Teaching Award 2022

In 2022, prizes were awarded for the best teaching concept (€2,500), as well as the teaching award under the theme 'Promoting independent study and scientific work' (€2,500). Two outstanding teaching concepts were ultimately selected for the 2022 teaching awards:

The prize for the best course design (€ 2,500) was awarded to Sabine Best, David Zakoth and Johannes Kretzschmar (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy) for the lecture and seminar 'Innovation methods in photonics'.

The selection is justified as follows: A teaching concept is awarded with the courses 'Innovation methods in photonics', in which it succeeds in an outstanding way to promote scientific work of the students and at the same time to establish a high practical relevance of the studies for the students by close cooperation with regional companies. This is achieved by combining lectures, workshops and innovation projects: On the one hand, the knowledge transfer takes place within the framework of the lecture, which, in addition to technical physical content, also includes topics of innovation management, project planning and property law. On the other hand, the link to practice is already made here, as the students receive initial practical insights by guest lectures from representatives of the regional photonics industry. Students learn during workshops how to generate creative ideas using the design thinking method, how to build prototypes with rapid prototyping tools (e.g. 3D printing) and how to design a successful business model for the developed ideas. The knowledge gained from the lecture and workshop is combined and applied in the innovation projects: in concrete innovation tasks set by the industry and science partners, the students build a prototype to solve the task. This combination of course elements is particularly noteworthy because it allows students to apply knowledge independently as well as learn from mistakes that may be made during the innovation project.

The prize in the thematic focus 'Promotion of independent study and scientific work' (2,500 €) is awarded to Prof. Dr. Holger Schielzeth (Faculty of Biosciences) for the exercise 'Evolutionsbiologie'.

This selection is justified as follows: The award-winning exercise receives the teaching prize in this year's thematic focus because it introduces students to scientific processes in a special way already during their bachelor studies. In addition to the interactive teaching of basic principles of evolutionary biology and generalizable knowledge about simulation models, students can discover basic principles of evolutionary biology for themselves. Students learn in an almost playful way techniques of scientific work, such as observation, hypothesis development and testing with the help of the simulation program at the center of this teaching concept. The exploration of the simulation models in small groups explicitly addresses independent study. It provides space for dealing with a scientific question in group-specific depth and speed and also promotes aspects of social competence, such as the ability to work in a team under supervision or to communicate findings to other students.

Teaching award for Prof. Dr. Holger Schielzeth via Prof. Dr. Kim Siebenhüner and Michael Rabich

Image: Jens Meyer (University of Jena)