Stress-free through chaotic seminars: "Seminar room of horrors"

How can student tutors be better prepared for unexpected challenges in everyday seminar life?

The virTUos project at TU Dresden is addressing this question and has developed an innovative training format: the seminar room of horrors. In this course, tutors are confronted with realistic scenarios - from chaotic room layouts and technical breakdowns to data protection problems. The aim is to prepare participants to remain calm in stressful situations, find solutions quickly and lead their seminars with confidence.

The course is run by the TUTORING hybrid sub-project, which specializes in training student teachers. In addition to practical exercises in the physical seminar room, there is now also a digital version of the Seminar Room of Terror, which can be used flexibly as a 360° room. This gives tutors the opportunity to train their problem-solving skills regardless of time and place.

For a deeper insight into the training concept, the background and the voices of the tutors and managers involved, please visit the recently published blog post by the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education.