Seminar Angelika Psenner

Subject

Assistance in the selection of topics and formulation of research question(s); instruction in scientific methods; reflection and discussion of the progress of work. Introduction to dissemination strategies.

The general teaching content of the seminar is to familiarise students with the methods and organisation of writing a scientific thesis. The choice of topics is up to the students. However, it is still clarified and specified in advance with the supervisor. In special cases and if expressly desired, there is also the possibility of given topics. The following research and implementation work is carried out under supervision and accompanied by personal meetings and discussions.

The aim is a thematic approach in the group on a synergetic basis; the common denominator leads to a fruitful exchange between the individual participants; among other things, specialist literature brought in by the dissertation candidates and corresponding to their respective topics is read, discussed and analysed together.
In addition to the intensive supervision of the content, I establish the necessary professional contacts for possible stays abroad and on-site research and support the students in obtaining the corresponding scholarships. The students also receive support for participation in research congresses or architecture-related artistic events - if this is of interest for a possibly aspired professional or academic career

Teaching methods

In my seminars, I foster group work from the very beginning, the exchange of knowledge between all participants and of course also with the supervisor herself. This presupposes a certain collegial accessibility on the part of the teacher and requires space to promote and allow the necessary team-building processes in the group. 
Learning success correlates strongly with our ability to self-reflect. This is why I also work with metacognitive strategies in my seminars: Matthew effect or interlocking effect. The questioning of existing knowledge and embedding it in the students' everyday knowledge is cultivated here throughout the entire course.
The teaching form with small student groups also enables the use of support-oriented feedback, mutual learning, (peer) tutoring and testing strategies: Accordingly, the participants act as a "research group", which presents its own learning progress to each other at each session and discusses it in the group. Experience has shown that this form of teaching is particularly welcomed by the students and leads to a high level of identification with the subject matter and, moreover, to exceptional learning success (cooperative learning and deep learning).
Methods that are spontaneously applied here according to the situation: cooperative exercises, learning team coaching, collegial practice and case discussion. In contrast to final bottom-down evaluation, there is continuous feedback and formative learning success control.