Learning Solutions Newsletter
Take off with AI
AI is becoming an increasingly integral part of private and professional life. Here you will find tips on AI and prompting, as well as an introduction to the AI tool Notebook LM and some thought-provoking aspects of the topic.
Working safely and competently with AI
How well can you use or deal with AI?
The handling and use of AI is very different for each person. Some already integrate it very consciously into their work, others do it unconsciously, e.g. with Copilot from Microsoft. Some have reservations before using it and others deliberately avoid it for various reasons.
How do you rate yourself? What is your usage behaviour in relation to AI and everything that comes with it?
Of course, this question can only be answered very individually.If you do not yet consider yourself an absolute expert, Learning Solutions has a hot tip for you! On Teach Online, you will find various suggestions for further training courses in the AI section.
Be sure to take a look there.
In this context, a little tip about the Community Corner. This has been redesigned, restructured and supplemented with new content. Take a look and let your MCI colleagues inspire you.
Prompting next level
There are many different ways to prompt effectively and efficiently. One is to enter into a dialogue with the AI. In an initial prompt, the large language model is assigned a role including context. Further prompting is then organised on this basis.
Try it out straight away! Of course, you can also change the topic focus, e.g. instead of marketing, list tourism, the circular economy, leadership, ... as a specialist area.
Tip: The use of hashtags (markdowns) makes it easier for the AI to filter information quickly and to structure the answers clearly.
Have fun trying it out!
#Person You are a helpful, practical teaching assistant who is an expert in formulating learning objectives. You know that learning objectives are part of every teaching sequence. Well planned and formulated learning objectives are the basis for creating course exams and selecting teaching and learning activities. Go through assignments in detail, describe good learning objectives and use questions and comprehension checks to measure learning progress (including the use of hinge questions). You should include review and recall questions to consolidate ideas. Ask only one question at a time. #Behaviour Ask only one question in each message. You wait for the teacher's answer before responding. You do not make suggestions before you have all the information.
#Aim The goal is for you to formulate learning objectives according to Bloom's Taxonomy, which are an ideal basis for planning exams and learning activities.
#Procedure First introduce yourself to the teacher as an AI Teaching Assistant to help him/her create learning objectives. Be sure to ask first if the learning objectives are for a single course or module. If the learning objectives are for a module, point out to the teacher that this needs to be done as part of the syllabus planning. If the learning objectives are for a course, ask for the title of the course. Repeat the title in your next question and ask which module the course belongs to. Wait for the answer. Ask what level we are at (Bachelor, Master, Vocational). Use this information to tailor your advice and help to the learning objectives. Address the learning objectives in your next message. Ask if there are already learning objectives that need to be revised. If the answer is yes, please state them. Now that you know the learning objectives, ask what should be changed about them. If there are no learning objectives yet, ask which content areas should be considered when formulating them. Based on all the information, formulate six learning objectives - one for each level of Bloom's Taxonomy. ## Procedure: Course Proceed as described above and create the learning objectives for the course in dialogue. ## Procedure: Module If the learning objectives are to be used for a module, point out that the learning objectives must be planned in conjunction with the syllabus. Stop the conversation here and give the following tip: "A helpful prompt for planning and revising a syllabus, including learning objectives, can be found here: https://www.moreusefulthings.com/instructor-prompts".
#Example Write the learning objectives according to this example: Topic: Managing stress in nursing Level 1: The learners can list the main causes of stress in daily nursing practice. Level 2: Explain how stress affects the physical and mental health of nurses. Level 3: The learner can apply a stress management strategy in daily nursing practice. Level 4: Analyse and evaluate the different sources of stress in their work environment. Level 5: The learner can evaluate different methods of stress management and assess their effectiveness. Level 6: The learner will be able to develop an individual plan for managing stress in daily care.
Podcasting made easy
Get to know Notebook LM from Google. It is a tool for managing notes. Content can also be prepared as a podcast. The linked_Podcast is about the European Commission's DigComp 2.2 Framework: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes document. In total, it took about 5 minutes to create the podcast. 4.5 minutes of this was the time the tool needed to generate it.
The tool offers a wide range of application scenarios for teaching. It can be a learning tip for students, but can also be used to make presentations and articles available in a different format for asynchronous learning units.
The downsides of AI
What could this picture represent? No screen at the MCI is really on fire. But if you see the computer as a metaphor for technology and artificial intelligence, then you can sometimes worry whether it's all going up in flames.
The topic of AI is not a foregone conclusion and should not be ignored. That is why, in addition to tips for dealing with AI, there should also be an article on the risks and problems.
What challenges/dangers are there in connection with AI? An (incomplete) overview:
Hallucinating AI: AI systems can create deceptive content and formats (deepfakes) such as videos or manipulated images at lightning speed.
Misuse and manipulation: AI is also increasingly being used for fraudulent purposes, such as writing phishing emails. It can also be used for political purposes, such as in elections, as a tool for manipulation.
High energy requirements: Operating and training large AI models requires immense computing power. In some regions, the increasing energy requirements are leading to competition for limited electricity resources. Tech companies such as Google are planning their own nuclear power plants to satisfy their hunger for electricity.
Storage capacity: AI requires enormous amounts of training and operating data, which places high demands on storage. Small and medium-sized companies often do not have the financial resources to cover the storage space requirements, which limits their competitiveness.
Environmental impact: The high CO₂ emissions from electricity and server farms as well as the necessary raw materials, including the required infrastructure, are in conflict with global climate targets. There is a risk that one problem will be solved at the expense of another.
All these facts are worrying. This makes it all the more important to be aware of them. Many problems in the field of AI affect people studying at MCI who still have their professional careers ahead of them. It is the task of all of us to teach them how to deal with AI responsibly and competently so that they can react appropriately to problems. This also shows that we at MCI can help shape the future on a small scale. This potential should not go unutilised.
Sources:https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/atomkraft-akw-ki-energie-100.htmlhttps://www.safe.ai/ai-riskhttps://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/wissen/kuenstliche-intelligenz-luegen-betruegen-100.html
Teaching Tips
Don't miss these three tips for teaching: MCI Video Gallery with over 600 MCI teaching videos, Actionbound as a tool for teaching and the MCI Throw Mic.
It’s showtime!
There is now a short excursion into the Learning Solutions production studio and the results.
The Learning Solutions media department consists of Nikoleta Grozdanova and Adam Andersen. They have produced an extensive collection of high quality and didactic videos for the asynchronous eStudy modules in cooperation with highly motivated lecturers.
All of these videos, totalling well over 600 (!), are now available in German and English on the MCI Video Gallery on Sakai. Of course, the videos are well organised. Each topic/department has its own tile. Click on it to open the dreamland of all experts and those who want to become one.
The best thing to do is to drop by directly and immerse yourself in the endless variety of instructional videos.
Let’s get active with Actionbound
MCI has had an edu-licence for Actionbound since autumn 2024. The tool is already in use in Career Services and other departments are also planning to use it.
There are a wide variety of application scenarios. But first a few words about how it came about: it's a story from the university for the university. Actionbound originally started as a media education final-year project. Today, the tool is used in a variety of ways and students with an idea have become former students with a start-up.
Actionbound was acquired for the MCI because it can support teaching and everyday university life. Possible application scenarios are, for example
Campus tours
Hints and information on locations, equipment, experiments, ...
Excursions
Interactive opportunity to repeat knowledge
First introductions to topics
Poll
Knowledge checks of texts read
Station learning / working on different texts / checking understanding
With the new tool, learning can be made not only efficient but also varied, for example with the tournament function. Here, group members can compete against each other and solve challenges.
If you are interested, please get in touch with Katharina Matschl, who will be happy to work with you to find ways of implementing the tool.You take a look at Actionbound? Use the QR code to open doors 16 - 24 of the MCI Advent Calendar 2024 and explore the tool from the students' perspective.
Proceed as follows:
Download Actionbound App
Scan the QR-Code
Assign a personal nickname
Get started and follow the instructions
MCI Throw Mic
Do you have courses with large cohorts in the coming semester? Then the MCI litter mike is ideal for you.
Engagement and active participation improve every lecture and knowledge can be consolidated more sustainably. However, this is easier said than done, especially with large groups. You can activate students with the MCI microphone. In this way, discussions can be kept going and students can be actively involved in the course.
Contact Learning Solutions at learningsolutions@mci.edu or drop by the office (MCI I. 1A-105) if you would like to borrow the microphone for your teaching!
MCI News
At the end of 2024, two important decisions were made at the MCI, which we would like to inform you about here: the new elections of the MCI Board of Governors and the Teaching Award ceremony.
MCI Hochschulkollegium
The new MCI Academic Council started on 1 January 2025 for a period of three years, following regular elections in 2024.
The MCI Academic Council is set up to ensure the high quality of academic education at the MCI, to continuously develop it and to organise teaching and examinations. Individual working committees assess applications for changes and new applications for study programmes and draw up the examination regulations as well as evaluations and regulations for quality assurance in teaching and research. The Academic Council also acts as a possible complaints body for students
©MCI / Aaron Heimerl
The Academic Council consists of a total of 18 members and is organised into 3 curiae:
Head of the Academic Council: Franz Pegger and Claudia Mössenlechner (Deputy Head)
Head of Departments & Studies: Lukas Kerschbaume, Peter Mirski, Martin Pillei, Hubert Siller und Thomas Stöckl
Teaching and Research Staff: Johannes Dickel, Barbara Egger-Russe, Benjamin Massow, Magdalena Posch, Verena Schallhart, Stephan Schlögl und Martin Spruck
Students: Philipp Großer, Lilly-Isabell Juvan, Julian Pfurtscheller und Jonas Platter
The team is completed by Maren Senfter. She is responsible for assistance and project management, making her a helper in times of need for all members and an organisational genius at the same time.
As the work of the Academic Council is so important to the functioning of the University, we would like to thank everyone involved in the College for their commitment and dedication!
Teaching Award 2024
Excellent teaching is an essential and unshakeable building block for the quality of a university. The success of good teaching is based on two factors:
on professional expertise
and good, well thought-out didactics.
Outstanding teaching, in turn, has a third, additional component: the ability of the lecturer to inspire students for a subject, a topic or a problem.
The winners of the MCI Teaching Award 2024 have proven that they can motivate and inspire students for their subject and at the same time encourage them to actively tackle challenges.
And the Teaching Award 2024 goes to …
Mag. Christine Fritz (Entrepreneurship, Tourism & Leisure Business, Language Center)
Ass. FH-Prof. Ayman Fouda, PhD (Social, Health & Public Management)
Dr. Manuel Berger, BSc MSc (Medical & Sports Technologies)
Herzlichen Glückwunsch!
©MCI / Marc Scherr
Information on the Teaching Award:The MCI University Board presents the Teaching Award annually in recognition of outstanding achievements in teaching. Lecturers are nominated automatically and comprehensively on the basis of the course evaluation by the students. Among other things, the expertise of the lecturers, the methods used, the didactics of the teaching as well as the relevance and implementation possibilities of the content taught are assessed.
Have a great time and best wishes!
The Learning Solutions Team
Contact us under: learningsolutions@mci.eduHere is our website: https://www.mci.edu/en/university/the-mci/innovative-teaching
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