At MCI the members of the faculty are encouraged to exchange information and ideas on innovative approaches in teaching, and to collaborate on the development of new formats.
The monthly MCI Learning Solutions newsletter keeps all members of the faculty updated on new developments in higher education didactics, tips and tricks for online teaching, and generally on all the things going on in the MCI teaching community.
In November 2019, the MCI Learning Solutions Team hosted the first virtual conference on digital learning. With the virtual conference, a platform was created to get to know trends and developments in digital learning. It also includes a number of opportunities for participants to expand and deepen their network.
The video series “In the Spotlight” introduces members of the MCI teaching community and provides an insight into their individual approaches to good teaching.
The innovative competence of many members of the MCI faculty is not least evidenced by the prizes and awards received for good innovative teaching at MCI.
Each year the MCI Academic Council presents a Teaching Award to the three best teachers at MCI.
The nominees are chosen from amongst the entire internal and external faculty of the preceding academic year, taking into account the students’ feedback. The final decision is taken by the Academic Council on the basis of the overall evaluation results ranking.
The worthy winners of the 2018 Teaching Award are:
The most important elements contributing to good and successful teaching are professional expertise, a modern and target-group-oriented didactical approach, and first and foremost the ability to explain contents clearly and succinctly and fill the students with enthusiasm for the relevant topic. The three winners of the Teaching Award meet these requirements in an exemplary manner: with an active, practice-related and discourse-oriented approach to teaching that perfectly combines research, theory and practice, and ensures the students’ active participation.
Ars Docendi – Austrian State Prize for excellence in teaching
The MCI project “It doesn’t work without MINT! – mathematical and scientific foundations for everyone” was selected for the shortlist for this year’s “Ars Docendi”, the Austrian State Prize for excellence in teaching at Austrian higher education institutions, in the category “Digital transformation in teaching”.
The project was realized by Mag. Alexander Dumfort (Environmental, Process & Energy Engineering), Dr. Harald Schöbel (Biotechnology & Food Engineering) and FH-Prof. Dr. Werner Stadlmayr (Environmental, Process & Energy Engineering) and featured a cross-departmental mathematics and science introductory course for students that included a variety of online teaching elements, e.g. tests, videos, just-in-time teaching and similar elements.
International E-Learning Award
In 2018, an exceptionally innovative project focused on integrating and linking the development of digital and professional competences was honored within the framework of the renowned IELA award program. The MCI project “ePortfolio & Digital Competencies” was recognized as an outstanding initiative in the field of e-learning at institutions of higher education, and earned particular praise for the exemplary use of technologies to improve education and performance. Only three projects worldwide were awarded prizes in this category.
The “ePortfolio & Digital Competencies” project at MCI was initiated and designed by Professor Claudia Mössenlechner, Head of MCI Learning Solutions, and implemented in close cooperation with the MCI Tourism department.
