Policies

Class

This seminar is a hands-on, project-based seminar. You will therefore need to bring a laptop/tablet to all sessions.

Reading the preparation materials and completing the group tasks is part of the course requirements to obtain credit for this class (Studienleistung).

Attendance

This project-based seminar depends on your active participation. Regular attendance is therefore expected. Online participation is not possible.

If you are sick, please do not come to class. I appreciate a short e-mail to let me know, but I do not require a doctor’s note. It is your responsibility to catch up with the materials that was covered during class.

In addition to attending the regular course sessions, you are also required to attend at least two ReproducibiliTea in the HumaniTeas sessions. If you sign up to the mailing list, you will receive Zoom links to also be able to attend these sessions online.

Diversity & inclusiveness

It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well-served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that the students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit.

It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture.

Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally, or for other students or student groups.

Furthermore, I would like to create a learning environment for my students that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives and experiences, and honours your diverse identities. To help accomplish this:

  • If you have a name and/or preferred pronoun that differ from those of university records, please let me know!
  • If you have a disability that means I need to adjust the course and/or its materials in any way, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can accommodate for your needs.
  • If you feel like your performance in the class is being impacted by your experiences outside of class, do not hesitate to speak/write to me.
  • I (like many people) am still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something was said in class (by anyone) that made you feel uncomfortable, please speak/write to me.

Code of conduct

Academic dishonesty and plagiarism will not be tolerated. The University of Cologne has a wide offer of courses and resources to help you complete the requirements of your academic degree. These include:

Course components

Projects

This is a project-based seminar. In the second half of the semester, you will develop a small (group) project with the aim of explaining a topic of your choice to students and researchers with no prior knowledge of this topic in an original format. All projects will need to be submitted as reproducible Quarto projects. Optionally, high-quality projects may be published online subject to revisions (see published projects from summer semester 2025). These projects are part of the Studienleistung are therefore a requirement to obtain credit points for this course. Note, however, that online publication is entirely optional.

Module exam

Information about the end-of-semester module exam (Prüfungsleistung) will be posted here over the course of the semester. The exam will take the form of a project-based term paper assignment that may be completed in pairs or groups of three students. The exact requirements will depend on the module for which you are taking this class.

If you want to get a grade for this class, please ensure that you have signed up for the correct module exam on KLIPS. If you are unsure how to do this, please contact the head of your study programme.