Research
the didactics of chemistry
Accompanying research on video-based reflective teaching and learning support for students based on the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) standards for teacher training. The focus is on the development and testing of tools that support the development of teacher-specific skills (e.g. judgment through observation and evaluation skills, reflection skills and communication skills). Reflective teaching and learning support is provided by means of online questionnaires, video sequences and e-portfolios.
- Differentiation and individualization measures for the orientation level and lower secondary level with the support of digital media are a focal point. For example, the "HyperDocSystems" program can address several channels of learners by offering various presentations in different forms (text, images, video, audio sequences or simulations of selected experiments) for content interaction. Learners can thus choose their individual "form", as the use of digital media makes it possible to switch quickly between different forms of presentation of the same content.
More about the HyperDocSystems program: The idea
Participatory subject-didactic transfer action research
As part of Norman Rollwa 's doctorate, the conditions for successful science transfer to society are being researched. His work therefore represents a major contribution to the overall research project. Various student labs and citizen events, for example as part of the OD Pfalz project, are relevant transfer activities that provide important input, particularly in the area of participation. The connections are shown in the following figure.
Unified Education (U.EDU)
With the project "Unified Education (U.EDU): Media education along the teacher training chain II", TU Kaiserslautern is focusing on the further development of teacher training through a professionalization concept for teaching and learning with digital media aimed at all phases. The project works across all departments, including with external cooperation partners, on various topics relating to the digitalization of school lessons.
The HeLFF sub-project (Heterogeneous Learning Groups: Challenging and Supporting - with Digital Media) in the didactics of chemistry is concerned with the development and testing of browser-based software to create and manage fully digital worksheets.
Differentiation and individualization measures pose enormous challenges, particularly for teachers at orientation level and lower secondary level. In addition, there are currently few tried-and-tested materials for heterogeneous learning groups that teachers can draw on. Therefore, the first step is to develop practical analog teaching materials and test them in practice. For example, several channels can be used on digital worksheets for content interaction and presentations can be offered in various forms (text, images, video, audio sequences or simulations of selected experiments). Learners can choose their individual "form", as the use of digital media makes it possible to quickly switch between different forms of presentation of the same content.
The"U.EDU: Unified Education - Media Education along the Teacher Training Chain" project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the joint "Teacher Training Quality Campaign" of the federal and state governments.
TUK SmartLabs
Interdisciplinary teaching and learning with digital media by networking STEM teaching and learning labs.
The project "The future of STEM learning" aims to use modern technology to make science lessons pedagogically and didactically meaningful. The focus is on the development of innovative learning environments using digital media. In addition to TU Kaiserslautern, four other universities (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Universität Koblenz-Landau and Universität Würzburg) are involved in the project. At TUK itself, the project is being implemented together with partners from the Departments of Biology, Bioprocess Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Spatial and Environmental Planning and the ZfL.
The Department of Chemistry is working with the Bioprocess Engineering Department to develop learning labs and teaching series in which students can work in a self-directed manner with the support of digital media. In one example, pupils discover the influence of heavy metals on enzymes. In another learning scenario, the basics of binary arithmetic are taught in a fun way using self-made "androids".
The Future of STEM Learning project is funded by the Deutsche Telekom Foundation.
Teacher training on digital media
With the strategy paper "Education in the digital world", the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) calls for the teaching of media skills to be implemented as an integral part of all subject curricula. Teachers are therefore faced with the challenge of incorporating subject content anchored in the curriculum at the same time as media education as a cross-cutting topic in subject lessons. Support services are therefore required for prospective and practising teachers, in which the possibilities for embedding digital media in subject lessons are presented, taking into account the subject curriculum. With the aim of offering subject-specific support for chemistry teachers, the research work focuses on the design and evaluation of workshops for integrating digital media into chemistry lessons.
The project is funded by the joint project Offene Digitalisierungsalianz Pfalz.
Self-assessment and external assessment of teacher training - Creating lecture profiles with the help of mobile devices
For quality-conscious skills development, chemistry students are provided with materials, tools and training opportunities at an early stage in order to train their reflection, judgment and communication skills.
Following on from the skills development tools (Kom-Ent-Tools), the observation and assessment forms (BBB) were further developed. Since 2013, these have been available in electronic form so that students and lecturers can complete the observation and assessment form 2.0 (BBB 2.0) using a mobile device. Special software was developed for this purpose, which creates the "lecture profile" of the person to be assessed immediately after the assessment of a lecture or teaching unit has been completed. This profile can then be used directly afterwards to reflect on the student.
In addition to the live reflection, students receive their respective video sequences and their "feedback profiles" in electronic form for their development portfolio. The materials and tools offer students the opportunity to track and reflect on their development process with regard to their reflection, judgment and communication skills.
In order to provide students with optimal feedback on the development of their skills, the didactics of chemistry does not want to limit itself to "two-perspective feedback" (feedback from students and lecturers). As the future environment of student teachers will be the school and therefore the teachers and pupils, students should be given as many opportunities as possible to receive feedback from teachers at schools as well as from pupils. In the winter semester 14/15, Ms. Engelhardt accompanied the students in the in-depth school internships for the first time and used the developed "BBB 2.0 Schüler" for the first time. This gave the students the opportunity to obtain feedback from the pupils for the first time in winter semester 14/15.
Teaching assistance
A central research area and training element of the didactics of chemistry is "teaching assistance". This enables individual "teacher training" during the degree course. Master's (Ma) students can apply and further develop their specialist knowledge as well as their didactic and pedagogical knowledge in practical "teaching exercises". The optimal structuring of exercise groups is therefore of central importance for practical school courses. By vertically interlinking teaching modules from Ba and Ma degree programs small groups, practical situations are created that make this possible. To this end, the "learning group must be designed in such a way that, in particular, the clear differentiation between learners and teachers in terms of cognitive and pedagogical competence is reproduced, as is typical in school lessons. In such a group, the students act in different functions. As teaching assistants, the MA students take on the role of teachers and the Bachelor students the role of learners. Such teaching and learning groups seem to us to be suitable for creating a realistic teaching situation in the university environment, in which undisguised interactions between students and teachers take place and basic teaching skills are practiced naturally.