News Overview

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: Traffic light colour Orange and implications for teaching and exams

As of 15 March, the traffic light colour orange will probably be in effect again at TU Graz. Strict safety and hygiene regulations will remain in force, but more face-to-face teaching will be possible again. The main changes summarised:

• On-site teaching is possible for continuous assessment courses (especially StEOP) and for those courses where students have to use the infrastructure on site (e.g. laboratory equipment).
• Max. 15 persons per room for courses and examinations (except for examinations of the central examination calendar).
• Libraries: Learning and reading areas can be used again.
• Learning areas: Drawing studios (Zeichensäle), studios, IT learning centres and learning rooms can be used again between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

You can find further information and details in the intranet TU4U.

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)