The Saxon Teaching Award recognizes outstanding lecturers.
Science Minister Dr. Eva-Maria Stange awarded the Saxon Teaching Prize 2018 in the category Universities of Applied Sciences to Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Hans-Joachim Kretzschmar from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
This prize was awarded in recognition of his consistent, continuously developed digital teaching and learning concept, which promotes interest in research issues among our students, as well as his vivid, activating lectures. The internet-based learning system Thermopr@ctice, which he initiated, and other e-learning elements are already being used at several universities and in continuing professional development and are being further developed in a cooperative manner. In addition to his teaching personality, the jury praised his digital learning and exercise methods, which demonstrate in an exemplary manner how active learning can be stimulated in heterogeneous study groups - with above-average examination results in subject modules that are often considered difficult.
The Vice-Rector for Education and International Affairs expressed her great pleasure that Prof. Kretzschmar was honored with the Saxon Teaching Award 2018. "He is one of the pioneers in the use of e-learning in the Free State of Saxony. In an exemplary way, he represents the potential of consistent digitalization of teaching while at the same time linking the academic fields of teaching and research. With the development of a digital teaching and learning concept using the Saxon learning platform OPAL, this didactically innovative approach has achieved a completely new quality in the subject of thermodynamics. This has enabled the subject area of technical thermodynamics to set qualitative standards at the highest level as a core element of energy technology and also in other courses of study. The award of the Saxon Teaching Prize 2018 to Prof. Kretzschmar rightly recognizes his achievements."
For Prof. Kretzschmar, however, this award also stands for his Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, which have supported him in the development and implementation of e-learning at the university.
Science Minister Dr. Eva-Maria Stange: "Good teaching at our universities and universities of cooperative education often receives too little recognition compared to research achievements. With the Saxon Teaching Award, we want to honor outstanding lecturers who teach the subject matter with new, clever ideas and concepts or who make a special effort to organize their studies well. I would like to congratulate all those who have been selected for the Saxon Teaching Award 2018 and whose work sets an example of excellent teaching at our universities or study academies."
The prize is awarded every two years to teachers at Saxon universities, art colleges, universities of applied sciences and vocational academies. A total of four individual prizes are awarded, each endowed with 10,000 euros. The winners were selected by a nine-member jury appointed by the SMWK.
