MultiConText: Learnings from the very digital times
Even though we returned to the face-to-face mode for the most part last summer semester, we are integrating more digital elements into our formats in MultiConText in the long run.We have found online writing consultations to be a good addition to our face-to-face offers, and they are now part of our everyday work – independent of corona rules. We can reach some students better this way, such as those seeking advice who do not live in Göttingen, who have very limited time resources due to care responsibilities, or for whom online formats are more accessible.
For our workshops, we have retained digital elements or integrated new ones. In the courses, we combine face-to-face teaching with tasks to be worked on online. In this way, participants can work on the course content at their own pace, the block appointments are reduced and can be shortened, which in turn is easier for many participants to integrate in their schedules. In some workshops, the first and the last session are held in person, while the sessions in between are taught either in person or online, depending on the decision of the specific group of participants. This combination allows for a good balance between aspects of time and mobility without hindering the development of a good group dynamic. The workshop “Abschlussarbeiten/Writing Your Thesis” is also offered completely digitally in the long term. Many students are temporarily or completely away from Göttingen while working on their thesis, especially as many students researching abroad or no longer living in Göttingen want to take part in this workshop, for whom it was simply impossible to take part in the previous face-to-face variant of the course during their thesis.
We are curious to see how the interplay of digital and in-person elements in MultiConText will develop.