Teaching education at eye level, in the language of the students: Tutors at many universities in Germany play an important role in guiding students through their studies.
The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) also employs them in all ten faculties. They help students to understand and deepen their knowledge of the subject matter, provide orientation at the start of the first semester, give important methodological and didactic tips on the design of subject tutorials, advise learning groups and support digital teaching.
In order to strengthen the work of those involved, the nationwide "Netzwerk Tutorienarbeit an Hochschulen" has now been selected by the "Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre" (Foundation for Innovation in University Teaching) for funding of around 200,000 euros.
The HSNR is one of the 60 or so colleges and universities that belong to the network. Here the promotion project is to be settled under the title "Tutorienarbeit vernetzt und nachhaltig gestalten" over three years. The money will be used to take various measures to improve the quality of teaching education through tutoring. Investments will be made in professionalization, continuing training and mutual exchange.
The plan is to hold train-the-trainer courses, network meetings at various locations that can also be hybridized, Germany-wide "tutor work days," an open-access platform on which knowledge on the topic can be made available and shared on a sustainable basis, and a guide with recommendations for action for university administrators and lecturers. All those involved are always sensitized to the issues of gender and diversity.
"The funding is important for us because it sends a signal nationwide that tutorial work is an absolute must in university lecturing," says Heike Kröpke. She is not only the network's spokesperson, but also heads the tutoring program at HSNR.
The qualification of tutors has a high priority at the Krefeld and Mönchengladbach campuses: interested parties have been trained and certified for 20 years. The tutoring program at HSNR was the first nationwide to be accredited as of 2016. More than 1,000 people have now received a corresponding qualification. In addition, the tutoring award is presented every year.
