The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we work and learn. One of the biggest challenges at TU Ilmenau has been the conversion of teaching to online formats. How has online teaching affected faculty and students? To find out, Hanna Kulmus, a student of Applied Media and Communication Studies, interviewed Martin Backhaus, a staff member at the Central Institute for Education at the TU Ilmenau and the university's contact person for the eTeach Network Thuringia. In the interview, he shares his experiences, the challenges and successes during online teaching in the pandemic.
Mr. Backhaus, how did you experience the switch from face-to-face teaching to online teaching in the pandemic?
In the summer semester of 2020, the pandemic really took off and everything had to take place completely online. At that time, I and my boss at the time, Prof. Günter Schäfer, decided to convert the lectures and seminars into teaching videos. We produced these in a small studio in the Zuse building. And because videos are of course no substitute for proper teaching, we designed suitable Moodle courses, which were maintained on a weekly basis. There, the students could view the learning material. In addition, online consultations were held about every two weeks, where students could ask questions about the lectures and seminars or ask more detailed questions.
At what point did you realize that the pandemic would mean a major change?
I always had a drastic view of the situation, possibly because I am a computer scientist and deal with IT security - you always think of the worst case scenario. When COVID-19 broke out in China and you saw the impact it had, it was clear to me that it would have exactly the same consequences here. It was just a question of when. Essentially, it wasn't a surprise to me when the lockdown came then.
How did you prepare for the switch from face-to-face to online teaching during the pandemic?
During the first few weeks after the official start of the pandemic, we still had enough time to buy the necessary technical equipment. This included some cameras, graphic tablets, studio lights, a dedicated computer for the studio and some more. At that time, we received Corona aid in financial form from the state of Thuringia, which was divided among the faculties. Therefore, in a short time we had everything we needed to run online teaching. Besides the procurements, we looked into different tools, such as "Open Broadcaster Software Studio" (OBS-Studio), which we used for the production of the teaching videos. We felt that "On Demand" videos were more useful over time than live events via WebEx, as students could watch them during exam time.
How have the topics they covered in your seminars changed compared to face-to-face teaching?
The topics have basically not changed at all. I can present the university teaching content-equivalent in different ways. It is my job to train computer scientists in the basics, regardless of whether there is a pandemic or not.
Were there differences in student participation and engagement in online lectures and seminars compared to face-to-face courses?
For the most part, participation was the same. My colleague felt that, for example, the submission of homework was like it was before the pandemic. The only thing that was missing for me personally was: if someone had a serious question in the lecture or seminar, you classically come to the:r lecturer after the event. That was missing a little bit.
Were you able to determine whether that changed after the pandemic?
After the pandemic, everything was back to the way it was before.
Besides Moodle and WebEx, what tools and methods did you use to make teaching more effective?
Besides those two, we used OBS-Studio in producing the instructional videos and a whiteboard tool, OpenBoard. All but WebEx are open source tools. It was very important to my boss that we build the teaching on open source tools as much as possible.
How have you been able to support people with disabilities in online teaching?
Especially online, it's hard to tell if people with a disability are in the course. I would have hoped that the content we have in the Moodle course would be largely accessible. I agree that an instructional video is not accessible, so I would have to rely on someone facing barriers to contact us separately. That's certainly not the best way, because it shouldn't have to be at all.
Teaching should be accessible and we shouldn't have to separately address needs that are communicated to us at some point.
In your eyes, did e-learning and hybrid teaching, have a big impact on teaching?
At times, we had to check the 3G evidence in face-to-face classes, which of course brings additional effort. In addition, the rooms were no longer as large in terms of utilization. Seminar rooms that normally fit about 20 people suddenly only had room for 10. In case of doubt, students would have had to be sent home. If this had happened more often, I would have gone so far as to introduce a system where every student sits in the seminar room at least once every two weeks.
Now that we have learned to use these tools, will they continue to be used in teaching?
I am afraid that tools like OBS-Studio and OpenBoard will probably not be used much anymore. What will definitely still be used are the instructional videos, especially in exam preparation. Moodle is still there to provide the videos and lecture/seminar materials, but also to organize submissions of e.g. term papers, slips or homework.
What new tools would you like to see in teaching in the future?
Technologies that could be useful in teaching are virtual reality and augmented reality. Here we initially have the problem of making them available on a large scale, but could later use them in an international course of study, for example. Unification across universities of, for example, video conferencing tools or collaborative online whiteboards would be other developments from which we could benefit.
Do you think the pandemic was particularly challenging for students?
The biggest challenge was actually on the student side. I don't know about you, but I found the best moments in my studies were the ones you had with your fellow students after the lecture or seminar. That didn't exist in pandemic times.
What did you learn from your experience with online teaching during the pandemic?
That teaching works even in extreme situations. That's a good credo for the future, because we know we'll get it right again if another situation like that comes up. I think that what we learned together during the pandemic, in terms of the needs of students and staff, is very valuable.
About the person
Martin Backhaus (M.Sc.) has a degree in computer science. He has been working as a research assistant at TU Ilmenau at the Group of Telematics/Computer Networks since 2015 and joined the Central Institute for Education in April 2022. He is the contact person for the eTeach network at TU Ilmenau. The eTeach network is a joint project of all Thuringian universities for the cooperative further development of digitally enriched university teaching. In his position, Martin Backhaus develops new digital applications and best practices and supports lecturers in preparing them didactically and integrating them into their teaching.
Background of the interviews
Within the scope of the seminar "Berufsfeldorientierung Journalismus" students of the TU Ilmenau interviewed members of the university. The interviews deal with topics that are of great concern to the TU Ilmenau - including sustainability, e-learning or internationality. In conversation with the students, lecturers, researchers and employees also reveal very personal insights and tell what drives them, how they cope with professional and private challenges and what their everyday working life at TU Ilmenau is like.
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Welche Tools und Methoden haben Sie neben Moodle und WebEx verwendet, um die Lehre effektiver zu gestalten?
Neben diesen Zweien haben wir OBS-Studio bei der Produktion der Lehrvideos verwendet und ein Whiteboard Tool, OpenBoard. Alle bis auf WebEx sind Open Source Tools. Es war meinem Chef sehr wichtig, dass wir die Lehre weitestgehend auf Open Source Tools aufbauen.
Wie konnten Sie bei der Online-Lehre Menschen mit einer Behinderung unterstützen?
Insbesondere online ist es schwer zu erkennen, ob Menschen mit einer Behinderung in dem Kurs sind. Ich hätte gehofft, dass die Inhalte, die wir im Moodle-Kurs haben, weitestgehend barrierefrei sind. Ich gebe zu, dass ein Lehrvideo nicht barrierefrei ist, weshalb ich darauf angewiesen wäre, dass sich jemand, der vor Barrieren steht, separat bei uns meldet. Das ist sicherlich nicht der beste Weg, denn das sollte gar nicht sein müssen.
Die Lehre sollte barrierefrei sein und wir sollten nicht gesondert auf Bedürfnisse eingehen, die uns dann erst irgendwann kommuniziert werden.
Hatten das E-Learning und die hybride Lehre in Ihren Augen einen großen Einfluss auf den Unterricht?
Zeitweise mussten wir den 3G-Nachweis im Präsenzunterricht prüfen, das bringt natürlich zusätzlichen Aufwand mit sich. Außerdem waren die Räume bezüglich der Auslastung nicht mehr so groß. In Seminarräumen, in denen normalerweise circa 20 Personen passen, hatten plötzlich nur noch zehn Personen Platz. Im Zweifel hätte man Studierende nach Hause schicken müssen. Wenn das öfter passiert wäre, wäre ich auch so weit gegangen und hätte ein System eingeführt, wo jede:r Studierende wenigstens alle zwei Wochen mal im Seminarraum sitzt.
Jetzt wo wir gelernt haben mit diesen Tools umzugehen, werden diese weiter in der Lehre eingesetzt?
Ich befürchte, dass Tools wie OBS-Studio und OpenBoard vermutlich nicht mehr häufig verwendet werden. Was auf jeden Fall noch verwendet wird, sind die Lehrvideos, insbesondere in der Prüfungsvorbereitung. Moodle ist noch da, um die Videos und die Vorlesungs-/Seminarunterlagen zur Verfügung zu stellen, aber auch um Abgaben von zum Beispiel Hausarbeiten, Belegen oder Hausaufgaben zu organisieren.
Welche neuen Tools würden Sie sich in Zukunft in der Lehre wünschen?
Technologien, die in der Lehre nützlich sein könnten, sind Virtual Reality und Augmented Reality. Hier haben wir zunächst das Problem sie großflächig zur Verfügung zu stellen, könnten sie später aber beispielsweise in einem internationalen Studiengang einsetzen. Hochschulübergreifende Vereinheitlichungen von beispielsweise Videokonferenztools oder kollaborativen Online Whiteboards wären weitere Entwicklungen, von deen wir profitieren könnten.
Denken Sie, dass die Pandemie besonders für Studierende eine große Herausforderung war?
Die größte Herausforderung war tatsächlich auf der Seite der Studierenden. Ich weiß nicht, wie es Ihnen geht, aber ich fand die schönsten Momente in meinem Studium waren jene, die man nach der Vorlesung oder dem Seminar mit seinen Kommiliton:innen hatte. Das gab es in Pandemiezeiten nicht.
Was haben Sie aus der Erfahrung mit der Online-Lehre während der Pandemie gelernt?
Dass die Lehre auch in Extremsituationen funktioniert. Das ist für die Zukunft ein gutes Kredo, da wir wissen, wir kriegen das wieder hin, sollte es nochmal zu einer solchen Situation kommen. Ich denke, dass das, was wir zusammen in der Pandemie gelernt haben, im Sinne der Bedürfnisse von Studierenden und Mitarbeitenden, sehr wertvoll ist.
Zur Person
Martin Backhaus (M.Sc.) ist studierter Informatiker. Seit 2015 arbeitet er als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an der TU Ilmenau am Fachgebiet Telematik/Rechnernetze und ist seit April 2022 am Zentralinstitut für Bildung. Er ist die Kontaktperson für das eTeach-Netzwerk an der TU Ilmenau. Das eTeach-Netzwerk ist ein Verbundprojekt von allen Thüringer Hochschulen zur kooperativen Weiterentwicklung der digital bereicherten Hochschullehre. In seiner Position entwickelt Martin Backhaus neue digitale Anwendungen und „Best Practices“ und unterstützt Dozent:innen dabei, diese didaktisch aufzubereiten und in ihre Lehre einzubinden.
Die diesjährige Jahrestagung des eTeach-Netzwerks Thüringen findet am 15. und 16. November 2023 zum Thema "Zwischen Bibo und Bot: Studierende im Blick" statt. Aktuell können Beiträge für den Messetag und den Tagungstag eingereicht werden.
Hintergrund der Interviews
Im Rahmen des Seminars „Berufsfeldorientierung Journalismus“ haben Studierende der TU Ilmenau Angehörige der Universität interviewt. Die Interviews befassen sich mit Themen, die die TU Ilmenau stark beschäftigen – darunter Nachhaltigkeit, E-Learning oder Internationalität. Im Gespräch mit den Studierenden geben Dozierende, Forschende und Mitarbeitende auch ganz persönliche Einblicke preis und erzählen, was sie antreibt, wie sie berufliche und private Herausforderungen bewältigen und wie ihr Arbeitsalltag an der TU Ilmenau aussieht.
Siehe auch: Neues Studio zur produktion hochwertiger Lehrvideos eröffnet