The University College of Virtual Teacher Education (Virtuelle PH)

The Virtuelle Pädagogische Hochschule/University College of Virtual Teacher Education (Virtuelle PH) is a NCoC (National Center of Competence) maintained by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education and has been attached to the Private Pädagogische Hochschule Burgenland since 2011. The Virtuelle PH’s main goals are

1. supporting University Colleges of Teacher Education in Austria in implementing their digitalisation strategies into their syllabus and teaching;
2. advancing the digital competencies of university lecturers and teachers; and
3. supporting elearning initiatives instigated and run by the Ministry of Education.

Supporting University Colleges of Teacher Education in focus

Supporting University College of Teacher Education in the implementation of their digitalisation strategies is one of the main tasks. We cooperate with all of the 14 University Colleges of Teacher Education in Austria. These cooperations comprise, for example, organising webinar series, developing online seminars and consultancy.

Digital competencies of university lecturers in focus

The courses we offer are solely taught online and cover an abundance of topics in the fields of online/blended learning and digital competencies. Guiding students in their use of digital and social media and fostering one’s own continuous professional development are key skills for digitally competent university teachers of today. In order for university teachers to become (and stay) digitally competent, the Virtuelle PH has set its goal to support them in their professional development in the best and most convenient way by offering all courses solely online.

Innovative | state-of-the-art | cooperative | individual

Currently the Virtuelle PH is offering three sets of courses: cooperative online seminars, eLectures (webinars) and coffecup learning units (microlearning units).There are also hybrid sets of courses such as the annual Virtuelle PH online conference ‘University Colleges digital.innovative | #digiPH’ and the online tutoring training (OTA).

Cooperative online seminars
Cooperative online seminars contain various self-study materials like tutorials and a number of tasks which mostly involve activity (so-called etivities) and discussion among the group of participants. A professionally trained online tutor provides assistance. After the successful completion of a seminar, which may last from two to four weeks, a certificate is issued to the participants. Further info (German)

eLectures
An eLecture is a one-hour live online workshop, sometimes offered as a session on its own, sometimes offered as part of a special subject focus or as a supplement to an online seminar. In an eLecture, an expert usually provides input before the participants are invited to ask questions to be answered by the expert to make it an interactive endeavour. All eLectures are recorded and put into the archive of self-study materials to be accessed by teachers whenever convenient. Further info (German)

Coffeecup learning units
Coffeecup learning units aim at acquiring clearly defined digital competencies for implementation into teaching. The completion of a coffeecup unit takes about 15 minutes and consists of a video, a manual and a quiz. For each quiz successfully completed a virtual coffee bean is awarded. A certificate is issued after the receipt of 5 coffee beans. Further info (German)

Online conference ‘Hochschule digital.innovativ | #digiPH’
The annual online conference Hochschule digital.innovativ | #digiPH takes place in March and April and brings together experts on university teaching from all German-speaking countries. In the course of the conference new online formats are tested and evaluated and a platform for interinstitutional as well es international professional exchange on relevant topics is offered to all university lecturers  – for free and solely online. Further info (German)

Online Tutoring Training (OTA)
The online tutoring training is targeted at university teachers who are interested in being trained as online tutors. The training consists of three parts: a kick-off session, a three-week online phase followed by a practicum in the chosen specialisation (online-seminar or eLectures). Further info (German)

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
MOOCs are courses on a learning environment in which a (usually) unlimited number of people can participate. Participation is very low-threshold and simple: it can be done independent of time & place as well as at one’s own pace (self-paced)! The Virtuelle Pädagogische Hochschule has co-conceived, developed and accompanied several such MOOCs and thus significantly supported various initiatives of the Austrian Ministry of Education.
Further info (German)