eLearning for students and employees

Hochschule Niederrhein. Your way.

Teaching, learning and examining with digital tools

The Hochschule Niederrhein's eLearning team provides digital methods and tools to promote teaching education, studies and collaboration.

The eLearning team also offers support for all members of the university and is open to your requirements and needs.

For academic staff

To support your teaching education at The Hochschule Niederrhein, the eLearning team analyzes needs and offers in order to advise the university management on the sustainable further development of our teaching and learning technology components. After testing and critically reflecting on new digital methods, tools and technologies, we transfer them into regular operation and develop support and qualification offers for students and lecturers. In doing so, we work closely with the university IT department and the digitaLe (media didactics) and university didactics teams.

In line with the development of future skills and the current requirements for working and learning processes, we offer (networked) systems for innovative teaching-learning settings and digital examinations.

We contribute our expertise to networks and collaborations beyond the university boundaries and provide impulses for digital teaching and learning at The Hochschule Niederrhein.

For students

At The Hochschule Niederrhein, you will encounter many offers for digitalized learning:
The Moodle learning platform accompanies and supports you throughout your studies - from the introductory week to your thesis. Moodle offers access to digital learning materials and activities from any location and at any time, as well as a wide range of opportunities for communication and collaboration with your fellow students and lecturers.

In addition to Moodle, other digital tools such as video conferencing systems, whiteboards and voting systems can contribute to your learning success. They are used by the lecturers, but you can also use them independently to organize your learning experience. For example, you can use the Zoom whiteboard during a project assignment to brainstorm ideas with your fellow students, keep track of your joint tasks or bring together your work results.

The eLearning team will be happy to support you in the application and use of these digital technologies.

eLearning-Team
Answers your questions about Moodle, eLearning, eAssessment

The Hochschule Niederrhein uses Moodle as its central learning management system (LMS), which is specially tailored to the needs of lecturers, staff and students.

The platform offers university-specific adaptations that support teaching education in STEM degree programs in particular. The system is accessible for teaching education via https://moodle.hsnr.de, while a separate system is available for examinations at https://moodle-exam.hsnr.de.

For academic staff

Efficient teaching and learning with Moodle
Moodle is organized into course areas, which form the foundation course for teaching and learning in the Degree programmes and in individual courses. Numerous activities, such as assignments, tests and forums, can be used within the courses.
Explanations and instructions for the central Moodle installation at The Hochschule Niederrhein can be found in the Moodle manual. Here you will also find information on creating new courses, the semester transition and guest access. Regular maintenance windows and training opportunities are announced on the Moodle homepage.

Support and exchange
Advice: Teaching and communicating online
In the course "Beratung: Online lehren & kommunizieren" (Consulting: Teaching & communicating online) you will find information to support you in designing your digital teaching at The Hochschule Niederrhein. Discover a wealth of information and handouts on various media didactic teaching/learning scenarios that will help you to design your teaching education in an effective and engaging way. Use the resources to further develop your teaching methods and support your learners in the best possible way!

Barrier-free Moodle
In the course "Informationen und Beispiele: Barrierearmes Moodle" (Information and examples: Barrier-free Moodle) you will find information on how to avoid barriers within a Moodle course or keep them low-threshold, especially for people with sensory impairments, particularly those with visual impairments.

MoodleDocs
Further guidance and answers to common questions can be found in the Moodle documentation Moodle Docs, maintained by the Moodle community.

E-assessment: Moodle Exam
E-assessment refers to various forms of assessments, evaluations, examinations etc. that are offered with digital support. A basic distinction is made between diagnostic assessments before the start of the learning process, formative assessments during the learning process and summative assessments after the end of the learning process.
You can find a lot of interesting information on the topic of e-assessment in the two publications Digitale Prüfungen in der Hochschule (Digital exams at the university) and E-Assessment in der Hochschulpraxis (E-assessment in university practice). Moodle-Exam is used at The Hochschule Niederrhein as an "examination Moodle" for conducting digital examinations. Further information and special features of Moodle-Exam can be found in our Moodle-Exam manual.

Here you can access Moodle-Exam.

For students

Commencement of studies
First-year students can find important information about their degree programme and tips on how to organize their day-to-day studies in Moodle. Moodle courses offer materials on lectures, bridging courses and tutorials as well as interactive learning activities such as online tests and forums for exchanging ideas with fellow students.
As part of the introductory weeks, regular Moodle introductions are offered for first-year students at the start of each semester, in which the platform and access to course materials and activities are explained. To get started with Moodle, we recommend the Moodle for first-semester students guide and the video How does Moodle actually work?

Designing your own courses
Students can request their own Moodle courses for learning and working groups, e.g. for semester projects. Tutors also have the option of creating Moodle courses to accompany tutorials or revision sessions. Further information can be found in the Moodle handbook.

Examinations in Moodle
Via the Moodle examination system can be used to carry out examination procedures, such as the submission of seminar papers, projects and assignments or the submission of theses.

  • Examination procedures with test/task: You can prepare for examination procedures that are carried out with the activities "test" or "task" here: Info and trial course for students. If you have any questions, please contact your teacher and/or faculties.
  • Submissions: Seminar papers, project papers, assignments and theses can be collected online via the "Assignment" activity in Moodle-Exam. You can prepare yourself here: Info and trial course for students. If you have any questions, please contact your lecturer and/or faculty.

The Hochschule Niederrhein offers academic stuff, employees and students a wide range of digital tools to support teaching education, working and learning processes.

For academic staff & employees

Tool profiles

The tool profiles provide you with an overview of the digital tools that you can use to support your teaching education and work - in addition to the various activities in Moodle.

In addition to instructions, the tool profiles also provide information on application scenarios, handling and practical examples.

Link to the tool profiles

 

Digital tools for didactic goals

In addition to the overview of all digital tools in the Moodle handbook and the tool profiles, you also have access to recommendations for using Moodle activities and digital tools in relation to your didactic needs and objectives on the intranet.

To the recommendations [Intranet]

For students

Tool profiles

The tool profiles provide you with an overview of the digital tools that lecturers can use to support your learning processes in addition to the many activities in Moodle.

You can also use the Zoom video conferencing system and its options for creating digital whiteboards independently.

Link to the tool profile "Zoom video conferencing"

Link to the tool profile "Zoom Whiteboard"

 

Support STEM digitally

Online mathematics bridge course: OMB+

The online mathematics bridge course "OMB+" is a digital offer in which you as students can test your previous knowledge for your studies and, above all, repeat and deepen it. A tutor will help you with any questions and, in addition to explanations, there are a variety of online exercises. After successfully completing the course, participants can have a certificate issued.

Link to OMB+

Introductory course: HM4mint

With the introductory course "HM4mint", students can deal with mathematical facts of "Higher Mathematics I" during lectures. You will find examples and exercises as well as short intermediate tests. In the course, lecture content can be repeated independently or certain topics can be advanced.

Link to hm4mint

 

Digital etiquette

The Hochschule Niederrhein's Digital Code of Conduct can provide good support for getting started with digital teaching.

Download the Digital Code of Conduct [PDF]

Projects

In various third-party funded projects, the eLearning team works on current topics in cooperation with other universities and represents The Hochschule Niederrhein as a joint partner.

#Digitalkompetenz.nrw

The #Digitalkompetenz.nrw project (01/2024-12/2026) is developing a comprehensive web service to promote digital skills at universities. This offer is aimed at all university members and is based on the #DigitalcheckNRW model. The core modules include a self-assessment tool for assessing one's own skills profile, a catalog of information, continuing education and training offers in the field of digital key qualifications and a pathfinder that links the results of the self-assessment with the catalog offers and serves as a recommendation system.

#Digitalkompetenz.nrw is a joint project sponsored by the state of NRW and recommended by #DH.NRW. The project partners are the University of Bonn, TH Köln, The Hochschule Niederrhein and RWTH Aachen.

Digital university bridge [bridge]

In the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, existing expertise in the field of digitalization is pooled and cooperative solutions for development tasks in universities are jointly developed. The regional network is aimed at teaching education staff and representatives of service institutions. Using the fields of learning management systems, video streaming, electronic examinations, virtual teaching pool and instructional design/OER as examples, prototypical forms of cross-university cooperation are tested, documented and implemented by the participating Hochschule Niederrhein, Rhein-Waal, Ruhr West and the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Joint project [bridge]

Harness.nrw

The Harness.nrw project has been developing a new question type for the Moodle learning platform since 2020. The connection to the JACK teaching and assessment system from the paluno institute at the University of Duisburg-Essen enables the expenditure of automated feedback on programming tasks to students. After initially only being tested locally, the didactically useful solution for e-assessments can now be interoperably integrated into digital environments. Computer Science professorships from various fields of teaching, degree programs and locations will be addressed in the transfer phase of the project and the project results will be disseminated via the state portal ORCA.nrw. The paluno institute is leading this project and is developing interoperability for electronic examinations with the Dynexite platform at RWTH Aachen University, in addition to its use in Moodle.

A cooperation project recommended by: DH.NRW. Sponsored by: Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

paluno institute: Hanrness.nrw

Archive To Go - Prüfung hoch III Drei

The Hochschule Niederrhein was selected for a fellowship (Berthold Stegemerten & Katrin Waletzke) as part of the project Prüfung hoch III Drei (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, RWTH Aachen, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). Audit-proof archiving represents a considerable hurdle for many examination initiatives if digital examinations are to be carried out in a legally compliant manner and with reasonable effort. The "Archive To Go" project aims to find a pragmatic solution to close existing archiving gaps in the digital audit process and to make the use of audit platforms for innovative digital audit formats more flexible. The Hochschule Niederrhein was already involved with the topic of digital examinations in the E-Assessment NRW project from 2014 to 2017.

Sponsored by: Wirkung hoch 100 anniversary initiative of the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany

Examination to the power of II

Networks

The Hochschule Niederrhein is networking in the area of "Digitalization in studies and teaching", including through the "Digital Tools for University Teaching" programme of the Ministry of Culture and Science and the Digital University NRW.

Information, discussions, calls and events can be found here:

Publications

Silke Kirberg (2024): Agile development of the "Archive To Go" for digital exams using the user stories method. In: Stefanie Gerl, Bastian Küppers, Matthias Bandtel Svenja Bedenlier (eds.): Digitale Prüfungsszenarien in der Hochschule
Didaktik - Technik - Vernetzung. Innovative Hochschule: digital - international - transformative, 4th wbv-Verlag, Bielefeld, pp. 119 - 127.

Annas, P., Eßer-Lüghausen, A., Wittau, H., (2023). Experiencing media didactic skills in a practical orientation - e-tutor qualification at The Hochschule Niederrhein. In Vöing, N., Schmidt, R., & Niese, I. (Eds.). (2023). Promoting active participation - ICM and student engagement in university lecturers. Visual Ink Publishing. S. 319-331

Kirberg, Silke; Ceylan, Indira (2023). Examination didactics, legal and organizational dimensions for the development of Moodle as a digital examination environment. In: fnma Magazine 02/2023, pp. 18-21.

Ceylan, Indira. (2023). successfully shaping collaboration between universities and software developers. Blog post in HD@DH.NRW.

Kirberg, Silke; Eßer-Lüghausen, Alexandra et al. (2020).Agile working in the strategic field of teaching development at The Hochschule Niederrhein. In: Journal for Higher Education Development 15/4, p.157-169.

Kirberg, Silke; Kutsch, Stefanie et al. (2019).Handout DH.NRW project [bridge]

Halfmann, Achim; Kirberg, Anja. (2019).Sponsored: The Digital University Bridge project [bridge]. In: ProLibris 2/19, pp. 66-68.

Fink, Guntram; Kirberg, Silke; Schmidt, Lisa; Tervooren, Sarah. (2017). Digitalization of teaching education: Advice and training for lecturers at The Hochschule Niederrhein. In: Doyé, Th. et al. (eds.): University digital?! Practical examples from career-integrated and postgraduate degree programmes, pp. 61-68.

Project "E-Assessment NRW". (2017).e-assessment in higher education practice. Recommendations for anchoring e-assessments in NRW.

Kirberg, Silke. (2014).How can lecturers be supported in the design of virtually enriched study formats for heterogeneous target groups? Needs analyses for the conception of the technical basis, university didactic qualifications and consultations.In: Cendon, Eva, Flacke, Luise B. (Eds.): Competence development and heterogeneity. Designing study formats at the interface between theory and practice. Handreichung der wissenschaftlichen Begleitung des Bund-Länder-Wettbewerbs "Aufstieg durch Bildung: offene Hochschulen", pp. 69-80.

Kirberg, Silke (2014).Opening up university spaces in the competition "Advancement through education: open universities". On the architecture of digitally supported opening and expansion. In: Rummler, Klaus (ed.): Designing learning spaces - thinking educational contexts in a variety of ways. Waxmann: Münster, New York, pp. 469-472.

Kirberg, Silke; Koreny, Katja (2012). Transfer of project results from a multidimensional perspective. In: Schulz, Manuel et al. (2016): Distance education sharpens perspectives. Technology-supported education as a driver of innovation processes. Ziel Verlag: Augsburg, pp. 200-221.

Kirberg, Silke; Lobinger, Babett; Walzel, Stefan. (2012). International, job-oriented and virtual. A practical report on cross-border learning location cooperation. In: Csanyi, Gottfried et al. (eds.): Digital media - tools for excellent research and teaching education. Waxmann: Münster, New York, pp. 270-2.

Lectures

Feiter, Saraa; Fink, Guntram (2024). eLearning Support - Exchange on the interaction of centralized and decentralized institutions/actors. LMS community meeting Moodle.NRW & ILIAS.nrw, Ruhr-University Bochum.

Kirberg, Silke (2024). Regulation of digital tools using the example of a usage regulation for Moodle. Discussion and exchange on implementation at universities in NRW. LMS community meeting Moodle.NRW & ILIAS.nrw, Ruhr-University Bochum.

Kirberg, Silke; Korner, Thomas; Neiske, Iris; Prey, Gisela (2022). Expert panel "Plugin workflow". Moodle at universities e.V.

Waletzke, Katrin; Hoffmann, Sabine (2021). From centralized to decentralized coordination of online examinations at The Hochschule Niederrhein. E-examination symposium 2021, RWTH Aachen University, video conference.

Waletzke, Katrin; Kirberg, Silke (2021).Audit-proof archiving of online examinations for the Moodle activities "Test" and "Task"[Conference contribution]. Topic day electronic examining, Digital University NRW Hagen, video conference.

Halfmann, Achim; Kirberg, Anja (2019). presentation "[bridge] field of action OER". "Markt der Möglichkeiten", eLearning-Day, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences.

Halfmann, Achim (2018). Presentation "[bridge] and OER services". Seminar "Digital teaching and learning with OER", University of Duisburg-Essen.

Halfmann, Achim (2018). Presentation "Handlungsfeld OER". eLearn NRW, University of Duisburg-Essen.

Keller, Alain Michel; Kirberg, Silke (2017).Presentation "Der Weg in die Hochschule - Prozesse zur Etablierung hochschulweiter E-Prüfungen".E-examination symposium, Bremen

Kirberg, Silke; Kreplin, Brigitte; von Danwitz, Frank. (2015).presentation "Data protection. Formalities and consequences for the use of Moodle". Moodlemaharamoot, Lübeck

Gebhardt-Bürkle, Simone; Kirberg, Silke; Schwellenbach, Annemarie. (2013).Presentation "Foreign language acquisition with Moodle". Moodlemoot, Munich

Kirberg, Silke; Lobinger, Babett; Walzel, Stefan. (2012).presentation "International, career-oriented and virtual. Ein Praxisreport zur grenzüberschreitenden Lernortkooperation".annual conference of the Society for Media in Science, Vienna

Workshops

Stegemerten, Berthold; Kirberg, Silke et al. (2019) Strategy workshop "How does cross-university cooperation succeed?" Cooperation as a digital education strategy - transferable results of the DH.NRW project "Digitale Hochschulbrücke westliches Ruhrgebiet I Niederrhein [bridge]". University of Duisburg-Essen 28.11.2019

Halfmann, Achim; Kirberg, Anja; Kirberg, Silke et al. (2019). workshop "[bridge] experiences". eLearning Network Day, University of Duisburg-Essen.

Falkenstein-Feldhoff, Katrin; Halfmann, Achim; Lützenkirchen, Frank. (2019). workshop "OER - conception, workflows and licenses". University of Duisburg-Essen.

Halfmann, Achim; Kirberg, Anja. (2019). "Introducing [bridge]". Webinar "Supporting structures and teaching scenarios for Open Educational Resources", Aurora Network.

Halfmann, Achim. (2019). Structuring Moodle courses. Webinar as part of the [bridge] project. Mönchengladbach.

Halfmann, Achim; Kirberg, Anja. (2018). collegial workshop "OER - Start-ups". Ruhr-West University of Applied Sciences.

Neiske, Iris; Kirberg, Silke; Heinrich, Sandrina; Petschenka, Anke. (2018).Workshop "Supporting competence acquisition with Moodle - Presentation of suitable functions and learning activities". eLearn NRW, Essen

Kirberg, Silke. (2017). workshop "Quality assurance of test questions. Evaluating test statistics, improving questions and tasks". E-examination symposium Bremen

Poster

Ceylan, Indira; Kirberg, Silke; Striewe, Michael. (2022). Testing the interoperability of e-assessment tools across university boundaries.e-Prüfungs-Symposium 2022, Hamburg.

Kirberg, Silke; Striewe, Michael; Ceylan, Indira. (2021). Interoperable learning environment JACK in the Harness.nrw project. Textual feedback in scalable programming tasks.29th Annual Conference of the Society for Media in Science, Leipzig.

Kirberg, Silke; Goertz, Lutz. (2018).How can new, e-supported examination formats be developed? E-examination symposium, Aachen, pp. 38-39.

Fink, Guntram. (2016).Videos in online teaching education.HRK nexus conference "Digitale Lehrformen für ein studienzentriertes und kompetenzorientiertes Studium", Berlin.

Fischer, Yvonne; Kirberg, Silke; Temps, Timon T. (2016).E-Assesment NRW current status, good practices and needs - "Lessons learned" from the project assignment. Annual conference of the Society for Media in Science, Innsbruck.

Fink, Guntram; Kirberg, Silke. (2015).eLearning at The Hochschule Niederrhein. international conference wiss. Accompaniment "Advancement through education - open universities", Berlin.

Kirberg, Silke. (2014).Opening up university spaces in the competition "Advancement through education: open universities".Annual conference of the Society for Media in Science, Zurich.

Silke Kirberg
Team Leader eLearning
Guntram Fink, B.A.
Academic staff member of the eLearning team
Saraa Feiter, Dipl.-Ing.
Academic staff member of the eLearning team
Jane Schaller, M.Sc.
Project management university publication server Academic staff member of the eLearning team & Wiss. Mitarbeiterin in the #Digitalkompetenz.nrw project
Christine Redeker, B.A.
Academic staff member of the eLearning team