Professor Dr. Martin Schlather receives the award for the development of service-learning concepts in mathematical education. Service-learning connects learning and community engagement. Often, community engagement is considered to be social engagement. However, Professor Schlather says that students of mathematics significantly contribute to society by applying, first and foremost, their subject-specific knowledge.
The jury of the faculty award, consisting of students and teachers of the subjects and educational development professionals, praises the practical approach of the projects: The concept shows how the contents taught at university might be applied in real life, for example by using real data for teaching the contents and thus demonstrating the relevance statistical teaching contents have for society. Students are also enabled to get a glimpse of professional life and to engage in networking. In addition, the practical approach helps considerably to motivate students and to improve their learning outcome.
Since 2014, the ars legendi faculty award for Mathematics and Natural Sciences has been awarded in the categories Biosciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. The award is endowed with EUR 5,000. After the ars legendi award for outstanding academic teaching, the ars legendi faculty award is the highest award in academic teaching in Germany. It is the second time that the University of Mannheim has received the award: In 2018, Professor Dr. Leif Döring has received the ars legendi faculty award for developing customized mathematics tutorials. Professor Schlather is happy: “We are the only German university to win the award for Mathematics twice”.