Evidence-based Quality Improvement in University Language Didactics
Abstract This report describes the opportunities, challenges and limits of evidence-based quality improvement in university language teaching. Using treffpunkt sprachen – Centre for Language, Plurilingualism and Didactics at the University of Graz as an example, it provides a brief explanation of the centre and then presents the prioritization of content in teaching and research. In the process, it is necessary to investigate the supply and demand for courses and to use statistics as evidence. In addition, research strategies to promote young researchers are presented whose realization documents the development of the language centre into a centre of research on university didactics. Next, an analysis is made of effective quality assurance measures that are able to be determined in the purposeful application of research findings. Finally, opportunities and potentials in teaching and research are scrutinized and their positive implications for the centre are explained.