Professor Dennis Kochmann from ETH Zurich has developed a method for his Dynamics class with over 700 engineering students. Nominated for the KITE Award 2026, the system aims to eliminate the pre-test stress peak. Instead of studying only before the exam, students work weekly with online assignments and small group exercises, keeping up to date throughout the entire semester.
Weekly assessment as the engine of sustainable learning 📅
The concept relies on a digital platform that releases interactive exercises each week. These are supervised in in-person tutorials with small groups. The final grade is built from these periodic submissions, eliminating the weight of a single exam. Kochmann argues that this constant pace forces students to process information gradually, favoring long-term retention over last-minute intensive study.
Goodbye to late-night coffee, hello to Sunday tasks ☕
The method promises to end all-nighters before the exam, but introduces a new enemy: the homework that haunts you every weekend. Now, instead of suffering two weeks of panic, students enjoy 14 weeks of small doses of anguish. At least, if you fail, it won't be because you didn't cover the syllabus, but because you fell asleep on week 6's exercise.