The IP Soil & Water will be organised as an intensive course programme. It combines classical teaching methods like lectures and seminars with small-group activities. It is necessary to make the theoretical background of the main topics available for all students concerning their different knowledge levels. Therefore the lectures / seminars will be accompanied by small-group workshops where the teachers are in close contact with the students. Discussions about the educational topics contemporary after the lectures will help the students to ask questions in line with the subject. In the same manner the field trips provide a good background for high-level discussions between students and teachers about the addressed problems. Combination with easily visible examples like soil profiles, stress symptoms on plants, evidence for anthropogenic influence etc. can be demonstrated easily.

This approach allows bringing students who study in the 3rd year of the first cycle (BA) together with students in the second cycle (MA) in one intensive programme – both groups will benefit from the workshop character of the IP.

Assessment of the learning outcomes

The students have to provide reports of the IP where they have to combine a special issue (which is identified over their seminar-topic) with topics they have to handle during the field trips. These reports will be rated after the IP and discussed with the students on the IP forum. All participating students will achieve 9 ECTS with the whole IP.

Beneficiaries and selection procedure

Ulm University, Germany:

• Compulsory for students in the bachelor programme Biology in the 3rd year with main education line  “Ecology and biodiversity”
• Eligible for students in the programme for teaching degree in Biology. The selection will be orientated on the student’s motivation (ascertained in an interview) and their progress within their study curricullum.

Eesti Maaülikool, Estonia:

The IP will be offered to students in the following master programmes:

• Crop technologies and product development
• Horticulture
• Production and Marketing of Agricultural Products

For these students the IP is one offer in the module „Plant – soil – systems“ and is compulsory for those students who wants to make their master thesis in the topic of plant production or soil science. If there are places left, they will be filled with students who have background in soil science and plant science after the „first come first served“-procedure (also for bachelor students in the 3rd year). The IP will be announced in the university network and posted on the appropriate blackboards.

Aix Marseille University, France:

Target groups: biologists, agronomists, geographers

The IP will be announced and posted in the university network.

The students will be selected after a deadline that is published in the announcement selection criteria:

1. Compulsory: "Master 2" in the French system (holders of the "Master 1", after 4 years of studies)
2. Results (marks)
3. Motivation letter
4. Places will preferentially be given to students that have orientated their studies towards soil and environmental topics.

University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic:

• The IP is offered mainly to the students of master degree programme Biology, specialization Ecosystem Biology and bachalor degree programme Biology and Environmental Care and will be announced and posted in the university network and on the appropriate blackboards.
• Accessible also for PhD students in Ecosystem Biology.

The selection will be oriented on motivated students (ascertained in an interview) and on their progress in their study curriculum.