For Small Courses (Under 20 Students)

Analog Paper Collection

• Process: Students submit handwritten notes in in-person sessions
• Exam: Papers are returned during the exam
• Advantages: No printing required, no technical infrastructure, very flexible
• Disadvantages: In-person attendance required, manual administration
• Suitable for: Seminars, small tutorials, lab courses

Digital Collection Without Tool

• Process: Email submissions or simple folder upload
• Organization: Manual compilation in Word/PowerPoint
• Printing: Simple batch printing without automation
• Effort: Higher, but still manageable for small groups

Hybrid Exam Formats

Split Exam (50/50)

• Part 1 without aids: Foundational knowledge and comprehension questions (50% of points and time)
• Part 2 with booklet: Application and transfer tasks (50% of points and time)
• Advantage: Prevents complete dependence on the booklet
• Suitable for: Courses with important foundational knowledge that must be readily available

Flexible Aid Sections

• Multiple choice without booklet: Quick assessment of factual knowledge
• Application tasks with booklet: Support for complex problem-solving
• Time allocation: 30 min without, 90 min with booklet
• Transition: Short break for booklet distribution

Reduced Variants

Mini-Booklet (5 Pages)

• Scope: Only the most important concepts
• Rhythm: One page every 2–3 weeks
• Suitable for: Short modules, introduction to the system, skeptical colleagues
• Effort: Significantly reduced for all participants

Thematic Booklets

• Structure: One page per main topic instead of per week
• Flexibility: Different page counts depending on topic scope
• Organization: Fewer submission deadlines, but longer processing time

Assessment-Integrated Approaches

Bonus Point Booklets

• System: Max. 10% of final grade for high-quality pages
• Assessment: Structure and completeness, not aesthetics
• Motivation: Additional incentive beyond exam aid
• Effort: Additional grading workload for instructors

Peer Review Integration

• Process: Students evaluate each other’s booklet pages
• Improvement: Opportunity to revise after feedback
• Learning: Understanding quality criteria by evaluating other pages
• Tool: Moodle Workshop or similar peer review modules

Subject-Specific Adaptations

STEM Fields

• Focus: Formulas, example calculations, problem-solving strategies
• Format: Allow more visualizations and diagrams
• Special feature: Practice mathematical notation by hand

Humanities

• Content: Key concepts, argumentation structures, source references
• Format: More text, fewer visualizations
• Methods: Argumentation schemes and text analysis techniques

Law

• Structure: Statutes, definitions, examination schemas
• Organization: By legal area rather than chronologically
• Practice: Subsumption schemas and case solution structures

Technical Variants

Tablet-Based Creation

• Hardware: Students’ own tablets with stylus
• Software: Apps like GoodNotes, Notability, OneNote
• Advantage: Better readability, easy corrections
• Challenge: Unequal technical equipment

Digital Booklets in E-Exams

• System: PDF booklets available on exam computers
• Advantage: No printing required, better searchability
• Disadvantages: Technical complexity, less tactile experience

Time-Adapted Variants

Intensive Courses/Block Seminars

• Rhythm: Daily summaries
• Scope: Fewer pages, but more concentrated
• Exam: A few days after the end of the block session

Multi-Semester Modules

• Continuity: Maintain booklet across multiple semesters
• Structure: Chapters per semester
• Advantage: Long-term knowledge retention

Collaborative Approaches

Group Booklets

• Team: 2-3 students create pages together
• Division: Different topics per person
• Exam: Everyone receives a copy of the group booklet
• Learning: Through discussion and coordination

Class Booklet

• Community: All students contribute to one booklet
• Quality: Peer review and instructor feedback
• Exam: Everyone receives the same, very high-quality booklet

What to Avoid

Not Recommended Variants

• Summaries without handwriting: Little reflection due to copy-and-paste and LLM-generated texts being possible
• Grading aesthetic quality: Demotivates less artistic students
• Too complex technical solutions: Overshadow the pedagogical benefit
• Complete abandonment of rules: Leads to unfairness

Common Mistakes

• Too late introduction: System must be established from the beginning
• Unclear rules: Leads to confusion and dissatisfaction
• No methodology instruction: Students only copy superficially
• Overcomplication: Simple systems often work better