The Centre of Higher Education Development (ZHD) of the Faculty of Human Sciences is part of the network of higher education NRW, which is an association of 15 didactical centres and working premises at North Rhine-Westphalian universities, administrative colleges and some colleges of art and music.
Being a member of the network "Hochschuldidaktik NRW", we offer lecturers and interested junior researchers the opportunity to participate in the qualification programme "Professional Teaching Skills for University." This includes a well-founded initial didactic qualification and is completed with a certificate. The NRW certificate officially confirms the pedagogical suitability of its holders, as it is required by many universities within the teaching profession.
The NRW certificate, with 200 work units (AE) in total, consists of three modules: a basis module (80 AE), an extension module (60 AE) and a specialism module (60 AE) and thus complies with national and international standards. The AEs are acquired through taking part in workshops (WS), cooperative work shadowing (KoHo) and through an innovative teaching project.
Within the modules, all subject areas with defined compulsory work units must be completed. The following compulsory work units apply:
• teaching and learning: a minimum of 60 AE
• examining and assessing: a minimum of 16 AE
• guiding students: a minimum of 16 AE
• feedback and evaluation: a minimum of 16 AE
• developing innovations in teaching and studies: a minimum of 60 AE
Basis modul (80 AE)
The basis module (80 units) serves to build up basic knowledge about teaching and learning, examination and assessment, and the planning of courses in university teaching. The 80 units are composed as follows:
participation in the workshop "Teaching and Learning" (16 AE)
participation in the workshop "Planning courses" (8 AE)
8 work units from the subject area feedback & evaluation (8 AE)
4 additional work units from the topic area of guiding students (4 AE)
32 work units are freely selectable (but ideally already with a view to the requirements of the extension module). (32 AE)
Extension module (60 AE)
In the extension module (60 units), building on your basic knowledge, you have the opportunity to deal in depth with specific topics of university didactics, such as setting and effectively correcting exams, meaningfully integrating types and forms of portfolio work into your own teaching, making lectures attractive, etc.
In order to successfully complete the extension module, a total of 140 work units (in basis and extension module together) must have been achieved. The following requirements apply:
teaching and learning: 60 AE
examining and assessing: 16 AE
guiding students: 16 AE
feedback und evaluation: 16 AE
selectables: 32 AE
Specialism module (60 AE)
In the specialism module (60 AE), you develop a concept for one of your courses and deliberately try out something new that you learned about in the certificate program. You reflect on and document the integration of this innovation into your teaching over the course of a semester and submit it in bundled form to the ZHD in a so-called project report. In addition, you will attend a workshop that deals specifically with the requirements of the in-depth module.
Procedure of the project module:
consultation with an employee of the ZHD
planning of the project and preparation of a project outline
project approval by the employee in the ZHD
implementation of the project
cooperative work shadowing/ collegial consultation as well as feedback and evaluation
written documentation and reflection of the project
Parallel to the course of the project, the workshop "Modul 3" is attended. The workshop can be attended at any time during the course of the project.
