And now for something completely different...

As always in October, lectures are starting again. Like every year, I will give a lecture on Semantic Web Technologies. BTW, I have realized that I give now courses on Semantic Web for almost 10 years. It all started as a seminar at the Friedrich-Schiller Universität back in Jena and became a fully-fledged lecture here at the HPI in Potsdam. Like the lecture of last winter semester, almost all lectures have been recorded and are online available either at tele-Task or yovisto.

Moreover, we have also prepared two MOOC courses Semantic Web Technologies in Spring 2013, and Knowledge Engineering with Semantic Web Technologies in Spring 2014, both very successful with thousand(s) of students.

This semester, I have decided not to do the very same all over again and to try out something completely different...

Have you ever heard of the Flipped Classroom concept? This semester, we are going to turn the lecture situation around for the students. All the lecture content has already been recorded. Thus, students can prepare for each lecture at home by watching the videos and studying the handouts as well as the course materials. Then, in the classroom, I will not present the content again, but we are going to discuss

• everything which needs more attention according to the students,
• everything that the students did not quite well understand,
• including all problems, errors, and complements that seem to be important.

 Thus, to follow the (live) lecture the students have to prepare accordingly. Of course this will only work with the active participation of the students. On the other hand, it will also be more challenging for the lecturer and the tutors, because we have to be very well prepared to deal with all kind of potential questions and problems. Of course we will work out problem solutions and answers always together with the students. And it will be also the students who will take over the lead - well of course under the lecturer's guidance.

I'm very curious whether this concept will work out well with my lecture here at HPI. Please keep your fingers crossed and I will keep you posted.

Additional Links:

• The Blog for our lecture 'Semantic Web Technologies', winter semester 2014/15