Since March 8, about 100 children of TU Dresden employees have been learning online alongside future teachers. The school closures put a real strain on parents and students alike. Many employees contacted the Equal Opportunity Officers in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences with urgent requests for respite from teleworking and homeschooling. Students also expressed their need for support because they were not able to attend their school placements regularly. They were worried this would mean they would end up graduating later than planned.

Homeschooling scouts – teacher training students support pupils in remote learning

The school closures put a real strain on parents and students alike, including members of TU Dresden. Many employees contacted the Equal Opportunity Officers in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences with urgent requests for respite from teleworking and homeschooling. Students also signaled their need for support because they were unable to attend their school placements as planned and were worried they would have to graduate later than planned. The Chair of Education / Inclusive Education and the Equal Opportunities Officers have came up with a solution for future teachers and employees of TU Dresden with their “Homeschooling Scouts” project. This project makes use of the University School Dresden’s learning management software.

Delayed start in school placements

Starting their school placements was on the agenda for many teacher training students in March. However, due to the persistent school closures and varying methods employed by different schools for remote learning, many TU Dresden students were unable to get started as planned.  

Anke Langner, Chair of Education with a Focus on Inclusive Education, was quick to respond to the concerns of prospective teachers. She created the project “Homeschooling Scouts” in collaboration with Equal Opportunities Officers to also offer support to School of Humanities and Social Sciences employees.

As part of this project, students can complete their placements independently of a school by working directly with the pupils online. For the students, this means an opportunity to gain practical experience despite the prevailing circumstances and, above all, to complete their degree within the standard period of study. For children and teenagers, this project provides support while they are learning from home.

Supporting employees during life in lockdown

The chair and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences first assessed the needs of the placement students and invited the employees to participate in the project. Around 70 primary and secondary teacher training students from varying subject areas voiced their interest. From the university, the parents of about 100 pupils indicated their need for support during homeschooling. “Colleagues from all areas of the university responded – from teaching to research to administration,” said Anke Langner, pleased that so many were interested in the project. During a virtual information session for the parents, she was able to discuss the potential and expectations of the Homeschooling Scouts project with the parents.

The feedback from this meeting concerning the needs of school children of various ages and in different subjects provided the basis for the assistance offered by the university students. Support in Math, English, German and Physics for Grades 5, 6, 7 and 9 is particularly sought after. With a week’s delay, the collaborative effort between TU Dresden and the University School Dresden was launched. The homeschooling scouts gave virtual aid with German courses such as “Common spelling and grammar mistakes,” “Strategies and tips for writing a good text” and “Effective use of poetry: Mocking and invective verse DIY – creative dissing made easy.” The scouts also assist with homeschooling assignments and individualized help for students.

The University School Dresden’s learning management software is put to good use 

The University School Dresden’s learning management software allows for safe online contact that complies with data protection regulations. This software has been in use – albeit in a minimal version – at the University School Dresden since it opened in August 2019 and is constantly undergoing development. The homeschooling scouts can post their courses here and send messages to the children directly. The pupils register for a course, receive a timetable and use the school portal for online conferencing tools in addition to the messenger service. The School Administration for Humanities and Social Sciences arranged for the necessary software licenses.
The data protection framework created for the University School Dresden pilot project by the Dresden Institute for Data Protection and a wealth of experience with the software are important prerequisites for its use.

As part of their placement, the teacher training students render support via video conferencing and they upload learning resources and communicate with the pupils over the portal. They prepare and follow up on lessons and write a reflective piece for their placement report.  
However, the issue of being able to carry out the placement is not the only issue on their minds. “I’m considering doing my placement later. When I started my teacher training degree, I imagined myself standing in front of a class – and this is what I’d like to experience the most during the placement phase of my studies. On the other hand, if many others have the same idea of postponing their placements, there might not be enough space for everyone in the schools next year. I still haven’t decided what I’ll do,” said Anne, who is studying to become a history teacher.

Pandemic placements: take two!

This much is clear: TU Dresden teacher training students are not the only ones who need an alternative to school placements. Extending this homeschooling support to parents and children with no ties to TU Dresden and students of other universities may be a future possibility – and a much appreciated one at that. However, this would require more personnel than is currently available. This project is organized and coordinated by the Chair of Education / Inclusive Education – in addition to her usual teaching and research engagements and intense involvement in the University School Dresden – in collaboration with the School of Humanities and Social Science’s Equal Opportunities Officers. Issues concerning data protection and digital infrastructure also complicate the extension of this project to a wider target group.

Students and parents have already faced similar problems. Back in March 2020, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) organized a nationwide hackathon titled #WIRvsVIRUS (in English: #USvsVIRUS). The hackathon coined the idea for a placement exchange forum named “Corona-School.” The idea was to match university students and pupils for voluntary one-on-one mentoring, of mutual benefit to the students and the pupils.
TU Dresden’s Homeschooling Scouts project makes group work possible and offers university students practical experience under academic supervision in addition to study credits.

The project is a excellent opportunity in a time when planning is difficult. On March 4, an announcement was made that all schools in Saxony will reopen, including high schools using the classroom cohorting method. Homeschooling scouts’ classes are scheduled to start up on March 8. After that, everyone will have to respond to developments as they unfold up until Easter vacation starting March 27.

About the University School Dresden

The University School Dresden is a joint project of the City of Dresden and Technische Universität. It is a free, public primary and secondary school funded by the city, where innovative teaching and learning formats are tested under academic supervision. Furthermore, it serves as a training school at TU Dresden for current and future teachers.

Read more about TU Dresden’s research project: https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/unischule
Read more about the University School Dresden: http://universitaetsschule.org

You can gain a glimpse into daily school life and the research project on social media at @unischuleTUD. Follow the links to see the University School accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Media inquiries
Maria Völzer
0351 463-39917