Biology and Geography

Research in Biology Education (Professors Angela Sandmann and Philipp Schmiemann) centres on the concept of worked examples in continuation of the interdisciplinary DFG ­Research Unit and “Teaching and Learning of Science” (NWU) Research Training Group. ­Results relating to the effects of cooperation, prompts and contexts on student learning are expected to be useful in improving individualised learning in schools. The group is also involved in the project “GanzIn – All-Day Schools for a Brighter Future. The New All-Day Secondary School in NRW”, which is taking place in cooperation with three universities from the Ruhr region (Ruhr-University Bochum, University of Duisburg-Essen, TU Dortmund University) and the Ministry of Education in North Rhine-Westphalia. Its ­focus lies on the long-term development of students’ competencies and scientific inquiry skills when learning with worked examples. ­Designing a knowledge test for new biology ­students is part of the “Bildungsgerechtigkeit im Fokus” (Focus on Educational Equality) project of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. In collaboration with research teams led by ­Bernd Sures (Aquatic Ecology) and Michael ­Ehrmann ­(Microbiology II) and the University’s mentoring programme, a blended learning programme is being developed to help students make the transition from school to higher education.
With the appointment of Professor Philipp Schmiemann to the second professorship in ­Biology Education, research into learning tasks is being intensified and research into assessment and test item development extended. His team also conducts studies on the use of media in biology teaching.