E+ ROCKET Teacher Training (Core)

The University of Göttingen is an internationally renowned research university. Founded in 1737 in the Age of Enlightenment, the University is committed to the values of social responsibility of science, democracy, tolerance and justice. It offers a comprehensive range of subjects across 13 faculties: in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences and medicine. With about 30,000 students and more than 210 degree programmes, the University is one of the largest in Germany.

The ROCKET Teacher Training implements the format of a Virtual Exchange, combining asynchronous and synchronous sessions and highlighting interaction between participants. The training course is composed of core modules as well as four additional extension modules. The core modules of this training take place over the course of 4 weeks and include 4 interactive online sessions as well as various asynchronous learning phases. The course targets interested teachers, lecturers, curriculum developers across disciplines in higher education. The time investment for participants who successfully complete the core training is approximately 16 hours.
Participants complete different tasks – often with a focus on interaction and collaboration – throughout the training. These tasks include e.g. critically engaging in literature, using digital tools to reflect on concepts and learn about different perspectives (e.g. discussion boards, word clouds, padlet). Participants receive feedback on completed tasks. Participants are required to complete the tasks during the asynchronous and synchronous phases of the training in order to receive a digital badge. In a final (asynchronous) presentation, participants critically apply their learnings to their own (teaching) context.

The ROCKET Teacher Training (core modules) introduces participants to different concepts that – while largely interconnected – lead to diverse sets of learning outcomes. In relation to Critical Virtual Exchange, participants who completed the course will:

• understand the concept of Critical Virtual Exchange (CVE).
• recognize the value of CVE in fostering the disciplinary and transversal competencies relevant to your courses.
• consider a CVE scenario for use with your students, in which critical aspects of CVE and DEI are addressed.

In relation to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, participants who completed the course will:

• be aware of which areas of their teaching can become more inclusive, ranging from course conception to assessment, and are given input on how to achieve this.
• be encouraged to think creatively about including DEI content in their teaching in a Virtual Exchange format and are given an opportunity to practice this.
• be familiarized with resources on DEI and learn where to look for them independently.

In relation to conflict transformation, participants who completed the course will:

• recognize basic conflict transformation concepts.
• discuss personal experience and evaluate how conflict transformation concepts may inform one’s worldview, self-concept, values, behaviours, relationships, and/or aspirations.
• apply basic conflict transformation concepts practically and ethically at the intrapersonal and/or interpersonal levels.

In relation to role-playing games, participants who completed the course will:

• describe analogue role-playing games.
• play transformative analogue role-playing games that have specific growth-related goals.
• reflect on transformative analogue game design in written and verbal form.
• analyse how conflict transformation theory is applied in role-playing game scenarios.

After successful completion, participants will receive a digital badge certifying the acquisition of the mentioned knowledge and competences throughout the core modules. Participants who take part in one (or more) of the four extension modules will receive additional separate digital badges for their achievements.