2023-06-26 22:00:00
“It is important to us to help students who find it more difficult than others to integrate into everyday student life.”
Eva Jonas
University Professor of Psychology
As part of her apprenticeship, she has been involved in coaching, mentoring and training projects for over ten years. So it made sense to expand the initiative, and as part of the digitization offensive of the Federal Ministry of Science and Research, Jonas managed to earn 900,000 euros for her PLUSTRACK project. “It is also particularly important to us to help students who find it more difficult than others to integrate into everyday student life. For example, if they look following children, are employed or come from a non-academic family,” says Jonas .
The central task of PLUSTRACK is the linking of social and digital aspects
PLUSTRACK sees its central task in linking social and digital aspects of everyday student life in order to support students in their academic success. The focus is on the development of an online platform that offers digital, social and individual networking. “Due to the current surge in digitization, there is a great danger that students will become lonely if interpersonal contact is lost,” says Jonas. That is why the digital must be brought together with the social. “We show ways in which the university can support its students so that they can connect with their fellow students or with the department and thus network more closely with their studies. At the same time, we want to pick them up digitally,” says the psychologist .
Jonas has been able to win over a group of committed young scientists for her project, who have gone through all phases of student life and are now developing and implementing the activities of PLUSTRACK. “Studying means much more than just learning,” says Anna, “it means having arrived, having good contacts, and also feeling a little bit at home at the university.” Students are offered mentoring programs, coaching, training and community activities. In the case of mentoring, where first-year students are supported and accompanied by those in higher semesters, i.e. the older people pass on their knowledge to the younger ones, the demand increased enormously within a very short time. “And those who feel well advised and supported have a great need to pass on their knowledge,” emphasizes Anna, a doctoral student with Eva Jonas and who has been involved in this project from the start in 2019. PLUSTRACK now accompanies around 500 students per academic year as part of the mentoring program.
The “Community Program” platform is a digital meeting place for exchange
Another important factor in PLUSTRACK is the “Community Program” platform, says Julius, how Anna has meanwhile arrived at her doctoral studies. A digital place to meet and learn. “Students should get more out of their studies than just acquiring knowledge. During their studies, they can network, benefit from the experiences of others, make friends and simply have fun,” says Julius. On Instagram, references to events are given, certain events such as university festivals are highlighted or information is also provided regarding which cafés are good places to study. Students should initially be addressed in a low-threshold way, in which they can simply observe. If you want to take part, you can register. Newcomers don’t stay alone for long, they immediately get tips from other students.
PLUSTRACK also offers teachers a platform for exchange
In recent years, often due to the corona situation, teachers have put a lot of commitment into creating new, balanced teaching concepts that work both online and hybrid. There were also open questions and uncertainties for them. PLUSTRACK also offers teachers a platform to exchange ideas and get valuable information. “For example, we discuss together how online exams work best,” says Eline. She has been organizing a jour fixe for teachers for several years.
PLUSTRACK has also joined the many efforts to make the city more attractive and above all more affordable for students. So you go in search of places where students might stay. “We draw up a city map with all the hip bars and squares,” says Georg. The Market of Possibilities was developed together with students. This makes visible what there is in Salzburg, especially in terms of leisure activities.
Digital Student.Place as an information contact point for students
The most important point is the development of a digital Student.Place. This digital space is to be created in cooperation with the university’s IT services. A point of contact for all students, which contains all important information regarding and regarding their studies in an easily accessible and simply prepared way. PLUS students recently gained access to Microsoft 365, giving them the opportunity to link digital and real social worlds even better. “In the digital age, the focus should always be on people,” emphasizes Eva Jonas. This is where the psychologist sees her main task: “Students shouldn’t sink into nirvana with the Student.Place tool, but should have a central contact point where they can get information, orient themselves and network.”
The graduates also play an important role in this. Noah is writing his master’s thesis with Eva Jonas and Stefan Reiß, from which a digital collection of “alumni profiles” is to be created. “These are field reports regarding a successful career start that can help the students with career planning,” explains Noah, who is supported in this project by the PLUS Alumni Club.
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