Focal point themes

You can choose from the following topics for your Innovedum focus project proposal:

Educational media for visualization and simulation

This collaborative focal point theme covers development of interactive visualizations and simulations for teaching purposes. These media would not replace but enhance hands-on or face-to-face teaching scenarios.

Projects are expected to be developed collaboratively between faculty, the Unit for Teaching and Learning (formerly Educational Development and Technology), and students. An important goal of such projects is to create sustainable conditions for the project leaders so that they can develop and advance the media independently in the future.

Preferred development platforms include Unity: external page https://unity.com or Jupyter:
external page https://jupyter.org in connection with IPython: external page https://ipython.org/notebook.html

The focal point theme 2 is currently unassigned.

AI in Teaching and Learning

header-focal-point-theme3 — Photo: Adobe Stock

The integration of AI in education presents a number of opportunities and challenges for both students and lecturers. By effectively harnessing AI-powered tools and technologies, educators can create more personalized and engaging learning experiences for students, while also preparing them for the AI-driven world that awaits them. First and foremost, project applications are wanted that deal with the integration and application of existing AI tools in teaching.

Teaching with AI
By utilizing existing AI-powered tools, educators can create personalized learning experiences for students, streamline course design and content creation, and provide students with personalized feedback and support. This can lead to improved student engagement, academic performance, and a more efficient use of study time.

Learning with AI
AI-based and particularly generative AI tools can offer students the opportunity to solve challenges in a project-based, interdisciplinary setting, enabling them to gain AI-specific competencies and transferable skills in the application of AI with respect to ethics, data (protection) law, and social impact.

Learning about AI
AI is a rapidly evolving field, and it is important for students to develop the necessary critical thinking and problem-solving skills to thrive in an AI-driven world. AI-based tools can help students learn about AI in a hands-on way, by solving real-world problems and applying AI concepts to real-world data.

For more Information please refer to the FAQ on our Webpage regarding AI and Education.

Transferable Competencies

This focal point theme supports innovative methods and technologies to build transferable competencies (i.e. method-specific, social or personal competences) and to test them in corresponding performance assessments.

Students acquire transferable competencies in the concrete context of subject-specific expertise, such as in project-based learning environment. They can be developed in one discipline and transferred to others. Students are thus enabled to continuously develop and apply knowledge as they continue their studies or after graduation.

The focal point projects should include an evaluation component. This should assess the level of transferable competencies acquired and evaluate transferability. Where possible, it should also examine how these competencies support students' learning gains in subject-specific competencies (either within or beyond the duration of a particular course or programme).

Examples of projects:

A project- and team-based learning environment that specifically thematises adaptability and reflects on how students deal with change.
Implementation of programming projects in student groups and a performance assessment that includes a group performance.
Development of peer feedback learning opportunities for students and associated peer grading.
Use of performance assessments that assess whether an individual has engaged critically and creatively with a problem.
Collaboration of students with external students or stakeholders. Inclusion of the external perspective in performance assessment.

Suggestions:

Advice on application and project alignment
Transferable competencies under ETH Competence Framework
Teaching examples under Competence View
Formulation of Download competence-oriented learning objectives (PDF, 101 KB)
Peer Grading at ETH