Page 16 - Research Report 2021 - Institut für Leichtbau und Kunststofftechnik

Model project EDI:TUD. Study success of international
students of the ILK

1. Promotion and teaching of academic language:
In cooperation with ILK teachers, the SZD, central insti-
tutions at the TU Dresden and external experts, coach-
ing for the practical use of academic language has been
designed and implemented since the winter semester

21/22. This creates a specific offer for language use and
language didactics that not only sensitises teachers to
the needs of international students, but at the same
time provides tools for teaching academic language and
supports the practice of a uniform grading concept that
takes into account the (linguistic) challenges of interna-
tional students.

2. Mediation of the academic culture at the TU
Dresden: Since June 2021, a tandem programme has
been implemented at the ILK. Each tandem consists of
two students - the tutor supports, translates and advises
his/her foreign tandem partner and mediates between
students and teachers. In a further step, the tandems act
as mediators or mentors for other german students in- © TUD, Source: Schulze-Stocker et al., Successful, digital and
terested in the tandem activity. Handouts and guidelines integrated study - a project to increase the academic success of
are also being developed with ILK teachers to achieve this international students at the TU Dresden (in press)
goal. The website OPAL for students provides information
and advice about studying, culture and everyday topics. 5. Developing the intercultural and methodologi-

New FAQs with the most important questions for interna- cal competence of the teachers: A further effort is
tional students have been created, as well as testimonial to update and systematise the already existing teaching
and explanatory videos that allows insights into life and materials (especially for e-learning) and to supplement
studies at TU Dresden. them with newly recorded ones. The aspects of intercul-
turality, internationalisation and e-learning didactics are
3. Connecting the German and the international given special consideration. In addition, the teachers take
students: The basic idea behind the third goal is to re- part in internal and external continuing education pro-
duce segregation by origin through the formation of in- grammes. Besides intercultural training (together with
terest groups. To enable German and international stu- SPRINT) was organised for sensitisation in dealing with
dents to interact with each other, peer-to-peer activities Chinese students.
are implemented, with tutors functioning as intermediar-

ies between international and German students. Moreo- 6. Linkage with existing offers of the TUD: The pri-
ver a matrix-based exchange platform is currently being mary goal of EDI:TUD is to create synergies with existing
organised to get to know each other easily before the offers at the TU Dresden, which will be implemented in

start of the semester. the ILK as a model institute. Current networking activities

are e.g. with the ZiLL, WBZ, TUD Certificate E-Teaching or

4. Expansion of digital offerings: The analogue and the PASST?! programme. This also includes the prepared
digital support services of the TU Dresden will be bet- transfer of results for adaptation outside the model pro-
ter linked to enable international students to learn inde- ject at the ILK and the exchange of experience between
pendently. This should give international students easy the involved partners.
access to (i.) necessary information (e.g. via forums, wikis
and self-tests on OPAL), as well as to (ii.) interactive tools The achieved results will be published in: Schulze-Stocker
where their specific questions and needs can be spe- et. al., Erfolgreich, digital und integriert studieren – ein Projekt

cifically addressed (e.g. current set-up of an interactive zur Steigerung des Studienerfolgs internationaler Studieren-

Python notebook). der an der TU Dresden.

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