The University of Hamburg teaching prize“Good teaching focuses on building skills”

What did the courses for which you won this award focus on?

In Winter Semester 2023, 2 new degree programs—the Bachelor of Education in Teacher Training for Primary Schools and the Bachelor of Education in Teacher Training in Special Needs Education for Primary Schools—with the required teaching subjects math and German were introduced. Since then, I have been significantly involved in the conception and execution of the mathematics degree component. I also gave some lectures and supervised in modules in which a colleague gave the talk and practical courses or learning workshops. In the latter courses, students work on tasks related to the lecture, mostly independently but with supervision.

Headed or collaborated in the following modules:

• Einführung in das mathematische Denken und Arbeiten (bachelor’s module, head of practical courses and workshops)
• Grundkonzepte der Arithmetik (bachelor’s module, head of practical courses and workshops)
• Grundkonzepte der diskreten Mathematik und des stochastischen Denkens (bachelor’s module, head of practical courses and workshops)
• Digitale Medien zur Mathematik (bachelor’s module in the form of a computer internship; course head)
• Fachwissenschaftliche Hintergründe schulmathematischer Inhalte (master’s module, lecture and practical course head)
• Seminar zu fachwissenschaftlichen Hintergründen schulmathematischer Inhalte (master’s module)

I also supervised different and in some cases interdisciplinary final theses (bachelor’s and master’s) in the degree programs listed above.

What was particularly important to you when designing these courses?

Students in the degree programs mentioned above do not voluntarily choose mathematics. A not-insignificant number of them view the subject critically, including several who also harbor some fear. In light of the fact that these students hold these views of math when they become teachers later and fundamentally influence their own students’ view of the subject, my goal is to connect primary school and higher education topics in the curriculum and to create a learning environment that allows for the most diverse, individual, and above all positive experiences as possible when it comes to math.

Incorporating selected textbook tasks has proved especially fruitful. Even if these tasks, in their original form, are only the starting point for tasks that I significantly expand upon, the link to their later work is clear to most of the students. There is a noticeable decrease in any possible inner resistance to make an effort in math.

Moreover, these kinds of assignments are a great opportunity with regard to generalizing, abstraction, and formalization. In a best-case scenario, deeper insight into basic mathematical structures inspire delight in the subject or even greater curiosity. So I hope to contribute to making students feel capable of creating modern, varied, and exciting math lessons.

What do you think good teaching is?

For me, good teaching is characterized by a range of aspects. A central aspect is definitely that the teacher has to express enthusiasm for the subject. This motivates and inspires students to engage more intensively with the content.

I also think a target-group oriented way of speaking is important to make the material accessible to everyone. Furthermore, I think it’s important to provide different ways to understand material and to do justice to different ways of learning and prior knowledge.

And it certainly benefits the learning environment if the material is designed to facilitate success at different levels. Anyone who has difficulty (initially) with the material should be given an opportunity to gain insight into the important principles.

At the same time, learners seeking cognitive challenges should be encouraged to dive deeper in the material. In this context, I think it makes sense to shift focus to exciting connections that might go beyond the actual material.

Ultimately, I think it is important to design the curriculum fairly: Learners should have an opportunity to reach the learning objectives when they engage with the material and use the available learning and support opportunities as fully as possible.

What did the courses for which you won this award focus on?

My courses reflect the broad range of emergency care medicine. I teach in steps according to a learning spiral that covers several classes that build upon one another.

What was particularly important to you when designing these courses?

When developing courses, it was especially important to me to realize a learning-objective oriented and skills-based didactic approach along the lines of constructivist learning. The use of the teaching spiral is integral to this: material is not imparted in an isolated fashion but in learning phases that build upon one another, with previous knowledge deepening continuously and linked to new aspects.

I also use different didactic methods to do justice to different learning styles, for example, problem-based learning (PBL), case-study work with realistic scenarios, and simulation training to foster clinical decision-making and other skills. I specifically fostered interactivity between teachers and learners to stimulate self-determined learning, reflection, and critical thinking.

Overall, I focused on realistic but theory-led training that not imparted knowledge but also fostered the development of professional skills.

What do you think good teaching is?

For me, good teaching is decentralized and activating and it fosters self-reflection. It is not just about imparting knowledge; it aims to cultivate skills, critical thinking, and self-determined learning.

Central elements include clearly defining learning objectives, a didactically meaningful mix of methods, and a good fit between material, target group, and teaching format. What is essential here is to foster intrinsic motivation by making material relevant, application-oriented, and actively involving students, for example, with problem-oriented learning, group work, case study, or simulations.

Good teaching also creates a constructive learning environment, provides well-structured feedback, and uses formative and summative evaluations for ongoing quality development. It is a dialogic process and open for didactic innovation, facilitating sustainable learning with regard to the material and transferable skills.

What did the courses for which you won this award focus on?

In my course Innovation by Legal Design Thinking, students in the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences analyzed real processes and challenges with the goal of optimizing them. To do so, they used legal design thinking with the goal of developing a solution together by creating a functioning digital prototype. The participants worked independently and were supported by the teaching team and other experts. The teaching project provided authentic insights into innovative ways of working and the automatization of legal applications that are important not only for studies but also for later professional work.

What was particularly important to you when designing these courses?

For us, the trans- and interdisciplinary nature and the agile approach were crucial. In this way, we made it possible for participants to engage in exchange far exceeding their own skills and experiences and work in a problem-oriented fashion. The agile working approach between equals was especially important for developing solutions to problems with ambiguous requirements. We also met this challenge by outlining initial solutions at an early stage and then testing them to develop them further.

What do you think good teaching is?

Anton Sefkow: Good teaching, in my opinion, is characterized by taking the students’ horizons seriously and trying to put yourself in their position. Then you can ask: “Would I find that attractive?” “What can I really use later for the job?” (at least, based on my impression) and “How does this contribute to own progress?” (for example, formal use). If you have an answer to all 3 questions, in all likelihood your teaching is good.

Marten Borchers: For me, practicality and having the courage to be imperfect. In innovation projects, there are seldom clear requirements and you need to live with uncertainties that you are willing to face actively and eye-to-eye.

Lukas Musumeci: Good teaching includes an element of becoming an authority and thus personal development in the sense of education through research. This gaining of authority becomes eminently clear in our classes at the latest when we as teachers completely hand over the design process to our students and they accept the responsibility without further ado. A moment that moves me every time.