Background
Didactical Background
The idea for the project Research Models has been transferred from the ongoing dissertation project of Daria Paul (Mentor: Prof. Dr. Gabi Reinmann) and has been implemented in the present form in the frame of a cooperation of the Hamburg Center for University Teaching and Learning (HUL) with the ISA-Center . It is part of a more comprehensive concept, which includes further didactical materials. The concept has been particularly developed in order to support researching students – irrespective of their education background and preexisting experiences – in developing a researching attitude and an enculturation in science.
Research models are used in this concept in order to achieve two goals:
- To address typical challenges occurring during your research and to show starting points for your own functional strategies. This is accompanied by materials which support the research-related self-efficacy expectation of the students, so that they will understand the high level of self-rule when researching is not a demotivator but a free space to unfold adequate strategies for solutions even though they are novices.
- To initiate research related processes of identification. As the development of a researching attitude is closely related to an enculturation into science, the educational background plays a role for the concept: A relevant part of the students, with whom teachers practice explorative learning and whom they mentor in the frame of final theses, seldomly has access to role models with personal research experience and are less likely to have social resources, who can share their practical knowledge, when they are making their first research experiences. The concept considers this starting position by giving action and role models with different experiences in research and divers educational biographies a chance to have their say in the materials. Thus, all students can profit from the passing on of experiences made by well-advanced researchers in their first research experiences. Additionally, these contents will become understandable and accessible as role models to all researching students.
Materials and contact
So far, the concept of research role models has been used in different contexts:
- as part of a reflecting survey aiming at the construction of meaning for researching students ("ForschSinn"),
- as part of a kickoff-workshops at the beginning of a lecture on explorative learning,
- embedded in a digital learning room in OpenOLAT supporting the student research groups
In the future, the materials will be used as OER (open educational resource) by teachers and tutors in all situations in which students will make their first research experiences – for example when practicing explorative learning and for project- and qualification work.
If you have any questions and for more detailed information please contact: daria.paul@uni-hamburg.de