PAKETH Teaching Retreat 2025
150 representatives from degree programmes, university groups and the central bodies accepted the invitation of the PAKETH core team and met on 15 January 2025 for a large-scale exchange of ideas after the insightful initial discussions in the departments.
Mission accomplished
PAKETH started the next implementation phase with an energetic event. After a short summary of the project progress to date by the PAKETH team, Rector Günther Dissertori set the tone with his exciting keynote speech on the future and quality of teaching at ETH.
protected page Download Keynote PAKETH core team.
Our responsibility
“We now need people to take the steering wheel. The future of teaching at ETH is not regulated by itself. How successful we are at PAKETH depends on you.”Günther Dissertori, Rector of ETH Zurich, keynote address at the PAKETH teaching retreat 2025 on 15. January 2025.
In his keynote address, Vice Rector for Curriculum Development Jan Vermant took up the rector's appeal with wit and verve, presenting some successful and innovative teaching projects by individuals and degree programmes that have already taken the initiative.
protected page Download Keynote Jan Vermant.
Innovation in teaching
The panel with Alexander Yakimov, Dimitry Dirin, D-CHAB, André Bardow, D-MAVT, Fabio Gramazio, D-ARCH and Emmanuel Frossard, D-USYS, reflected on experiences and challenges in the departments in designing future-oriented and interdisciplinary innovations in teaching.
More about the initiatives presented on the panel: Project D-CHAB, Project D-MAVT, Project D-ARCH, Project D-USYS.
Apply now for support for PAKETH teaching projects
The ETH Innovedum Fund supports teaching innovations that are launched in connection with PAKETH. Applications for the next funding period can be submitted until 1 March 2025 and then until 1 October 2025. Procedure and criteria on the Innovedum website.
Results Workshops
In 11 different workshops – see accordion further down below – ideas were exchanged, discussed in a diverse and committed manner, new impulses received, and questions clarified.
The feedback from the participants in the workshops will be analysed by the PAKETH team and the departments of the Rectorate and integrated into the project for further steps.
The final decisions of the steering group on the concept phase will be communicated at the 6 March 2025 Study Conference (StuKo) and afterwards also on the PAKETH website and other channels.
Conclusion of the 2025 retreat
The goal of a fruitful exchange was fully achieved. Thanks to the participation of the degree programmes and university groups, PAKETH is on the right track to substantially reforming teaching at ETH and maintaining it at the highest level for future generations.
You can find more details about the day in the article ‘Discussions and solutions for PAKETH implementation’ by Michael Walther, HK.
The proposals for the clarification of the concept were sent to the degree programmes and university groups on 6 December for a second consultation. The deadline for responses is 21 February. This workshop offers the opportunity to discuss the proposals and address any open questions, thus supporting the formation of opinions in the consultation process.
- Part A (1st session, morning): learning/examination phase, repeat examinations
- Part B (2nd session, afternoon): replacement of grading conference, no introduction of minimum grades
Workshop moderators:
- Dieter Wüest (Rector's staff, PAKETH team)
- Patricia Moser (Head of the Registrar's Office, Academic Services (AkD), PAKETH team)
PAKETH offers the opportunity to analyse, coordinate and optimise the needs and offers of service teaching between recipient degree programmes and providers. In the workshop, the specific approach is developed in degree programme groups with joint service lectures (service clusters).
Workshop moderators:
- Urs Brändle (Strategy & Analytics, Unit for Teaching and Learning (UTL), PAKETH Team)
- Anna Ekert (Curriculum Development, UTL)
The aim of this workshop is to exchange experiences and important factors for change. Participants will learn about concepts from the change process and discover new approaches to involving teachers in change in the context of PAKETH.
Workshop moderators:
- Andreas Reinhardt (Head Innovation, Unit for Teaching and Learning (UTL))
- Julia Kehl (Innovation, UTL)
Explore how visualising and mapping your curricula can help to create and maintain a coherent development of competencies (subject-specific or transferable or ideally both).
Workshop moderators:
- Philip Barth (Curriculum Development, Unit for Teaching and Learning (UTL))
- Daniel Flück (Innovation, UTL)
- Michèle Gemünden (Curriculum Development, UTL)
We discuss the underlying conditions and changes introduced by PAKETH for performance assessments (PA). In a joint discussion, we examine the advantages and disadvantages as well as the suitability of different types of PA. In addition, we present a collection and a successful best-practice example of integrated PA at ETH.
Workshop moderators:
- Claudia Merki (Head Educational Development, Unit for Teaching and Learning (UTL))
- Franziska Klarer (Educational Development, UTL)
- Giordano Giannoccolo (Educational Development, UTL)
The concept defines the onboarding week (week 37) with the aim of starting the regular study operations in full in week 38. A proposal is presented in the workshop, which will be compared with the degree programs and other administrative departments. The aim is to achieve a common understanding of this week.
Workshop moderators:
- Barbara Koch-Kiennast (Head Counselling & Coaching, Student Services (StS), PAKETH Team)
- Prisca Erb (Counselling & Coaching, StS)
- Regula Cinelli (Counselling & Coaching, StS)
What might alternative semester structures at ETH look like? The focus is on added value for students and teachers (competency orientation, interdisciplinarity, etc.). The workshop offers a creative space to rethink the semester schedule and develop innovative approaches.
Workshop moderators:
- Benno Volk (Curriculum Development, Unit for Teaching and Learning (UTL))
- Florian Rittiner (Head PBLabs, UTL)
- Michael Paulus (Strategic Initiatives, UTL)
Participants receive a brief introduction to the new categories, along with some basic tips on what to look out for when using them. The tips, along with further considerations and questions from the participants, are discussed. Questions and insights are noted on post-its and briefly presented in plenary later on.
Workshop moderators:
- Franziska Moll (Head Education Legislation, Academic Services (AkD), PAKETH Team)
- Olivia Eugster (Education Legislation, AkD)
In an interactive workshop, we will explore the opportunities of PAKETH to foster student mobility in ETH study programmes. You will be equipped with the necessary facts and figures on student mobility, including existing and new forms of student mobility, e.g. ENHANCE short-term offers. Together, we will:
- identify hurdles for student mobility in the current structure of the study programmes, and of the academic calendar as well as in credit recognition,
- develop solutions within PAKETH to overcome these hurdles.
Workshop moderators:
- Andrea Rothenbühler (Head Student Exchange Office, Academic Services(AkD))
- Julia Wussler (ENHANCE Education and Mobility Officer, AkD und UTL)
- Patrick Bisang (Student Exchange Office, AkD)
Changes to the academic calendar should create flexibility without increasing the workload during the semester. The recommendation of a 45-hour week for students requires workload-sensitive course and degree programme planning. We identify possibilities, obstacles and resources for successful coordination in the degree programme and clarify ‘urban legends’ about ECTS.
Workshop moderators:
- Dr. Nora Dittmann (Educational Development, Unit for Teaching and Learning (UTL), PAKETH Team)
- Karin Brown (Educational Development, UTL)
Discussion of challenges and opportunities that PAKETH will bring and offer in continuing education programmes that use BSc/MSc courses.
This workshop is only offered once (15:30).
Workshop leader:
- Lukas Sigrist (Head of School for Continuing Education, Academic Services (AkD))
- Stefan Küenzi (Educational Developer, School for Continuing Education, AkD)
Note on translation
This text has been translated for your convenience using a machine translation tool. Although reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, it may not be perfect. If in doubt, please refer to the German version.
Should you come upon significant translation mistakes, please send a short message to paketh@ethz.ch so that we can correct them. Thank you very much.