Since September 2020, the University of Bayreuth has been present on edX, an education platform founded by Harvard University and MIT, on which around 34 million learners from all over the world can take courses. The edX University Leadership Council annually recognises "outstanding contributions to online learning and education" and has now announced the list of finalists - including Bayreuth scientist Thomas Scheibel with his team and his Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "Biomaterials and Biofabrication: Design, Engineering and Innovation". The edX Prize recognises the contributions and innovations of educators in the edX community and highlights the powerful role that online education plays in transforming education today. Once again, the finalists from institutions around the world represent a wide range of disciplines and approaches to teaching and learning online.
The Biofabrication MOOC at the University of Bayreuth lets participants share the latest insights into technologies and innovations in the medical field. After all, various materials and processing techniques have revolutionised the medical field. From artificial hips that keep people mobile to wound dressings that can replace skin grafts, the field of biomaterials and biomedical engineering has shifted its focus from simply extending life expectancy to enhancing quality of life. In the Biofabrication MOOC, participants accompany the protagonists Emma and Paul as they explore biomedical engineering. The interactive videos delve into all the basic concepts with entertaining scenarios, examples, with the help of an accompanying textbook and in-video quizzes. International experts present exciting and application-oriented content.
The Biofabrication MOOC launched on edX in June 2021. Already at the premiere, almost 3,250 people from 126 nations took part. "The fact that we can inspire so many people and impart such a wealth of knowledge to them so professionally is not only thanks to the scientists involved. Without the direction, script, animation, camera and technology, in short the entire MOOC team at the University of Bayreuth, this would not be possible. The honour of the finalist award is therefore due to all of them," emphasises Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel. The whole team is now looking forward to January 2023, when the winner of the edX Prize will be announced.
