course primarily because of the topicality of the topics, the strong practical relevance, and the clear structure that provides them with orientation. The opportunity to immediately apply what they had learned in a project was particularly appreciated. The jury praised the fresh and dynamic teaching concept, the positive learning atmosphere, and the targeted promotion of student independence. Serah Jung explains, “It was my first teaching assignment at HFU, so I am all the more pleased that the course was so well received. I find it particularly motivating that modern teaching principles have not only been well received by the students, but have ultimately led to this award.”

In the “Most Nominated” category, which recognises the course with the most student nominations, the course “Anatomy” by Prof. Dr. Constanze Kiese was honoured. The students particularly appreciate the excellent structure of the content, the strong practical focus — including skills labs and excursions — as well as the lecturer's great commitment and the open atmosphere in which questions can be asked at any time and answered comprehensively.

The “Students' Favourite” award for the best ratings in the student survey was presented twice this year. The award went to Prof. Dr. Lucina Odoi's “International Marketing” course, which impressed with its clear structure, up-to-date content with a strong practical focus, and varied and engaging design. The “Physics” course taught by Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kirchner also received an award. It was rated particularly positively by students due to its well-thought-out didactic structure, the experiments included, practical examples, and the accompanying tutorial. The appropriate pace and the opportunity to ask questions at any time contributed significantly to the students' motivation.

The “Newcomer” award, which is presented to the most recently appointed professor, went to Prof. Dr. Lucina Odoi this year.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Georg Enkler, Vice-President for Learning and Diversity at Furtwangen University, emphasises the significance of the award, “Excellent teaching is a key quality feature of HFU. The teaching awards impressively demonstrate how diverse, committed and innovative our teachers are. The perspective of the students is particularly valuable here, as their nominations and evaluations clearly show what constitutes good teaching for them.” The teaching award at HFU is just one of many participatory formats for students. Among other things, the university's own “Center for Teaching and Learning” regularly organises a “Meet & Eat” event, where students also have a say in matters relating to university and teaching development.