The NEW COURSES IN TEACHING Call is an opportunity to organize unconventional, groundbreaking courses designed to address digital and social transformation issues. The Call welcomed proposals from faculty members and researchers at both universities, as well as external individuals who have experience in teaching/education. The Call attracted over 30 submissions and following a review by two selection panels (one panel at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, and one panel at the Johannes Kepler University), 9 course concepts were selected. NEW COURSES IN TEACHING is part of the TRANSFORM project and funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science & Research.

Submissions by JKU members spanned a broad range of disciplines, degree programs, and institutes, serving as an encouraging sign indicating the enormous significance attached to advancements in continual education and teaching!

Six of the nine courses will be held at the Johannes Kepler University.

The course "Volunteering in the Social Sector, Learning. Commitment. Responsibility" offered by Mag. Petra Köppl und Dr. Gegenhuber is an opportunity for students to step out into the world and earn ECTS credits to count toward fulfilling requirements in their respective degree programs. Students not only heighten their experience, they hone their (soft) skill set, and challenge themselves while engaging in social impact issues, all while working toward the common good.

The Institute for Legal Gender Studies addresses Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights as part of the course titled "Rights Moves – Embodied Legal Learning". By means of gestures and movement, students explore highly personal matters, the legal perspective, and the law enforcement process. The course will be taught by an interdisciplinary team of faculty members consisting of Dr. Helena-Ulrike Marambio, LLM, and Mag. Linda Greuter, in cooperation with Mag. Dr. M.A. Kristina-Pia Hofer (media theorist, University of Applied Arts Vienna), and Mahesh Eranga Umagiliya (dancer and choreographer, Sri Lanka). Learn more about human rights without chairs, books, or PowerPoint presentations: Let's get movin'!

Created and taught by DI Dr. Bianca Wiesmayr, BSc MLBT, and DI Dr. Lisa Sonnleithner, BSc. (LIT Cyber-Physical System Lab), the course "Hard Disk Drives are Music to My Ears" involves applying theoretical principles to construct an instrument out of printers, scanners, and other electronic devices, and bring them to life.

DI Dr. Ingrid Graz and DI Rene Preuer (JKU School of Education) have created a course titled "Soft Actuators and Sensors for Soft Interfaces". Students work alongside leading experts in the field, diving into the world of soft robotics by covering base-knowlege theory and taking part in a hands-on workshop to work on soft robotic elements (actuators) and sensors. Students can put their creativity to work by designing and creating a soft actuator themselves.

Designer and researcher Mag. des. ind. Alexandra Fruhstorfer has created the course "The Struggle is Real! Pathways Towards Creative Involvement Involving Art & Design, Activism & Business", focusing on how the work we do can be more effective and meaningful. Over the course of the semester, various experts will share valuable insight into their real-world practices, philosophy, motivation, their strategies, and resources. The goal is to use critical reflection and develop one's own creative and interdisciplinary set of tools and resources.

In the future, the physiology module as part of the tutoral Cardiovascular Respiration and the Human Ageing will include a mechanically simulated cardiovascular system that has been developed using funds provided as part of the Call. Dr. med. Jakob Völkl (Center for Medical Research) is working on creating a cardiovascular machine, CVSim. By mechanically simulating the cardiovascular system, doctors and researchers can interactively measure body functions and diseases.
 

The University of Applied Arts Vienna will also be offering three innovative courses that are open to JKU students.

• A Change of Heart: A Hacker's Guide to Perception @ Science Visualization Lab, University of Applied Arts Vienna
  Jeanette Müller, Margit Busch, Martina R. Fröschl, Stefan Resch, Paul Divjak, Sebastijan Gečs, Michael Bachhofer
  Blocked sessions featuring inspiring, perceptual experiences. A journey alongside seven experienced artists and scholars.
• Learning from the River @ Art x Science School for Transformation, University of Applied Arts Vienna
  Monika Halkort, Herwig Turk, Time's Up (Linz)
  The river as medium and driver of transformation. A reflective and conceptual experiment.
• Facilitating Participation – Practising Agency @ Angewandte Performance Lab, University of Applied Arts Vienna
  Jasmin Schaitl along with Asher O'Gorman, Charlotta Ruth, Imani Rameses, Jonas Bohatsch, Lea Pelosi,  Philipp Ehmann and Viktor Fucek
  A practice-based, interdisciplinary course on Facilitation featuring an international team at the Angewandte Performance Lab.
  Encountering. Understanding. Embodying. Reflecting. Practicing.

Unless otherwise stated, the courses offered at both universities are open to students in all majors and co-registered students are also invited to sign up. All of the courses take an interdisciplinary approach to the respective subject area.

Information regarding co-registration (allowing students enrolled at other universities to take certain, individual courses) is available in the information boxes linked to the respective course.

During the registration period in February, the course instructors will introduce their individual courses online on the JKU's Instagram account!