This year's DIES LEGENDI - Day of Teaching, which took place on 21 November 2023 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. in the Rosensäle, focused on the use of AI in studying and teaching. At the time of deciding on this year's theme "Naturally intelligent! Designing teaching and learning with AI", the panel of experts did not realise that the event would fit in perfectly with the Federal Government's Digital Summit taking place in Jena at the same time. After the opening by the Vice President for Studies and Teaching and Director of the ALe, apl. Prof. Dr Karina Weichold, the Thuringian State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Universities, Tourism and Digital Affairs, Carsten Feller, welcomed the attendees and participants connected via livestream. Inspiring input on the topic was provided by the keynote speech "AI in higher education: an assessment of the situation between ignorance, utopia and dystopia" by Dr Peter Salden (Ruhr University Bochum). In the subsequent parallel workshops on the topics of "Writing with AI", "Testing with AI" and "AI in degree programme design", teachers and students were able to delve deeper into the debate and discussion on these specific aspects of AI in teaching.
Dr Stephanie Viebranz and Dr Marco Dederichs (Faculty of Medicine) and Dr Silke Braselmann (Faculty of Humanities) were honoured for their outstanding commitment to university teaching with a 2023 Teaching Award. The teaching team received the prize for the best course concept for the seminar "Theoretical course support in prosthetics". The prize in the "Good examination practice" category received Dr Silke Braselmann for the seminar "Introduction to English didactics". The winners then presented their award-winning teaching concepts to the audience in more detail.
Eleven of the teaching projects currently funded by the ALe and two externally funded projects presented themselves during a poster session. This was followed by a lively exchange of experiences between the project leaders and those present.
In his keynote speech "AI in higher education: an assessment of the situation between ignorance, utopia and dystopia", Dr Peter Salden (Ruhr University Bochum) provided interesting insights into the current situation and the diverse possibilities for using AI in higher education. He also highlighted the needs of teachers and students as well as various future scenarios, which led to the realisation that AI tools should not be prevented, but rather integrated as support for good teaching at universities.
In the workshop "On the AI hype train: What is changing through AI in teaching?" by Johannes Schleiß (Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg), the effects of AI in teaching and degree programmes were discussed and new impulses and tools for change and reflection were provided.
In her workshop "Writing and working with AI tools - opportunities and challenges in the use of AI tools", Dr Anna Faust (Humboldt University Berlin) offered insights into various AI tools used in academic work. The opportunities and risks were discussed together and possible solutions identified.
In the workshop "Homework and exams despite and with AI?", the team from the Service Centre LehreLernen and Anja Milas (Legal Department) explored how homework and exams can be designed in a meaningful way in the future given the availability of AI. Various scenarios were presented that could provide starting points for a (re)conceptualisation of these examination formats.
