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Frankfurt / Main (dpa / lhe) - Video lectures and virtual seminars: The Hessian universities are starting the third semester under pandemic conditions.

Again they are planning with many digital and only some on-site courses.

"In view of the prognoses for the occurrence of infections in the coming weeks and months, the Presidium and Dean's offices do not consider an expansion of presence operations to be justifiable at this point in time," says the University of Giessen, for example.

There is therefore no alternative to “re-entering a maximally digital summer semester”.

On-site at the universities mostly only special courses such as laboratory internships or practical sports exercises take place.

Some universities are also thinking about possible corona test strategies for students and employees.

"We are currently examining together with the state to what extent and for what purposes quick tests or self-tests could be used in order to create additional security in addition to the still central distance, mask and hygiene rules," said a spokeswoman for the University of Giessen With.

From the Technical University (TU) in Darmstadt it was said: They are in "close exchange with the Hessian Ministry of Science".

The aim is "clearly not to increase the number of face-to-face courses".

The University of Kassel is also currently discussing with the state how events on site could be additionally safeguarded “through a targeted test strategy”, as a spokesman announced.

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The universities call the mix of a lot of digital teaching and some on-site offers “hybrid semesters”.

The University of Marburg also wants to organize the summer semester's lecture period, which will soon begin.

A spokeswoman said that where students are looking for help in the corona crisis, the university is also trying to draw their attention to advisory services.

The pandemic also ensures that significantly fewer foreign students come to the central Hessian city than usual.

In recent months, universities have asked their students how they are coping with digital studies.

"There is already a significant proportion of students who notice for themselves that they have not achieved the usual study goals that are set for themselves," reports the Vice President of the University of Frankfurt, Roger Erb, who is responsible for the study areas and teaching is responsible.

Some have had problems motivating themselves, but on the other hand they have also stated that they have learned more than usual to work independently.

According to the university, a survey carried out among students from Giessen in January showed that they suffered in particular from the lack of social contact.

But there are also aspects of digital teaching that are viewed positively by the students, such as greater flexibility.

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"Under the given circumstances, the digital teaching at our university works largely well," said the Kassel university spokesman.

"This is also shown to us by the basically stable response figures since the beginning of the pandemic, i.e. the number of students who continue their studies, surveys among the students and the examination results, which have hardly changed compared to previous years."

As a result of the pandemic, I learned a lot more methodically and didactically in terms of digital teaching, said Frankfurt University Vice President Erb.

You want to work on that now.

"I believe that even after the Corona period there will be a need - which is being expressed more by students than by teachers - to be able to participate in virtual teaching."

One must look carefully at what can be retained in the future.

Because the university is of course interested in the fact that the students can be out on campus again, meet and exchange ideas.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210402-99-63443 / 2