Didactics

How to plan a course, how to design it, how to ensure that students can achieve the learning outcomes? Questions like these occupy teacher’s minds. The module handbook for each degree program outlines the fundamental criteria for developing the syllabus, which is the semester-specific application of the module handbook’s guidelines. This syllabus is then reviewed with the students at the start of the initial teaching session. An orientation framework for successful course planning is provided by the didactic concept of constructive alignment which ensures that learning activities (“practicing”) are linked to assessment (“testing”) and learning outcomes (“ability”). The overarching aim is to achieve sustainable, “deeper learning” for students.

Teaching units with examinations and learning activities (methods, materials and media) tailored to the learning outcomes motivate – in the spirit of constructive alignment – motivate students to actively participate. The simple didactic principle of “inhale-exhale” encourages you to focus on each phase of the “inhale”(from the student’s perspective).The “breathing out” phase, i.e. the acquisition of knowledge (listening, watching, reading), is followed by a phase of “breathing out”, i.e. the acquisition of knowledge (carrying out exercises, solving tasks, working out questions, summarizing, reflecting, giving feedback, etc.). Phases of rather passive reception thus alternate with phases of rather active integration.

The coronavirus pandemic made it necessary to quickly switch from face-to-face teaching on campus to online teaching. What was a means to an end in 2020 has established itself as a fixed component of flexible teaching-learning scenarios, hybrid scenarios and enables location- and time-independent teaching and learning in a variety of blended learning formats, in which traditional classroom courses and modern forms of eLearning are combined in a didactically meaningful way. Teaching concepts such as Flipped classroom characterize high-quality courses and modules.

The internationalization strategy 23-30 of the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and its status as an associated partner university of the ATHENA European University Alliance are also reflected in university teaching: virtual exchanges and blended intensive programs support the development of intercultural skills; courses, modules and degree programs are offered in English. The Carinthia University of Applied Sciences supports the development and consolidation of English language skills with attractive offers in the English@CUAS area. In addition, following a defined learning path, the English Badge of the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences can be acquired, which identifies the activities in relation to internationalization and upskilling of English skills. For more information about the English@CUAS offer, please send us an e-mail to english@cuas.at

Performance assessments are a fixed component of each course or module and – well aligned with the learning outcomes and linked to the teaching activities – can be a motivating lever for learning activities. Written examinations are just as conceivable as oral or practical examinations. Each module handbook contains binding guidelines for the specific design of the assessment in the interests of good study ability and diverse assessments!

The student assessments as part of the course evaluation aim to provide qualitative feedback on the teaching and learning process, which gives lecturers information on measures to further develop their teaching. At the end of each course/module, the institutional course evaluation which is managed centrally by QMOE (Quality Management and Organizational Development) at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences takes place. While this “summative” course evaluation is mandatory, the “formative” evaluation during courses or modules is optional and can be carried out individually using different feedback methods.

The omnipresent and continuous online access to information across all subjects and knowledge fields, coupled with the widespread advent of AI models since November 2022, and the evolution of traditional classroom instruction to encompass diverse online and hybrid formats, significantly influences not only university education but also on the broader spectrum of learning. Role of teachers: these are no longer just – ideally also didactically and methodologically competent – experts and examiners in their subject, but increasingly in demand as learning guides, coaches and curators. Not to be underestimated is the role as a researcher or role facets that arise from administrative obligations within the degree program or through participation in working groups and committees of the university. Each of these roles is associated with different expectations, which can often result in tension or overload. Exchanges with colleagues or with us at the Center for Teaching and Learning can provide orientation.