As a student, I experienced very different learning settings, from small classes, to crowded lecture halls. I encountered inspiring, challenging, exciting subjects and teachers, as well as others I found less intriguing. How much I learned was, in the end, less related to the setting and sometimes not even to subject itself, but to the teacher’s ability to

a) make a case for the issues we tackled
b) provide the necessary knowledge base for an informed discussion and most importantly
c) help me connect the dots of my knowledge and making it applicable.
It is these three goals I also pursue in my teaching concept.
Making a case for the issues tackled might sound blatant, but in a world of accessible knowledge, we constantly must decide what we want to know. Winning students’ interest is therefore a crucial first step for fruitful teaching.
I try to let my students know why I am interested in the subjects I study and teach, how I became curious about it and what motivates me to dig deeper.
Providing a knowledge base to allow students to develop and reason informed arguments is among the core tasks of a teacher. Too often, academic teachers skip basics of the subjects taught and end up with only half the students being able to follow. In my courses, I always cover essentials and provide materials, students can come back to.
My goal is to avoid the frustration, students inevitably experience if they fail to understand required readings.
Throughout their education, students should become able to connect the dots of knowledge they gather through their engagement with different subjects. Rather than teaching each course as an isolated subject, I encourage students to name and explore links to other subjects as well as to ongoing public debates that relate to the course contents.
Following the principles that guide my teaching, I try to be as transparent as possible about my expectations. I am committed to provide multiple options for students with different strengths and interests and to explain my thoughts behind the assignments. Feedback is a central element of my teaching and I encourage students engage with my comments, as well as with their peers’ opinion.
Here you can find an overview of my current and past teaching activities at the University of Vienna.