digiMINT: Digital Learning Lab

Next year, the Digital Learning Lab (DLL) will be available to student teachers at KIT. The Digital Learning Lab consists of a real and a virtual learning environment, in which students can get to know the application areas of different technologies and test them independently. They can then apply the knowledge gained directly to their own teaching in the schools. On 17.04. the DLL starts for the students.

In the real learning space of the DLL, the student teachers can create their own projects, seminar papers and teaching materials alone or in groups at a total of five mobile stations. Through this station-based focus on specific topics at different levels, student teachers can delve into content areas based entirely on their own needs, knowledge, and interests.

The room is currently located in the Pfinzgau Seminar Room, in Building 08.03 of the ZML/Language Center. In perspective, the physical space will be transferred to the newly constructed InformatiKOM building around 2024.

Station 1: Video Production
Videos have been a part of teaching-learning settings for decades. In order to not only have to resort to offered and available content, prospective teachers should be equipped with comprehensive methods and techniques as well as current equipment to generate high-quality, pedagogically meaningful and technically correct (cf. TPACK model) videos profitably for their own lessons. At the same time, experienced teachers have the opportunity to apply the techniques to learners and to guide and support them in video production. Here, the station pursues the dual goal of designing the available learning and practical offerings both for the high-quality devices provided by the project and for various BYOD solutions.
Station 2: Creativity
On the one hand, this station deals with the question of how creativity arises and introduces various methods for this purpose (e.g. idea garden, mind map, visualizations, design thinking, etc.). But also the active creative production should be stimulated and enabled via 3D printing and construction or variation. In addition to an active whiteboard, on which sketches can also be planned together, the station offers far-reaching possibilities to create podcasts alone or together. The various possibilities and functional scopes of H5P are also covered here.
Station 3: Collaboration
This station focuses on various possibilities for collaborative work. Especially in the field of education, the topic of OER should be dealt with more strongly in order to be able to benefit from and participate in existing free ideas and works in later pedagogical practice. The topic "Hybrid Teaching" is also located at the station with different devices and variations. In addition, the handling of server- and software-based collaboration possibilities is to be enabled by setting up and working with LMS, CMS and KanBan systems.
Station 4: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
In addition to the possibility of experiencing "state of the art" VR content through current VR headsets, this station is oriented to the focus area "Content Création" and teaches, at different levels, ways to generate your own VR and AR experiences. For example, simple 360° tours can also be used in conjunction with smartphones to create a certain VR experience, or virtual escaperooms or AR content can be created with the CoSpaces software using a simple modular system.
Station 5: Internet of Things
Before this station deals with the networking and communication between objects, which is largely made possible by sensors and microcontrollers, the topic can also be experienced in a more low-threshold way. For example, the classic communication to a computer can be changed with the Makey-Makey-Board even without programming knowledge. For more experienced visitors, the station offers opportunities to tackle everyday problems with IoT solutions.

In addition to the real room, students also have access to a virtual ILIAS learning room. Those who do not yet have their own project will find concrete assignments and required equipment lists here. In addition, students receive general information, further links and recommended documents for further education. Self-learning offerings on various topics provide students with certain basic knowledge and skills. For example: What is all important when I want to write a screenplay? In addition, the course is intended to serve as a booking platform for the room, the equipment and as an intermediary for collaboration.

The goal of the DLL is not to train students as media experts or to train them to design their future lessons as digitally as possible. Rather, they should be given suggestions and opportunities to try out, design and reflect on target group-oriented, practical and future-oriented media education in low-threshold offerings that show them perspectives on how to authentically and profitably supplement their own teaching style with digital elements.

The Digital Learning Lab is part of the digiMINT project.