Mint++

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Implementation of the Project/Course

Mint++ is an innovative, student-driven initiative at ETH Zurich that enhances teaching and learning through a high-quality video platform. Since 2021, Mint++ has empowered Teaching Assistants (TAs) to create didactically structured learning videos that recap central theory concepts and demonstrate complex solution strategies for exercises and past exam problems. These videos are produced in close collaboration with lecturers and are quality-assured by the responsible chairs. The didactic implementation is based on three pillars: structure, accessibility, and scalability. • Structure: The videos provide a clear, step-by-step approach to solving typical ETH exam tasks, helping students navigate the overwhelming workload of the first study years. They not only present the correct solutions but also explain the reasoning behind them, enabling deeper conceptual understanding. • Accessibility: All videos are available online and on demand (mintplusplus.ch). Students can revisit difficult concepts at their own pace, pause, rewind, and learn in a self-directed way. This is particularly valuable for diverse learners, including international students who benefit from subtitles and the ability to study asynchronously. • Scalability: With a standardized production process and the involvement of TAs, a large number of students can benefit from the work of a few. Since its launch, Mint++ has delivered more than 5 courses, reaching over 900 students in the first 4 semester of the Mechanical Engineering Bachelor program. The platform fosters active learning by encouraging students to apply theoretical knowledge directly to exam-relevant tasks. Instead of passively consuming content, students are guided to reproduce solution strategies and reflect on the underlying concepts. This balance between theory recap and problem-solving is particularly effective in preparing students for assessments. In terms of student support, Mint++ reduces stress and increases confidence. The first year of ETH studies is notoriously challenging, and students often report being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of material. With Mint++, they gain a sense of orientation and a strategy for tackling seemingly unsolvable problems. Feedback from students highlights the impact: “The videos gave me structure amid the chaos,” “I could finally review at my own pace,” and “This helped me pass exams that seemed impossible before.” For ETH teaching, Mint++ offers clear advantages: • A consistent, quality-assured alternative to generic online resources. • Reduced duplication of effort, as videos can be reused across semesters. • Cost efficiency, since production relies on TA positions already budgeted for. • Strong alignment with ETH’s vision for teaching innovation. Challenges and lessons learned: One challenge was clarifying intellectual property rights and integrating with ETH’s official video platform. Through collaboration with UTL, these aspects are being resolved to ensure sustainability.

Motivation, Project Mission, Vision Statement

Mint++ was created by students who experienced first-hand how overwhelming the first semesters at ETH can be. Our motivation is to support peers with clarity, structure, and encouragement during this demanding phase. The videos are not generic content: they are produced by carefully selected Teaching Assistants in each subject—students who recently mastered the material themselves and are trained to explain it didactically. This unique combination of expertise and peer perspective makes Mint++ both relatable and trustworthy. Our mission is to provide reliable, course-aligned resources that reduce stress, ensure fairness, and strengthen student confidence. Unlike AI-generated solutions, Mint++ guarantees accuracy and alignment with ETH teaching. Our vision is to extend this model: making our production process and experience available to all interested professors at ETH. In this way, Mint++ can scale sustainably across departments, enriching ETH’s teaching culture with a student-driven yet academically anchored innovation.

Innovative Elements

The innovation of Mint++ lies in the effectiveness and simplicity of its approach. Instead of relying on complex new technologies, we focus on what students need most: clear, reliable, and course-aligned explanations of key concepts and exam-relevant problems. The videos are produced by hand-picked Teaching Assistants in each subject, ensuring both academic accuracy and relatability. Unlike traditional teaching approaches, Mint++ makes the implicit exam preparation strategies of advanced students visible and accessible to everyone. It transforms isolated learning into structured guidance, scalable to thousands of students each semester. In contrast to generic AI tools, Mint++ guarantees consistency, correctness, and alignment with ETH teaching. Its innovative character is precisely in offering a trusted, lightweight, and scalable format: short, didactically designed videos that integrate seamlessly with ETH courses and have proven to significantly reduce stress and improve learning out

Effects on Student Learning

To evaluate effectiveness, we conducted a student survey, which confirmed a strong demand and appreciation for Mint++ resources. The results show that students value the accuracy, clarity, and relatability of the videos, and many recommend the platform to peers. This survey (uploaded as additional evidence) demonstrates not only usage but also strong trust and perceived benefit.

By combining didactic clarity with peer-to-peer relatability, Mint++ increases engagement and knowledge transfer. Students no longer struggle alone with opaque exam problems but can follow clear solution strategies and adapt them to new contexts. The strong uptake and positive evaluations provide clear evidence that Mint++ innovations work.

Which Elements of Your Project Would You Recommend to Others?

The most transferable element of Mint++ is its clear and standardized production model: hand-picked Teaching Assistants create concise, course-aligned videos in close collaboration with professors. This ensures quality, didactic value, and trust. The approach is highly scalable: once established, videos can be reused across semesters, benefiting thousands of students with minimal additional effort. The model has already proven successful in Mechanical Engineering and can be applied to any ETH department. We recommend the combination of simplicity, quality assurance, and student relatability. Together, these elements form a sustainable model that not only enhances learning but also builds a bridge between professors, assistants, and students—an approach that can strengthen teaching culture