Project "TU4U - SelfE" awarded as Hochschulperle (University Pearl)
Chemnitz University of Technology project supporting students during the corona crisis wins award from the Stifterverband
-
One instrument to support students of Chemnitz University of Technology in self-determined learning during the corona crisis is tailor-made webrooms with live consultation, depending on the need. The advisors include (in the picture from left) Stephanie Seidel, Sara Rodefeld and Susann Bennewitz. Screenshot: TU4U -
The award-winning project "TU4U - SelfE" (self-organized e-learning) supports students at Chemnitz University of Technology in their online studies during the current corona crisis. Graphic: TU4U -
Every month, the Stifterverband awards prizes for innovative projects at universities. The Hochschulperle (University Pearl) campaign aims to raise public awareness of these exemplary projects. Graphic: Stifterverband
Essen/Berlin/Chemnitz, 02.06.2020. Press release from the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e.V. with material from Chemnitz University of Technology.
The corona pandemic poses a great challenge not only for teaching at universities, but also for students. Many miss the personal exchange with their fellow students or working together in a learning group. With its project "TU4U - SelfE" (self-organised e-learning), Chemnitz University of Technology supports its students in their online studies. The Stifterverband awarded this good idea with the Hochschulperle Spezial (Special University Pearl) in the month of May - the second of a total of three special university pearls with which the Stifterverband is promoting exemplary new projects from April to June. These projects show how research, teaching and learning can succeed in times of crisis.
Help for self-determined learning at home
The award-winning project "TU4U - SelfE" (self-organized e-learning) supports students at Chemnitz University of Technology in their online studies during the current corona crisis. The lack of structure in the everyday studies, the lack of personal exchange in the lecture hall and in learning groups, or the handling of the many new online tools leads to a loss of motivation and postponement behaviour for many students. "TU4U - SelfE" helps them to organise themselves better in their own four walls and to increase their motivation.
A web portal provides tips for self-determined learning from home as well as advising on how to deal with annoying procrastination and how to implement writing projects. For many students, studying and writing a scientific paper is usually a rather lonely process - a challenge that is currently being intensified by the corona crisis.
Additional advice in the webroom, by phone or e-mail provides individual, interdisciplinary support for all questions concerning studies, scientific work, or writing. In this way, stressed students can work confidentially with experts on their difficulties in self-study.
In order to further develop their own competences and soft skills in the digital summer semester, but also to combat exam nerves, the "TU4U – SelfE" project also offers online workshops, study coaching, and a virtual writing week. For international students, some of the programs are also held in English.
Online learning rooms for the subjects mathematics and computer science also enable subject-specific exchange and tutorial support for questions about lectures and exercises.
"Chemnitz University of Technology reacted quickly during the corona crisis and converted existing analogue support services into low-threshold online formats," said the jury of the Stifterverband on the decision to award the Special University Pearl to Chemnitz University of Technology in May. "The project 'TU4U - SelfE' helps students to learn successfully even in this challenging situation, to work on their own competences and to overcome individual lows even in lockdown with the help of professional advice.
Further information is available from Nina Kollas – Stifterverband, Tel. 030 322982-305, E-Mail presse@stifterverband.de and Dr. Sara Rodefeld - TU4U, Tel. 0371 531-39187, E-Mail: sara.rodefeld@phil.tu-chemnitz.de
About the Hochschulperle
Every month, the Stifterverband awards prizes for innovative projects at universities. The University Pearl campaign (https://www.stifterverband.org/hochschulperle ) aims to raise public awareness of these exemplary projects. In 2020, the award will be presented with the theme of Open Science. The aim of the initiatives and projects being honored is to promote innovation and strengthen the social benefits of science. From April to June 2020, the Stifterverband will additionally award a Special University Pearl three times. The award, which is endowed with 1,000 euro each, honors innovative ideas that help to master the current challenges in research and teaching in times of the corona crisis at universities and universities of applied sciences in Germany.
(Author: Matthias Fejes / Translation: Chelsea Burris)
Matthias Fejes
02.06.2020
