Project information

In recent semesters, the Corona pandemic has also posed major challenges to the teaching, learning and testing situation at the TU Ilmenau. By shifting face-to-face teaching to online formats, many new ideas have been developed to maintain high-quality teaching at TU Ilmenau. In this course, for example, the learning management platform "Moodle" was further developed, an ad-hoc Moodle for take-home exams was implemented, and the central IT infrastructure was expanded.

Paradoxically, the digitization of teaching poses major challenges, especially for the engineering sciences. Mathematical derivations or the creation of diagrams or technical drawings are more difficult to test on a PC than factual knowledge or text-based intellectual transfers. It should be possible to select a suitable examination scenario that is completely adapted to the situation of the respective subject. This means that digital exams are not only used when analog is not possible, but also whenever a digital (or hybrid) form of examination is best suited to competence-oriented and student-centered testing.

The project will begin with an analysis of the didactic measures used to date (some of which are already digital) for competence-oriented examination practice. On this basis, new methods will be developed, tested and evaluated. Since students and teachers are at the center of teaching, learning and testing in everyday university life, great importance is attached from the beginning of the project to involving both groups in the development and further development process.

In addition to good ideas, appropriate technical equipment and infrastructure are necessary. To realize this, the development of "Makerspaces", the installation of an e-examination lecture hall and the use of an open source Moodle cluster are planned.

The goal of the project is a competency-based teaching and examination system that will contain both purely digital offerings and analog, hands-on elements and can thus be used on-site, hybrid and virtual. The aspects of equality, diversity and accessibility will be taken into account across the board. More digital offerings will make it possible, for example, for students who are caring for relatives (children, parents, etc.) or international students who are unable to obtain a visa at short notice to take part in courses or examinations.

The Central Institute for Education (ZIB) coordinates the project and provides comprehensive assistance and advice regarding didactic methods and measures. In addition, findings of general interest are made accessible accordingly. The University Computer Center (UniRZ) contributes a large part to the establishment of the technical equipment, supports teachers in the technical implementation of the developed forms of examination and advises on data protection and information security.

In the course of the project, versatile support offers in the form of, for example, training courses or handouts are developed or organized and published and offered in an appropriate manner. To ensure that the knowledge gained about competence-oriented, digital teaching, learning and testing can be used in as many ways as possible, corresponding offers will initially be made available throughout the university and later for other universities in Thuringia.