Other tools
Other services at the University of Bremen
On this page we have compiled a brief overview of the offers and services of other institutions at the University of Bremen on the topics of digital collaborative work and communication.
If you have any questions, please contact the relevant institution or contact person directly!
BigBlueButton video conferencing
BigBlueButton is a free software for web-based video conferencing that also supports presentations, desktop sharing, screen sharing and break-out rooms.
Further information can be found under this link from the ZfN.
Mattermost
The University of Bremen's Mattermost offered by the ZfN is an instant messaging platform (web chat) and is operated on the university's own servers. The ZfN provides a brief introduction and has also created more detailed instructions on how to register at the University of Bremen (pdf).
Nextcloud
Nextcloud enables, among other things, the simple synchronisation of files across different end devices and the simple sharing of work materials with colleagues or students. Its use is similar to the well-known Dropbox, but all saved data is stored on university servers in compliance with data protection regulations. Users have 100 GB of storage space at their disposal (as of 08/2023), which can be expanded if there is a justified business need.
Attention: The previous cloud service Seafile will be switched off on 31 March 2023 and replaced by Nextcloud. You should use Nextcloud now and migrate your data from Seafile to Nextcloud ASAP.
moreProject management with Wekan
Wekan is the open source version of the more well-known tool Trello and works according to the Kanban principle (= card/board), i.e. tasks, notes and ideas are managed centrally and collaboratively on cards. Trello boards can be imported. The ZfN provides Wekan in test mode (to be found in the ZfN online tools => Test mode: Wekan) or directly via wekan.zfn.uni-bremen.de (log in with your university account)
YouTube tutorial: Quick Look - Wekan for Project Management or from a student perspective from our Studytools blog "Wekan - a Kanban for your projects"
moreConceptboard - Whiteboard for online collaboration
Referat 13 Lehre und Studium is still offering the opportunity to test the Conceptboard software free of charge in the winter semester 2024/2025. Licences are limited and available from the Office of University Didactics. Please send an email to hddg@vw.uni-bremen.de stating the course title, the expected number of participants and a brief description of the collaborative teaching/learning scenario (max. 300 characters).
The online whiteboard offers a large selection of templates, imports of various file formats, a live cursor with display of the respective user name. Conceptboard is suitable for simple brainstorming, but also for more demanding design work thanks to the extensive import and editing options.
moreBOOC - Blended Open Online Courses
The BOOC - Blended Open Online Courses project is a digital study programme of the ZfLB on empirical methods and methodologies in the research field of school, teaching development and education, which is specifically geared towards the needs of teacher education. As an interdisciplinary and digital interface for research-based study, BOOC offers multimedia, interactive and collaborative teaching and learning scenarios and combines face-to-face and online-based teaching in blended learning concepts. BOOC can be flexibly integrated into didactic and educational science classroom teaching in the sense of inverted classroom formats and anchored in the curriculum.
BOOC combines e-science tools on selected research methods for application and practice at three levels of difficulty; texts, interactive graphics and videos, video interviews with experts on the research process and empirical research methods and offers the opportunity to present the results (outcomes). Only the university account is required for registration.
e-Portfolio p:ier
p:ier was set up in 2016 for all teacher training degree programmes as part of a project by the Centre for Teacher Training and Educational Research (ZfLB) using the e-portfolio software Mahara (open source). Since the 2020 summer semester, the ZfLB has also offered P:ier for use by non-teacher training students. Advice and support are provided by the ZfLB.
The e-portfolio system offers students a digital folder in which they can store a wide range of artefacts and completed assignments from their studies. A selection of completed assignments and artefacts can be presented on views as portfolios and made available to others for discussion or submitted as examination results. Lecturers can manage the submitted portfolios via course groups and return them with comments. P:ier is primarily intended to be used by students across semesters.