About 90 tandem partnerships at 31 universities

This past summer, the University of Bayreuth called on faculty members to apply for an AI tutor by submitting a specific teaching proposal. Now the program is underway: As of October 1, approximately 90 tandems have begun their work at 31 Bavarian higher education institutions. All types of institutions are participating, ranging from universities to universities of applied sciences to art colleges. The Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts is funding the program. It is coordinated by the Center for University Teaching (ZHL) at the University of Bayreuth in collaboration with the Bavarian Center for Innovative Teaching (BayZiel).

What Happens in the Tandems

In each tandem, a student tutor and a faculty member work together on a specific project within a course. The process always begins with a pedagogical question: What should the students learn, and can AI help them do so? The ideas are as diverse as the subjects themselves. At the University of Bayreuth alone, there are six active tandems. One is developing an AI-supported lab orientation for the BayBatt Battery Research Center, while another in the Department of Sports Science is testing how an AI dialogue system can provide feedback on movement technique.

Goals

Students and faculty are encouraged to use AI in a thoughtful and subject-appropriate manner in their studies and teaching. In the process, both sides learn from each other: the tutors bring the students’ perspective, while the faculty contribute their subject expertise and teaching experience. Furthermore, these experiences should not be confined to a single university. The tandems network across Bavaria, spanning disciplines and types of institutions, and make their findings available to others.

“The tutors are students themselves and know where AI helps with learning and where it tends to get in the way. They bring this perspective to the classroom. We’re very excited about that,” says Jonas Glaser, who coordinates the program at the ZHL.

Here's what happens next

To get started, the tutors complete an online course covering the basics of AI, teaching methods, and the pitfalls of AI in learning. In October and November, all tandems will meet for two kick-off weekends in Bamberg and Eichstätt. Afterward, they will stay in touch via a shared communication platform. The tutors are employed through the end of July 2027, and the first results are expected to be visible in the spring of 2027.

Contact

Faculty members and anyone interested in the program or who would like to share their own experiences with AI in teaching can contact the coordination team at kontakt@ki-tutorien.bayern. Additional information is available at ki-tutorien.bayern. The contact persons are Jonas Glaser (ZHL, University of Bayreuth) and Jana Bay (BayZiel).