From September until the end of 2021, three international digital collaboration projects at Paderborn University are being funded by the German Acamemic Exchange Service’s (DAAD) new funding programme International Virtual Academic Collaboration (IVAC).
The programme’s main objectives are the integration of digital collaboration formats in teaching and learning, the design of new mobility patterns (virtual/blended mobility) and the improvement of digital and intercultural competencies.
The fact that three innovative teaching projects are being funded at Paderborn University is a great achievement and demonstrates the high level of commitment of the lecturers to transform the current challenges into an opportunity to strengthen international partnerships, promote the expansion of digital teaching and rethink international mobility.
The following three projects in the departments of English and American Studies, Exercise and Health, Chemistry and Computer Science will be funded at Paderborn University:
„Aston Paderborn Virtual Campus“
Based on the long-standing cooperation and the joint Teaching Assistant Programme of Paderborn University and Aston University, Birmingham (GB), the project "Aston Paderborn Virtual Campus", spearheaded by Prof. Dr. Christoph Ehland and PD Dr. Christoph Singer, will transform existing digital teaching and learning concepts into a joint Virtual Campus. In addition to digitalising the teaching assistants' work, plans include the development of collaborative micro-teaching formats with a focus on intercultural competences, workshops for teachers and students of both universities, and the organisation of an international student conference.
„#TrainingTwinsInAppliedNeurosciences“
The project "#TrainingTwinsInAppliedNeurosciences” was planned by the Exercise Science & Neuroscience Unit in the Department of Sport and Health and brings together students from Paderborn University (Sport Science) and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi (Physiotherapy) with an interest in a research-oriented career in the field of "Applied Neurosciences in Training and Therapy". Central components of the project of Prof. Dr. Jochen Baumeister, Sarah Vogt and Katrin Hemschemeier are the digital course "#GetYourGamePlanInAppliedNeuroscienceInExerciseAndTherapy" and the summer school "#HandsOnAppliedNeuroscienceInExerciseAndTherapy". The project will raise awareness for developing a research profile and in international and intercultural training tandems, students can explore Exercise Science and Neuroscience digitally and in the laboratories.
"DigiChemLab"
The "DigiChemLab" aims at developing a virtual learning platform for chemical-technical education by means of Virtual Reality technology. It thus a complementary offer for students to prepare e.g. for internships in chemical laboratories. In addition to this project by Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Meyer auf der Heide, Dr. Matthias Fischer, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bremser and Dr. Hoang Trang Tran-Thien, Prof. Sabine Fechner and Dr. Sebastian Habig plan to conduct a learning study. The project will be conducted in cooperation with the departments Materials Science of Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUST) and with the Computer Science Department of Shandong University (SDU) in China.
In total, 48 projects at 41 universities will be funded under the IVAC program until the end of 2021. Further information about IVAC can be found here.
