Teaching in the transformation module

• The students are familiar with the theoretical concepts of transformational research from the perspectives of the humanities, social sciences and sustainability science.
• In dealing with current social discourses within transformational research and their historical context, they can examine, contextualize and interpret different positions.
• They develop academic reading and writing skills and learn to research topic-specific literature and to critically evaluate it according to their level of knowledge, as well as to discuss it independently in their own scientific texts.
• They can reflect on their own position, but also on the positions of others, and locate and critically question them against the respective background. In doing so, they also strengthen their tolerance of ambiguity.
• They can describe and analyze the meaning and possible forms of social and individual responsibility in different fields of action.
• They are able to develop and work on a relevant topic in the field of sustainability and transformation (also for third parties).
• They can systematically process and combine knowledge from different disciplines and, if necessary, non-scientific professional fields that are relevant to the subject, objectives and questions of their project. They are aware of the value of multiple perspectives.

In the module, students attend the large lecture together and choose a seminar. The exercises are linked to the seminars so that the same student groups (max. 35 persons) are always present in both courses. This enables a multi-perspective examination of certain aspects of transformation not only in the lecture but also in the seminars and exercises.

In the design-oriented project seminars, which focus on problem-solving skills in one of the four subject areas of the module, a maximum of 35 students each examine one or more specific aspects of current societal transformation challenges to develop future-oriented solutions for these. Using inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, students develop and analyze questions independently in the mode of inquiry-based learning and present the results at an academic conference (conference week at the end of February). 

They should therefore: 

1. recognize which societal transformation challenges exist in the relevant topic area.
2. develop their own relevant and workable research question on the basis of this knowledge and create a suitable research design to answer this question scientifically.
3. carry out their self-developed research project as a group, critically reflect on the results and present them in an appropriate manner at the conference week and as part of a seminar paper.

Teaching/learning objectives of the seminar

The students:

• know the central concepts of the respective topic area.
• can develop and work on a relevant question for the module's topic (also for third parties).
• can selectively process and combine knowledge from different disciplines and, if necessary, non-scientific fields of practice relevant to the subject, objectives, and questions of their project.
• can select and apply suitable methods concerning the research question of their project and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.
• can prepare their results in a targeted manner and present them to a broad audience.
• gain the ability to place individual results in a larger context and to reflect critically on them in the light of the acquired knowledge.
   

Didactic design of the seminar

The seminar is conducted in a research-based learning mode, i.e. students work in groups on their first research projects, from developing a research question and writing an exposé to conducting the project and subsequently presenting the results at the conference week and writing a seminar paper on their research project as an academic paper.

The exercise relates to one of the four topic areas of the module by dealing with figures of thought and ideas that help to understand the cultural, social and historical conditionality of current conditions and challenges of societal coexistence. In addition to this thematic focus, there is an in-depth examination of aspects of scientific work, which should also enable an understanding of the connections and origins of concepts, opinions, and theories. In this way, students should learn to question their assumptions and to examine underlying concepts and ideologies in the sense of critical thinking.

They should therefore: 

1. recognize which assumptions they and others have and evaluate them for validity, also by changing perspectives.
2. recognize which values and intentions underlie these assumptions and their evaluation.
3. recognize the conditions under which the evaluation of the assumption takes place and include them.

Teaching and learning objectives of the exercise

The students: 

• know central concepts of the respective topic.
• can reflect on their own thinking. They can critically question their own theories, attitudes and opinions.
• can develop (critical) questions.
• can recognize and understand the structure of arguments. They can contextualize texts and work out the intentions associated with them.
• can express their thoughts in an understandable written form, observing the rules of good scientific practice.
• know the reasons for mutual citation.
   

Didactic design of the exercise

In didactic terms, the exercise is aligned with the principles of writing-intensive teaching and is designed to encourage students to think and reflect independently and critically, thus allowing them to develop an appropriate habitus. It therefore requires suitable exchange formats that leave room for individual reflection and discourse among students.
While you are free to choose the content within the framework of your chosen topic, the units on scientific work and critical thinking are centrally provided and must be implemented equally in all exercises.

The examination consists of a combined academic assignment comprising three parts: a portfolio, a presentation at the conference week and a seminar paper.

The portfolio is created in the exercise and, in addition to elements from the field of scientific work, primarily includes content-related reflections. In addition, there are study reflections that can refer both to meta-reflection on scientific work and to one's own further development and the connection of the module content with further studies. These reflective elements also incorporate the project seminar and the lecture. The design of these artifacts is specified by the module and is therefore the same for all students.

The results of the project carried out in the seminar are presented at the conference week and written up in the form of a seminar paper following a scientific paper.

• Tuesday 8:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
• Tuesday 12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
• Tuesday 6:15 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
• Tuesday 8:15 p.m. – 9:45 p.m.
• Friday 12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
• Friday 2:15 – 3:45 p.m.
• Friday 6:15 – 7:45 p.m.
• Friday 8:15 – 9:45 p.m.

Seminars and exercises can also be offered every two weeks; block seminars are not planned for didactic reasons.

The lecture takes place on Tuesdays from 10:15 – 11:45 a.m.

The teaching assignment includes:

• the preparation and follow-up of the course
• supporting students by offering office hours
• conducting and correcting the examination and providing appropriate feedback to students
• mandatory participation in further training.

For the SEMINARS, this also includes participation in the conference week.

The design of teaching in the transformation module requires teachers to have extensive knowledge of the content design (including the links to the lecture content and the four topic areas in the exercises and seminars, the coupling of exercises and seminars, the conference week topic) and the didactic requirements (including scientific research work or inquiry-based learning and achieving learning objectives such as critical thinking, reflective competence, and sustainability skills).

Therefore, we offer our teachers a combination of a blended learning unit via Moodle and a teacher workshop on campus at Leuphana. The blended learning unit provides basic information for teaching in the Leuphana semester and the transformation module. The workshop offers space for the development of teaching concepts and for the exchange between teachers about their work in the module - both within the exercises and seminars and beyond (for a targeted design of the coupling).

In addition to meals during the on-site event and the reimbursement of any travel expenses incurred, the lecturers will receive an expense allowance. The blended learning unit, which will take about three hours, will be completed in July/August, and the teacher workshop will take place on September 4 and 5, 2025 at Leuphana University. It will begin and end around noon. Both elements are mandatory for all teachers, so please save these dates now.

If you are offering a course for the first time, we require: 

• personal data sheet
• short CV
• list of publications
• proof of your teaching qualification