University Didactics and Teaching

Effective Thesis Supervision

Providing Support in Science and Technology

The success of a bachelor’s or master’s thesis depends a lot on the quality of the supervision. For university teachers, this means providing a well-thought-out structure and developing a good understanding of the students’ needs and problems. At the same time, they must manage their own resources well. The use of AI tools offers new ways to effectively support students while addressing their individual needs.

Content and Goals
In this online workshop, instructors will learn how to create effective, targeted supervision. The course includes a balanced mix of theoretical input, discussions, and practical exercises. In addition to classic supervision questions and tools, the use and possibilities of AI support will be addressed.

Participants will learn to:

  • Establish clear learning objectives with students and articulate mutual expectations.
  • Conduct progress review meetings profitably and effectively.
  • Respond appropriately to students’ questions and problems as they work on their research topics.
  • Effectively use AI-based resources in supervision.

Participants will receive comprehensive materials, including templates and worksheets, to create their own handouts for supervised students.

Facilitating Meetings and Group Moderation in Teaching
Effective facilitation helps tackle complex issues in a structured way. Content can be developed and discussed with students in a targeted manner. This requires clear objectives and a fundamental understanding of methodology and group dynamics.

Content and Goals
This training teaches fundamental techniques for structuring and conducting discussion rounds and classroom conversations. Participants will learn methods and questioning techniques to help maintain focus, involve all participants, and visualize results. The emphasis will be on practical exercises with feedback from the group and the trainer.

This training provides the basics for successfully managing group discussion processes. Participants will learn to:

  • Facilitate discussions and conversations in a structured and goal-oriented manner.
  • Engage and integrate participants into the process.
  • Visualize discussion content.
  • Assess and positively influence group dynamics.
  • Develop strategies for dealing with resistance and conflicts.
  • Utilize feedback methods to improve processes.

Explaining Complex Concepts Clearly

A Workshop for Instructors in Science and Engineering

Explaining complex concepts in an understandable way and breaking them down to the level of the audience is one of the greatest challenges for instructors in science and engineering fields. Images and analogies help in understanding and remembering connections, but they still need to meet scientific standards. There is often a fine line between sufficient depth and detail on one side and comprehensibility on the other. Good preparation and a good sense of the audience are therefore essential.

Content and Goals
This workshop provides fundamental insights into text comprehensibility and the development of explanatory approaches. Using their own research work as examples, participants will practice presenting complex content clearly and finding and creating suitable analogies and images.

This training enhances explanatory skills. Participants will learn:

  • Fundamentals of information delivery in communication.
  • How to structure and present content in a clear and understandable manner.
  • How to develop suitable images and analogies for complex concepts.

Confident Teaching

Improvisational Theater Techniques for Presentations and Lectures

In improv theater, actors create short scenes and entire plays on stage without pre-set plots or memorized lines. But what does this have to do with good presentations and successful teaching? It’s all about a great “performance”: The content must be skillfully presented, the speaker must capture the audience’s attention, and respond flexibly to questions and problems. This requires good preparation and enough self-confidence to keep a cool head even in difficult situations. Spontaneous and confident action in front of groups can be learned and trained.

Content and Goals
This workshop teaches basic techniques of improv theater that can be applied to everyday situations of the participants. The focus will be on practical exercises with feedback from the trainer and the group, supported by video analysis.

This training enhances the participants’ communication and presentation skills. Participants will learn to:

  • Appear confident and authentic in front of groups.
  • Use storytelling methods to convey their message in a well-structured and convincing manner.
  • Recognize and interpret body language signals correctly.
  • Handle unforeseen situations with confidence.
  • Recognize and embrace spontaneous impulses.
  • Adapt their behavior appropriately to the situation and maintain control in challenging circumstances.

Acting experience is not required. Comfortable clothing suitable for movement and theater exercises is recommended.

Jokes and Humor in Lectures and Teaching – Effectively Conveying Content

Effectively Conveying Content

Humor in a scientific presentation? Humor can do more than just lighten up a presentation and engage the audience. It can help convey important content in a way that makes it memorable. But what do we find funny? When is humor appropriate? How can I use humor effectively to convey information?

Content and Goals
Through exercises, reflection, and theoretical input, the workshop provides practical insights from psychology and the presenter’s experiences.

This training enhances presentation skills. Participants will:

  • Reflect on situations where humor is appropriate.
  • Learn various theories about humor and their practical applications.
  • Sharpen their sense of timing and good punchlines.
  • Learn how to use wit and humor effectively to convey content.