Driving force in a changing world: Ten year anniversary of the Center for Interdisciplin­ary Learning and Teaching (German abbreviation: ZILL) at TU Dresden

It all began with the desire for a space that would enable teaching staff and students to look beyond their own horizons, think in interdisciplinary terms and promote academic collaboration across subject boundaries. Ten years ago, in 2014, the Center for Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching (ZiLL) at TU Dresden was launched as part of the Excellence Initiative to broaden perspectives in the modules on “Research and Learning in an Interdisciplinary Context”(FLiK).  

This approach proved to be extremely successful. Today, ZILL has more than 30 staff and numerous student assistants. It has become a central agent in university and media didactic support for teaching staff and students at TUD. Various specialist disciplines and areas of expertise come together in numerous teams. They deal with digital learning and teaching, digital tools and general university didactics. They also support international teaching collaborations as part of the European university network EUTOPIA or within research-oriented learning and teaching in the University of Excellence context. Projects in digital laboratory didactics and virtual reality, digital higher education in Saxony, acquisition of a digital driving license or developing the skills of tutors provide additional impetus  for the advancement of university teaching.  

“As the central point of contact, we aim to create modern educational opportunities at the university and promote interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration by providing advice to all university teaching staff,” explains Henriette Greulich, Head of the Center. “We want to support teaching staff in advancing, professionalizing and digitizing teaching with numerous continuing education opportunities in the field of university and media didactics, or with projects that provide a powerful impetus for the innovation and dissemination of teaching and learning scenarios for our times.” 

The Center for Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching also provides a wide range of opportunities for students and early-career researchers at TU Dresden to help them succeed in their studies. Consequently, the study orientation project allows for the exploration of individual interests and making a well-considered decision for a degree program. The Funds for Student Research (FOSTER) program provides intellectual and financial support for students who are enthusiastic about research. Moreover, the annual exhibition of student research StuFoExpo makes outstanding research results visible.  

Looking back: An occasion to celebrate and think ahead 

2020 marked a turning point in the work of the Center for Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching. While face-to-face teaching once dominated everyday university life, overnight new ideas were needed as to how teaching could be maintained in terms of both content and technology. During this challenging time, ZiLL developed into an important driver of support for the digitalization of teaching at TU Dresden, be it through the creation of interactive learning platforms, the development of digital teaching methods or the allocation of funding for digital teaching. The tenth anniversary of the Center for Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching is an occasion to celebrate the successes of the past years while also looking to the future. “In view of new technological developments in the field of artificial intelligence or virtual reality, the work of ZiLL will certainly continue to gain relevance for successful learning and teaching at TUD,” says Director Henriette Greulich with conviction. 

ZiLL is celebrating this year's anniversary with numerous event highlights and invites all interested parties to attend.  From June 1 to June 8, the week of tutorial activities will take place. On November 7, the StuFoExpo 2024 will showcase current student research. 

Contact: 
Henriette Greulich 
Head of the Center for Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching (ZiLL)
Tel.: +49 351 463-32744 
 

Natalie Fichte 
Public Relations 
Tel.: +49 351 463-36344