Dr. Jennifer Munkert und Dr.-Ing. Marcel Bartz erhalten den Preis für gute Lehre (Bild. FAU/Boris Mijat)
April 18, 2024
Jennifer Munkert and Marcel Bartz receive Prize for Excellence in Teaching
The Bavarian Ministry of Science and the Arts awards the Prize for Excellence in Teaching in recognition of outstanding dedication and teaching of an excellent quality. This year, 20 lecturers were recognized for their achievements including Dr. Jennifer Munkert from the Division of Pharmaceutical Biology (Department of Biology) and Dr.-Ing. Marcel Bartz from the Chair of Engineering Design (Department of Mechanical Engineering) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU).
This year, the awards were presented during a “Day for excellence in teaching” at Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm. The event focused on opportunities for designing effective teaching and learning processes. Bavaria’s Minister of Science Markus Blume awarded the Prize for Excellence in Teaching. He addressed the prizewinners during the ceremony:
“Interactive teaching sessions with digital real time feedback, practical international projects, intensive skills training in virtual study rooms, the individual use of AI: you are the heroes when it comes to excellence in teaching! You make the difference between whether teaching and learning is fun, whether teaching manages to spark enthusiasm for the subject among students and whether we are able to mold the talents of today into the outstanding experts of tomorrow.” (Markus Blume, Bavarian Minister of Science)
The award winners from FAU and their teaching
Jennifer Munkert: up to date and student-oriented
Dr. Jennifer Munkert and Minister of Science Markus Blume (image: StMWK/Thomas Riese)
Practical relevance: Dr. Jennifer Munkert succeeds in sparking interest in the subject and motivating students by integrating topical issues (such as determining antibodies in the blood) or topics that are of relevance for the future or the students’ later careers.
Student-oriented: The research module she designed based on poster presentations as an opportunity for encouraging students’ continued development is just one example of her dedication and innovative approach. Oral presentations tailored to the specific target group allow learning deficits to be identified and discussed, and increase students’ motivation for the topic.
Innovative: Dr. Munkert uses varied, innovative teaching approaches, only a few of which we can mention here. For example, teaching videos on practical methods and videos of experiments that all students can access at all times, polling tools that students can use to check their own knowledge and new digital learning modules on StudOn.
Marcel Bartz: Practical relevance and transparency
Dr.-Ing. Marcel Bartz and Minister of Science Markus Blume (Image: StMWK/Thomas Riese)
Practical relevance: In his teaching, Dr. Bartz lays a strong focus not only on theoretical knowledge but also on topics of relevance to professional practice and everyday life, in particular during the “design project”course. This has involved, for instance, students from FAU taking part in the “Ingenieure ohne Grenzen Challenge” under his supervision and developing sustainable solutions for providing energy in Nepal. This practical module is currently focused on mechatronization, developing autonomously driving vehicles from the initial idea to the first prototype.
Feedback culture: Dr. Bartz is driven by the principle of making teaching transparent for students and involving them in discussions. This includes discussions on positive and negative feedback and explaining the reasons behind the choice of teaching content.
Innovative: Dr. Bartz uses a wide range of innovative methods. The methods he uses in his lectures include tools for online polls such as Tweedback that allow him to react to any questions students have during his lectures.
An interview with our prizewinners
An interview with prizewinner Dr. Jennifer Munkert
What exactly is your area of research?
I specialize in natural products from plants, in particular cardenolides, their biosynthesis and above all their bioactivity. After changing to the Division of Pharmaceutical Biology, I am currently working together with Prof. Fuhrmann on developing target-oriented drug delivery systems and isolating and characterizing extracellular vesicles in plants.
For which innovative teaching concept did you receive the award?
One aspect was our innovative immunochemical laboratory course that we have introduced in recent years as part of the Pharmaceutical Biology III laboratory course for pharmacists, in which students prepare a finished product within the space of a week that they can then use directly, in this case a SarsCoV-2 antibody test. Another aspect that was highly praised was the fact that we work a lot with interactive videos and study modules that prepare students for laboratory work or help them to follow up on lectures.
What is particularly important for you in your teaching?
I believe it is particularly important to keep looking for innovative new teaching methods and to actively involve students in current research projects in order to spark their fascination for research and science.
What would you wish for in the future (with regards to teaching)?
It would be good if the efforts of all teaching staff here at FAU received more recognition. Maybe not just on this one day, although that is of course a good start.
What piece of advice would you give (other teaching staff or students):
Motivation and treating students as equals while teaching – that helps both sides!
An interview with prizewinner Dr.-Ing. Marcel Bartz
What exactly is your area of research?
As I am responsible for the area of Machine Elements and Tribology, that is also the area my research focuses on. In detail, I focus in particular on improving the efficiency of machine and construction elements in drive technology in view of energy and resources, for example by minimizing friction and wear, using lightweight materials and taking innovative design approaches.
For which innovative teaching concept did you receive the award?
I think there are various aspects to the teaching concept I received the award for. Two important points are particularly worth mentioning. First, I try to address students’ interest in topics that are currently of relevance to society such as sustainability and digitalization, and to integrate these into “traditional teaching”. Second, I believe that I am very approachable, in other words students feel that we are on an equal footing and they can make a contribution towards shaping teaching. This happens through direct conversations, but also using an innovative polling tool that I can use to obtain regular feedback on what is going well, or not so well, or to cover subject-specific questions during lectures. This allows me to make my teaching very transparent for students, and they feel that their concerns are taken seriously, both in terms of subject matter and organization.
What is particularly important for you in your teaching?
Working with students to tailor my teaching to their needs. It is important to me to integrate topics that are relevant for the students and for society (in particular sustainability and digitalization) and to receive regular feedback from students in order for me to improve my teaching.
What would you wish for in the future (with regards to teaching)?
That the value of teaching is appreciated in higher education (both now and in the future) and that it also seen as a priority alongside research. Teaching is an ongoing process that should be adjusted and improved to take topics of relevance to society and new pedagogical and innovative teaching methods into account (thereby ensuring that it doesn’t become outdated).
I have this piece of advice:
For teaching staff: Stay on the ball, be creative and be brave enough to try out new creative ideas. Above all: Stay in contact with and share your ideas with others, both with students and with other teaching staff and researchers.
For students: Communicate your requirements, needs and expectations regarding studies and teaching staff directly. Use the opportunity to shape teaching with your own ideas.
About the Prize for Excellence in Teaching
Every year, FAU nominates two members of its teaching staff for the Prize for Excellence in Teaching awarded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts. The Students’ Representatives select the candidates that the President of the University then nominates. The prize honors the work of the best teachers at state universities in Bavaria and is worth 5000 euros. Teaching staff who have demonstrated excellence in teaching for at least two academic years at a university in Bavaria are eligible to be nominated for the prize.
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) encourages innovative teaching. Guidelines for innovative teaching have been drawn up for this purpose.
