Soft Skills and Technical Competence: Interdisciplinary Qualification of First-Year Computer Science Students

In the two-semester course "Soft Skills and Technical Competence" at the University of Oldenburg, we support first-year computer science students in testing and applying the theoretical content from their first computer science lectures in a meaningful and practical context. The interdisciplinary lecture content is selected to be directly applied in the further course of studies and prepares the students for their first scientific work. Therefore, the course content includes creative methods for problem-solving and brainstorming, working in groups and projects, scientific writing and presenting with the help of slides and posters, and formulating (peer) feedback. In addition, we teach practical skills such as using (measuring) tools, reading and creating circuit diagrams and circuits, programming microcontrollers, 3D modeling, and soldering electrical components in order to accompany students holistically in the development cycle of their digital artifacts: namely from the first idea in their heads to the solution of an everyday problem to the finished prototype in their hands. The examination is a digital portfolio consisting of an individual web blog for assignments and a learning diary, a smart home group project, a group blog for the project documentation, and a final presentation. In this poster, we describe the structure and content of the course and give an overview of some improvements for the coming semesters.