News Overview

The path to a patent: Interactive learning videos for students

Today's students are often already working on tomorrow's ideas. This can result in projects that are so innovative that they open up completely new approaches. Some of these ideas eventually make it to the stage of a patent.

However, the way there is not always easy for students who have had no previous experience with the patent system. The Austrian Patent Office has therefore created interactive learning videos that interested students can click through and thus playfully follow the path from the idea to the patent.

• Go to the interactive learning videos (in German)

New Podcast: Teaching – learning – listening

In the podcast Teaching – Learning – Listening, conversations with people working in teaching at TU Graz are intended to provide a look behind the scenes and show how diverse and exciting the activities in teaching are. Representatives of different faculties and departments report on their motivation and also on the challenges that go hand in hand with their responsible tasks concerning the education and training of our students.

The format: Two new episodes are published each month. Interviewees include teaching award winners, senior lecturers, teaching experts, deans of studies and faculty representatives for internationalisation or virtual teaching. Michael Fuchs, 2020 winner of the special prize for digital teaching, will start the series.

• The podcast (in German)

Joint Online Course together with TU Darmstadt

The course “Mathematics (Electromagnetics and Differential Forms)” is offered for the first time in the current summer semester. A special feature of the event is that it is organised jointly by TU Graz and TU Darmstadt. Students from both universities can participate online, with students from the partner university gaining all access to the TU Graz platforms (e.g. TUGRAZonline, TeachCenter and Webex).

The venture represents a prototype for the successful intensification of contacts with partner universities. It thus serves as a successful example for the future “Joint Online Courses” (Intranet TU4U), in which such courses with strategic partners are pushed.

(H)TU Sustainability Day: Sustainability Lecture on 19 May

The climate crisis as a massive social, legal and political task is omnipresent today and has reached the centre of social discourse at least since the emergence of the Fridays for Future movement. This year's Sustainability Lecture as part of the (H)TU Sustainability Day will focus on the obstacles that need to be overcome on the way to the climate neutrality aimed for by the federal government by 2040 and where the impulses for a climate-friendly future are coming from. After the lecture by Eva Schulev-Steindl (head of the research center for climate protection law ClimLaw: Graz), all participants are invited to a discussion.

• Sustainability Lecture 2021 (in German): Legal challenges on the way to climate neutrality
• When: 19 May 2021, 4.00 - 6.00 p.m.
• Where: TUbe

COVID-19: Teaching and examination update

After more than four months in red, TU Graz is planning to return to the orange traffic light status as of May 17. Teaching and exams are still to be held mainly digitally, but for quality assurance reasons or for checking learning goals, this can again take place in presence with up to 15 people per room.

New: Participation in on-site courses from 17 May onwards is only possible with proof of a negative test or of having overcome an infection or neutralising antibodies (applies to lecturers/ staff and students). All regulations can be found summarised in the Intranet TU4U.

In addition, the new division of the current academic year has been decided, which shortens the lecture-free period to 18 July to 12 September 2021.

New: Contact persons for children, youths & Guided Start

With the aim of bundling and accelerating the diverse activities of TU Graz for the next generation of students in a structured way, facilitating the exchange of experiences and increasing the efficiency of the implementation of these activities, there have recently been established contact persons for the area of Children, Youths & Guided Start for each faculty or field of study.

If you have suggestions for optimising current activities such as summer internships or school tours at TU Graz, or if you would like to contribute new ideas, you can now contact the contact person in your faculty or the coordinating BGF at jugendnoSpam@tugraz.at as usual.

Further information on the contact persons can be found in TU4U under activities for children and young people (in German).

Results of the First Year Students survey 2020

From May to June 2020, TU Graz conducted its initial First Year Students survey. The target group was all bachelor students who enrolled in a degree programme at TU Graz for the first time in the academic year 2019/20. The survey is part of a regular series that was launched in 2020: Every year between May and June, students have the opportunity to share their study-related expectations and experiences in various topics.

Why do students choose TU Graz? What expectations do first year students have – and are they fulfilled in the first semesters? The complete report is available on the intranet TU4U (in German).

A comprehensive survey of all students will follow in May/June 2021.

Summer Universities of OeAD: Green.Building.Solutions and AEMS

Discussions about climate change have long since found their way into the most diverse areas of life, including the field of construction. At the Summer University Green.Building.Solutions (GBS), everything’s about the topic sustainable construction of the future. At the same time, the Summer University Alternative Economic and Monetary Systems (AEMS) takes place, which treats alternative approaches to our current growth-based and unstable financial system.

Facts and discounts

• GBS: 17 July to 8 August 2021 (online)
• AEMS: 19 July - 6 August 2021 (online)
• Deadline for scholarships for a reduced participation fee: 1 May 2021
• At GBS, one scholarship is exclusively reserved for a TU Graz student

COVID-19: Current information on teaching and exams

The traffic light of TU Graz, meanwhile red since 28 December 2020, remains in this status at least up to and including 11 April. This means the current regulations remain in force:

• Mandatory wearing of FFP2 masks when entering TU buildings, a safety distance of 2 metres must be kept
• Drawing studios, other studios, IT learning centres and learning areas remain closed
• Party traffic by appointment only
• Teaching and exams on-site with a maximum of 10 students per room
• Exception: Centrally organised on-site exams (maximum COVID occupancy of approximately 25 % of the total available seats)

General regulations: www.tugraz.at/go/coronavirus

Regulations for teaching and exams: Intranet TU4U

Information about the summer semester 2021 for teaching staff

As usual, the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Stefan Vorbach, once again informs you with the “Teaching and Learning News” about the latest and upcoming developments in the field of teaching:

• Service information
• Study law and organization
• Events
• Follow-up

Are you looking for up-to-date information on teaching and examinations in times of COVID-19? In TU4U you will find all the details collected and constantly updated on an overview page.

Information about the summer semester 2021 for students

At the start of the summer semester, the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Stefan Vorbach, once again informs with the "Teaching and Learning News" on a wide range of news and offers for students in the field of teaching:

• Key competencies
• Study law and organization
• Service information
• Events
• Results of the initial First Year Students survey 2020

You can find the long version of the news in TU4U. All current COVID-19 information on teaching and exams can be found as usual in the Intranet and are collected on the central overview page.

New: Faculty Representatives for virtual teaching

Since December 2020, there has been a Faculty Representative for Virtual Teaching (German abbreviation: FBVL) for each faculty at TU Graz. On the one hand, the FBVL are the spokespersons for the topic of virtual teaching within the faculty and, on the other hand, the contact point between the OU Educational Technology (LLT) and the faculties. Furthermore, the FBVL support the OU LLT in the further development of virtual teaching at TU Graz. Training tasks as well as technical support (e.g. for the TU Graz TeachCenter) remain with the OU LLT.

How do you find out who is FBVL of your faculty? You can find this information in TU4U at https://tu4u.tugraz.at/go/fbvl. In addition, these persons receive the function "Virtual Teaching Officer" in TUGRAZonline.

First call: Joint Online Courses

The future of education and international collaborations calls for digitalisation! A variety of innovative formats for teaching and learning will be necessary to tackle the challenges. TU Graz is ready to meet these challenges by promoting such formats in cooperation with (strategic) partners. This important step on the path to internationalisation is being promoted with the "Joint Online Courses" call for proposals:

• 3x 15.000 Euro for the development of new online courses
• Application deadline: 15 April 2021

Target group

Young TU Graz lecturers (i.e. university assistants, and assistant professors) who are interested in cooperating with an international partner to develop a joint online course for students at both universities. A professor/senior lecturer can act as coach in the project team.

COVID-19: Current information about teaching and exams

Since 28 December, the traffic light status at TU Graz has been red. This will remain in effect up to and including 28 February. Until then, teaching and exams will only take place on-site in absolutely exceptional cases, there must be a safety distance of two metres to all sides and FFP2 masks are required. Further regulations:

• Drawing studios, other studios, IT learning centres and learning areas remain closed
• Party traffic by appointment only
• On-site exams planned from 8 February can take place

General regulations in force (e.g. for party traffic): www.tugraz.at/go/coronavirus

Regulations for teaching and examinations: Intranet TU4U

TELucation website now also available in English

The term TELucation is a neologism composed of the words TEL (technology enhanced learning) and education. One result of this approach is the TELucation folder, which supports teachers by addressing topics related to technology-enhanced teaching and learning.

The website telucation.tugraz.at is the digital version of the analog folder and an OER project of TU Graz. As of February 2021, all contributions to the TELucation folder are also available online in an English version so that our international teachers and students can also benefit from them.

New articles are published at events of the OU Educational Technology or the Vice Rectorate for Academic Affairs and will also be added to the website on an ongoing basis - so keep checking the page!

New MOOC: Digital competences for first year students

With the freely accessible online course "Digital Competences for first year Students" (in German), students and all other interested parties gain insight into the digital competence model in six units. The modules include dealing with information and data, creating digital content or problem solving in digital spheres.

In addition to the MOOC, students of TU Graz have the opportunity to participate in the online course of the same name (course number: 706.084) and receive 1.5 ECTS points for it.

The MOOC can be accessed via the recently redesigned iMooX page.

MOOCs for researchers: Secure publishing and research

Two new MOOCs are currently available for researchers at www.iMooX.at to support them in their everyday work:

Legally Secure Publishing

This course provides an initial overview of the legal challenges involved in academic publishing and how best to deal with them. In addition to copyright and contractual issues, interested parties will gain insight into how research results can be successfully patented.

Legally secure research

Scientific research also brings with it legal challenges, for example in data protection when dealing with personal data or in ethical questions when dealing with test subjects. The MOOC offers an overview of the challenges and practical instructions for action.

Teacher’s discussion group on 24 February: Interaction in online teaching

At the this time’s virtual Teacher’s discussion group (LEHR-Stammtisch) Michael Fuchs, winner of the prize for excellent in digital-supported teaching in the academic year 2019/2020, will give an insight into his teaching and also share his experiences on the topic of the discussion group "Interaction in online teaching". This will be followed by an expert input from Christiane Brockmann from the Center for Educational Development and Technology of the TU Darmstadt

• When: Wednesday, February 24th 2021, 2 - 4 pm
• Where: Webex - the meeting link will be sent to the registered participants before the event
• Registration: www.tugraz.at/go/tisch

You can find information about the format of the Teacher’s discussion group on the Intranet TU4U.

Regulations for the summer semester 2021

Like the winter semester 2020/21, the coming summer semester is also to be organised under the premise of "digital first". Teaching and examinations will continue in accordance with the respective regulations of the TU Graz-internal Corona traffic light and are primarily to be held digitally; unrestricted university business will not be possible until further notice. Courses are therefore always to be planned in such a way that an alternative mode of teaching instead of on-site units is possible.

Deadlines

• 22 January: Requests for additional student assistant hours (Faculty Dean of Studies)
• 31 January: Requests for large, centrally organised on-site exams
• 15 February: Requests for live streaming/ recording

You can find all regulations in place in the intranet TU4U, where they are continously updated.

OER policy of TU Graz

Since the end of November 2020, the Open Educational Resources Policy has been in force at TU Graz. The policy is intended to help embed Open Educational Resources to an even greater extent at the university. The aim is to make high quality teaching and learning materials freely accessible and free of charge to a wide range of people. At the same time, the focus is on the legal framework in order to comply with copyright regulations.

OER ultimately promote inclusion, the open exchange between universities, society and companies as well as quality assurance in teaching; the policy also fits directly into the strategic goal of the digitalisation of teaching.

• The detailed policy (in German)