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BiLinked

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Campus der Universität Bielefeld
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Kontakt

Inga Gostmann (Photo)

Inga Gostmann

Studentische Projektkoordination zur Vernetzung Studierender im Projekt „BiLinked“

E-mail
inga.gostmann@uni-bielefeld.de
Room
UHG B2-100
Johanna Springhorn (Photo)

Johanna Springhorn

Internationales Lehren und Lernen in der Hochschuldidaktik

E-mail
johanna.springhorn@uni-bielefeld.de
Telephone
+49 521 106-86788
Room
UHG A2-125

Student collaboration and participation

Student participation in the context of the (digital) transformation of higher education means involving students in the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of courses. This can involve joint development at the level of learning objectives and content, didactics and methods, as well as examination and assessment/grading. Student participation in teaching contributes positively to a more motivating teaching and learning atmosphere and enables students to strengthen and develop their self-efficacy, communication, cooperation and reflection skills. Lecturers can make their teaching more user and needs-oriented.

Student collaboration and collaboration between students and lecturers should be further intensified, whereby the result is more than the sum of its parts. The transition to participatory approaches is fluid. Our focus lies on project-oriented formats and corresponding skills (project management, moderation, facilitation).

In the BiLinked project, students are involved and participate in Communities of Practice (CoPs). In this context, the project participants are provided with resources to strengthen and develop student participation and collaboration in the CoPs. These resources will be continuously integrated into the general development of teaching at Bielefeld University.

Promoting student participation in teaching

In a compilation created as part of the BiLinked project with the participation of students and teachers, we provide a wide range of starting points and suggestions for promoting student participation, especially in courses:

You can download the collection here:

Student Participation in Teaching

What is the purpose of the collection “Promoting student participation in teaching”?
The collection offers teachers and students concrete starting points for how student participation in teaching can look. It covers the following topics relating to the collaboration between teachers and students in courses:

  • Framework and conditions
  • Shared responsibility for the success of teaching
  • Feedback and error culture
  • Openness and dialogue between teachers and students

For all four areas, there are sources of inspiration and examples that teachers and students can use as guidance. They can jointly agree on individual priorities, which suggestions are appropriate for the respective setting, and what they would like to try out.
In addition, joint agreements between teachers and students can be recorded in the syllabus (course concept). We provide specific wording suggestions for this in this collection.

Teaching Canvas - Student Participation in Teaching

You can download the Teaching Canvas here:

Teaching Canvas Student Participation

What is the purpose of the Teaching Canvas?

Student participation is an integral part of overall teaching planning. For this reason, this Teaching Canvas combines general didactic ideas for designing courses with specific aspects that sharpen the focus on opportunities for student participation in the planning and implementation of teaching. The Teaching Canvas is used to reflect on, adapt, and further develop one's own teaching concept with a focus on opportunities for student participation in a specific course during the semester. This Canvas can also be used as a basis for discussing one's own teaching with colleagues and students or for obtaining feedback.

How can I work with the Teaching Canvas?

In the Teaching Canvas, teachers can record their thoughts on key questions relating to the planning and implementation of courses. The Canvas thus supports teachers in preparing their teaching and at the same time invites dialogue between students and teachers on how they can shape learning and teaching together.

  • Strengthening the discourse on participatory and collaborative approaches to teaching development and university teaching (e.g. "students as partners") at Bielefeld University
  • Promoting collaboration between students and between students and lecturers
  • Development, testing, evaluation and revision of didactic scenarios and methods to make teaching and learning environments more participatory and/or collaborative.
  • CC-licensed publication of related materials
  • Raising awareness and advising lecturers on the didactic issues of designing participatory and collaborative courses
  • Accompaniment and training of students in order to be able to contribute on an equal footing to the participatory and collaborative design of courses.
  • Encouraging and supporting learning and teaching projects initiated by student groups or by full-time and student teaching staff
  • Train student staff to support and accompany collaborative study projects.

The student assistants meet once a semester to discuss the project and the working methods in the Communities of Practice (in German):

  • 1 March 2023: Forms of collaborative cooperation
  • 28 June 2023: Student participation in teaching: Good practices at the University of Bielefeld
  • 4 December 2023: Student collaboration in teaching-learning communities
  • 2 July 2024: Student contributions from the BiLinked project present: Results & Lessons learned
  • 10 December 2024: Student participation in the project: Responsibility and self-efficacy
  • 8 July 2025: Starting points for student participation in courses
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