Thank you for the tremendous energy you‘ve put into our exciting projects throughout the year. May the festive season rejuvenate you with equal
vigour. Enjoy your well-deserved break! We look forward to seeing you all again in 2024, refreshed and ready for new endeavours.
gesetzt werden.
Tjark Müller's successful defence of his doctoral thesis provides scientific confirmation of an observation that many of us may have made in our personal lives: The optimal seat for a game night is the one that offers a direct view of the board. Things get difficult if you find yourself peering around corners or, worse, staring at an upside-down board.
In his doctoral thesis, Tjark Müller focused on the mental rotation of data visualisations. Specifically, he examined the presentation of diagrams on multi-touch tables, a setting in which multiple people often view an illustration from different angles at the same time. Confirming expectations, a series of studies showed that mentally rotating an inverted image – known as mental normalisation – placed an additional cognitive burden on participants.
A key finding was that when diagram labels and content were rotated separately, the labels emerged as a critical factor contributing to this cognitive load. Highlighting the practical implications, Tjark Müller said: "This is an important point to keep in mind when designing data visualisations and applications for multi-touch tables." In his current role as a software engineer in the Media Development division at the IWM, he is able to apply these findings to improve his daily work.
After almost 16 years at the IWM, Prof. Dr. Kai Sassenberg, head of the Social Processes lab, was formally bid farewell at the beginning of December. He has embarked on a new chapter in his career, taking up the post of director at the Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID) in Trier in October. In doing so, he responded to a call from the University of Trier, which included the directorship of the Institute.
"With his focus on social psychological approaches, Kai Sassenberg has significantly enriched the profile of the IWM and added an important dimension to its research activities. His research on health communication, leadership and, more recently, fake news and conspiracy theories has received widespread attention and recognition. I am very happy for him that he will be the director of ZPID in the future, and we will continue to be colleagues within the Leibniz Association," said Ulrike Cress, congratulating the former lab head.
Robert Polgar also thanked Sassenberg for his commitment over the years. "Kai Sassenberg has held important positions within the IWM, including chairing the PhD Committee and leading the MAI network. We wish him every success in his new position," said the Administrative Director.
Despite Sassenberg’s departure, ongoing projects within the Social Processes lab will continue as planned - under the interim leadership of Ulrike Cress and the supervision of the deputy lab leader, PD Dr Annika Scholl Pasqualini.
The recently published results of the PISA 2022 study are causing a stir in the media and within the education sector. The academic performance of fifteen-year-olds in Germany has taken a noticeable nosedive in mathematics, reading and science. In all three subjects, there has been a significant decline in competence compared to the last assessment in 2018: a drop of 25 points in maths, 18 points in reading and 11 points in science.
Ulrike Cress, Director of the IWM, puts the PISA results into context and highlights the potential role of digital media in addressing these challenges:
"PISA 2022 shows that we are no longer supporting students effectively. Both high- and low-achieving students are experiencing a significant decline in performance, particularly in key subjects such as maths, reading and science. What we urgently need are teaching strategies that build essential skills in students. Digital media can play a valuable role in this context. However, they should not be used solely for entertainment or distraction, but to provide intellectual challenge and stimulate learning. This requires their precise integration into specific subjects, supported by appropriate tools and targeted teacher training. Let's use PISA as an opportunity to improve teaching!"
Research Hub on Digital Education
The Leibniz Institut für Wissensmedien is actively involved in several projects investigating different aspects of digital education. Ongoing investigations include how students can effectively learn STEM subjects using digital tools, and the potential role of digital technologies in future STEM education. For more details on current digital education projects at the IWM, please visit the regularly updated website: https://forschungshub-digitale-bildung.de
The 12th edition of the Media Day took place on 16 November 2023 and was jointly organised by the Department of Media, Society and Communication at the University of Innsbruck, the Austria Press Agency (APA), the Tiroler Tageszeitung and the ORF. The focus of the event was "AI in Everyday Media".
Credibility is judged differently
In her keynote, Prof. Sonja Utz, head of the IWM Everyday Media lab, looked at the psychological aspects of interacting with AI. In this context, she also addressed the credibility of AI-powered voice assistants. Utz and her team explored how devices like Alexa affect the way we search for and evaluate information. Their findings showed that people generally place more trust in spoken words from voice assistants and text generated by ChatGPT than in information from Wikipedia, even when the content is identical. According to Utz, "It's not just that ChatGPT sometimes hallucinates and provides inaccurate facts; our studies suggest that the format of presentation (in a dialogue) also affects the credibility of the information."
Panel brings together media professionals and AI-experts
During the final panel discussion, the psychologist debated with, among others, the deputy editor-in-chief of the APA, Katharina Schell, and the editor-in-chief of the Tiroler Tageszeitung, Matthias Krapf. The media professionals shared their experiences of AI's supporting role in newsrooms, such as transcribing interviews, and explained that their AI policies prioritise values such as human autonomy and fairness. However, Sonja Utz argued that generative models have a limited role in news production anyway, as they generate text based on probabilities, lack real-time knowledge, and do not conduct background research or interviews. She suggested exploring the grey area where journalists use AI to generate arguments for and against a given issue.
The role of the media is central
A prominent theme of the panel discussion was the critical role of education in navigating AI. Participants stressed the need to quickly grasp the basics of AI, particularly in the context of journalistic coverage of these issues. Maya Pindeus, CEO of Humanising Autonomy, an AI startup, emphasised that the media should play a central role in communicating values and ethical standards in the field of AI.
Dr. Helen Fischer, a member of the Perception and Action lab, has published a study on metacognition in one of the most prestigious interdisciplinary journals, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The highly cited journal has an impact factor of 13 and accepted only 15.6% of the articles submitted in 2021.
In the study, the cognitive psychologist showed that people's willingness to be vaccinated is significantly influenced by their own assessment of what they know. Helen Fischer conducted this research in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. She explains: "We found that people were more willing to get vaccinated if they could accurately assess their own knowledge of the Covid-19 vaccine. Interestingly, this self-assessment proved to be a better predictor of vaccine uptake than participants' general knowledge of Covid."
Helen Fischer's research is part of a series of studies at the IWM focusing on metacognition. These studies highlight the importance of accurately assessing one's own knowledge as a crucial skill to cultivate, as it enables individuals to make informed decisions.
On 10 November, the Future Innovation Space (FIS) was officially unveiled as part of the Science & Innovation Days 2023. Located at the IWM in Tübingen, the FIS serves as an experimental hub and meeting place for future educators. Here, they can explore groundbreaking innovations that are shaping the future of digital education and engage in discussions with experts from the scientific community.
A glimpse into the future of learning
The opening attracted a large number of visitors who wanted to see first-hand how we will use virtual and augmented reality, as well as multi-touch and AI applications, in our future learning experiences.
After an introduction by Prof. Dr. Ulrike Cress, Director of the IWM, the visitors were given an insight into the FIS concept by Prof. Dr. Peter Gerjets, Project Manager of the Future Innovation Space (IWM), and Prof. Dr. Andreas Lachner from the Tübingen Centre for Digital Education (TüCeDE).
Hands-on exploration of future technologies
Visitors were then invited to try out and discuss various stations in the Future Innovation Space with our scientists. Future technologies such as VR glasses, eye tracking, 360-degree video and multi-touch tables were available to explore and were enthusiastically embraced.
For more details, visit the new FIS website: www.future-innovation.space
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Dr. Anne Thillosen, project manager of the IWM practice portal e-teaching.org, has been awarded the title of GMW Fellow by the Gesellschaft für Medien in der Wissenschaft e.V. (GMW). The Fellowship honours individual members for their outstanding contributions to the field of media in science and their dedicated efforts to promote the society. Dr Anne Thillosen, who has been a board member of GMW since 2017 and a member of the editorial board since 2006, was elected in Chemnitz in September 2017 and completed her term on the board this year.
Echo chambers, the spread of fake news, online polarisation: Many of these phenomena that divide our society are scientifically linked to the so-called congeniality bias. This theory suggests that online users tend to consume information that aligns with their existing beliefs - a thesis that has been confirmed many times.
However, when people are asked not what content they want to read, but what they want to respond to, such as in online forums or on X (formerly Twitter), a different pattern emerges: Users actively choose posts that challenge their own opinions. This is the result of a recent series of studies conducted by PD Dr Jürgen Buder and his team.
The deputy head of the IWM’s Perception and Action lab has an interesting explanation for this phenomenon: "We believe that reading opinions that are contrary to one's own triggers a cognitive conflict in online users. Resolving this conflict motivates individuals to engage with the source of the dissenting opinion and to argue against it".
Published under the title "Online Interaction Turns the Congeniality Bias Into an Uncongeniality Bias" in Psychological Science, one of the top journals in psychology, this series of studies has already attracted considerable attention on social media.
On 26 October, Dr. Helen Fischer began her visiting professorship at the Zentrum für Angewandte Kulturwissenschaft (ZAK) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with an inaugural lecture entitled "Knowing what you don't know or: What climate change has to do with psychology". In her talk, the IWM scientist explored the psychological mechanisms behind differing opinions on the politicised issue of climate change.
The aim of the visiting professorships at the ZAK, which are funded by the Quality Pact, is to strengthen the link between science and society. Dr Fischer, who has been a member of the IWM’s Perception and Action lab since 2022, fits in perfectly with the programme's aims. This initiative seeks to stimulate and empirically explore discussions on the role of science, research and knowledge transfer in society. Dr Fischer's research focuses on the role of metacognition – the awareness of one's own knowledge limitations - in shaping beliefs about politically charged scientific issues, such as climate change or COVID-19. Expressing her enthusiasm, Dr Helen Fischer remarked: "I am delighted to be able to contribute to the advancement of research and teaching on the role of science in society".
Have you ever wished you could see through surfaces? This is now possible at the German Maritime Museum (DSM), thanks to the results of a research collaboration involving the IWM. The special exhibition 'SEH-STÜCKE - Maritimes digital entdeckt' now allows visitors to look inside 24 historical artefacts, including a box sextant, elaborately decorated sperm whale teeth and old medicine pills from ship's pharmacies, using state-of-the-art technology.
The exhibition presents key findings from the joint project 'Digital Materialities. Virtual and Analogue Forms of Exhibition' (DigiMat), a collaboration between DSM, the Leibniz Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM) and the MAPEX Centre for Materials and Processes at the University of Bremen. Funded by the Senate Science Committee of the Leibniz Association, the exhibition uses X-ray images, similar to those used in medicine or airport security checks, generated by a 3D X-ray microscope at MAPEX.
Floating digital replicas
As visitors explore the exhibition, the physical exhibits are displayed on the outside wall of an oversized black box. Inside, digital replicas - 3D models - float as holograms in the dark. A dedicated media station offers detailed insights into each exhibit.
"The 'Digimat' project dispels the notion that the original and the virtual are opposites. Materiality and digitality can stimulate learning processes and open up insights that wouldn't be possible with the original object alone or through data visualisation on a screen," says Prof. Dr. Stephan Schwan, head of the IWM’s Realistic Representations research lab.
Differing experiences
For Schwan and his team, understanding the learning processes behind visitors’ engagement with objects and their digital counterparts in a museum setting is particularly fascinating. The three previous experimental exhibitions at the IWM, both on-site and online, presented 3D models of objects using different technologies (video, tablet, Hololens). The researchers studied how this affected visitors’ learning, experience, and behaviour. The research showed that visitors perceived different potentials in the original objects compared to their 3D models. These findings are now being tested in the current DSM exhibition and will inform the design of future exhibits.
For the second year in a row, an IWM researcher has been selected to participate in the Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum in Kyoto, Japan. Prof. Marlit Lindner, head of the Leibniz Research Group on Digitalisation and Education at the IWM, was nominated by Leibniz President Martina Brockmeier and selected by the Forum.
The renowned STS Forum, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, is a global meeting place for influential figures from politics, science and industry who use the platform to discuss the major scientific and technological challenges facing humanity. The highlight of the Forum's Young Leaders Programme is the "Dialogue between Young Leaders and Nobel Laureates".
Reflecting on her experience, Marlit Lindner says: "It is truly inspiring; you get to meet a lot of fascinating people. Interacting with 13 Nobel Laureates was a remarkable experience. Being part of this special conference is something I am very grateful for".
The expanded Obersalzberg Documentation Centre reopened at the end of September. The new permanent exhibition, which is now twice the size of the original, features many multimedia exhibits. At the IWM Media Table, users can digitally deconstruct propaganda images of Hitler taken by his personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann, portraying him as the "People's Leader".
Making knowledge tangible by swiping, zooming, and sliding
By swiping, zooming, and sliding on the multi-touch surface, developed by the Multimodal Interaction lab, visitors can deconstruct and analyse the extensively retouched images of Hitler. Such applications aim to make it easier for users to interact intuitively with complex information. Professor Peter Gerjets' lab is actively working on improving the use of this technology and has been collaborating with the memorial site since 2016 on the project "Obersalzberg from the Visitor's Perspective".
An important learning site
The theme of the memorial, "Idyll and Crime", aims to illustrate the close connection between Obersalzberg and the mass crimes of the Nazi regime. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder, who officially reopened the memorial, said the exhibition "exposes the madness of National Socialism". His colleague, Finance and Interior Minister Albert Füracker, described the exhibition as an important place of learning. During the Nazi era, Obersalzberg became Hitler's retreat and second seat of government. Thousands of forced labourers were involved in the construction of more than six kilometres of bunkers and other facilities. For the first time, several hundred metres of the bunker complex are now open to the public.
At the end of August, Sonja Utz, who heads the Everyday Media lab at the IWM, was invited to speak at the "Ladies Drive – Bar Talks Vol. 72" event, which focused on social media and the question "What does it really do to us? This monthly event is organised by the Swiss women's network "Ladies Drive" and the 72nd edition was held in Zurich.
During the event, Utz, a psychologist who specialises in researching the benefits of professional social media use, shared findings from her long-term study of the effects of news feed algorithms. She emphasised that no medium is inherently good or bad, highlighting the often overlooked advantages of using social media professionally. The panel also included insights from journalist Marc Bodmer and Gisèle Pinck, Deputy Director of the Swiss Radix Health Foundation.
On 19 July, the Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart opened a special exhibition entitled "Museum Special - The Other Wasps". The exhibition not only presents various insects, but also introduces visitors to digital approaches to insect research.
Since the beginning of 2022, the IWM and the State Museum of Natural History have been working together on a project to develop various mixed reality applications. The aim is to give visitors a better understanding of the diversity and evolution of insects. The IWM's Multimodal Interaction lab has developed three digital exhibits for this purpose.
Multimedia Microscopy Table
This interactive table allows visitors to playfully enlarge high-resolution photographs of tiny insects so that they appear human-sized, about 1000 times larger. This allows detailed exploration of the tiny features and often fascinating aesthetics of insects.
Through CT Scans Into the Bodies of Wasps
Using virtual reality stations and data goggles, visitors can virtually explore three-dimensional CT scans of a recently discovered species of wasp. The scans can be greatly magnified and visitors can even virtually walk through the insect's body, literally immersing themselves in the body of another species.
Virtual Tour of the Collection
The third digital station offers a virtual tour of the extensive insect collection, which is not open to the public. About 5000 collection drawers, containing around one million native insects, are virtually stacked on a large movable shelf. Visitors wearing data glasses can get a spatial impression of the huge collection. They can also pull out individual drawers, inspect their contents and discover native insects they may never have seen before.
These digital stations serve a dual purpose as both exhibits and research objects. "We are very curious to see if and how well the media stations are already working to achieve our educational goals," says IWM project manager Prof. Peter Gerjets. Together with Prof. Lars Krogmann, Director of the Natural History Museum, he opened the special exhibition and spoke to invited guests and media representatives about the evolving role of digital media in museums. According to Peter Gerjets, "the opening marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration that will explore innovative, experiential forms of science communication in various exhibition projects. "
"The Other Wasps" will be on display at the Museum am Löwentor until 19 November 2023.
The University of Tübingen, in collaboration with a consortium of renowned partners including the IWM (Institut für Wissensmedien), is set to become part of a new competence centre dedicated to researching and advancing the use of new technologies in the MINT subjects (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Technology). The joint initiative has received €7.5 million in funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) over a period of 2.5 years.
"MINT-ProNeD" aims to create a nationwide, interdisciplinary network to improve the knowledge and skills of MINT educators. Within this network, a "Future Innovation Hub" will be established, drawing on the expertise of the IWM. This hub will serve as an experimental and testing ground for aspiring educators, granting them access to cutting-edge technologies and ground-breaking innovations that are shaping the future of digital education.
Furthermore, the IWM will actively contribute to the "Translation and Dissemination" cluster of the "MINT-ProNeD" project, facilitating the transfer of research findings and innovative practices into real-world educational settings.
With a study on citizen science, Hannah Greving and her colleagues from the WTimpact project were successful in the journal BioScience. The journal ranks 2nd out of 94 in the Web of Science within Biology. Publishing in such a prestigious and widely read journal in the community has a positive impact on the visibility and potential impact of such an important topic: "In the study, we investigated the impact of citizen science attitudes on project outcomes such as pride, motivation, or enthusiasm about wildlife," describes the project leader.
In early 2023, Professor Dr Nicole Krämer became a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the IWM, replacing Professor Dr med. Martin Fischer, whose four-year term has come to an end. Nicole Krämer is Professor of Social Psychology, Media, and Communication at the University of Duisburg-Essen and Founding Director of the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security.
IWM Director Prof. Dr Ulrike Cress expressed her excitement about the new addition: “We are delighted that Nicole Krämer has joined our Advisory Board. She is a renowned expert in the field of human-computer interaction. As the importance of collaboration between humans and artificial agents continues to grow, important questions arise regarding the optimal design of hybrid collaborations and privacy protection. Nicole Krämer’s expertise will contribute significantly to our understanding of this evolving field.”
In a significant move towards advancing digital education, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has committed €30 million to support “Competence Centres for Digital and Digitally Supported Teaching in Schools and Further Education” over the next three and a half years. Taking the lead in coordinating these centres and overseeing the associated research and communication is a cross-regional consortium to which the IWM contributes its expertise in the field of science communication. The central coordination hub for the BMBF competence centres is headed by former IWM scientist Prof. Dr Katharina Scheiter at the University of Potsdam.
Nationwide, 60 experts in educational science, subject didactics, computer science, information technology and media management will be involved in this initiative. Three of these experts are based at the IWM as part of the Wisskomm sub-project, and a further five will join as part of the competence centres.
At present, the IWM researchers have assumed responsibility for the implementation and editorial oversight of the so-called “Zukunftsraum” (future space) on the project’s forthcoming online platform. This platform aims to present innovative research in educational psychology in a way that stimulates interest in technological developments and highlights their potential in the use of digital media for educational purposes. Online events are part of the IWM team’s Wisskomm concept, which draws on the expertise of the e-teaching.org online portal. Launched in 2003, this platform provides up to 10,000 daily visitors with scientifically grounded insights and practical guidance on incorporating digital media into higher education teaching.
Numerous partners are joining forces with the IWM, including the University of Tübingen, the University of Wuppertal, the Technical Universities of Dortmund and Munich, and the Universities of Duisburg-Essen and Kassel. In addition, prominent non-university partners, such as the DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, the German Institute for Adult Education - Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning, and the IPN - Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, will contribute their valuable insights and expertise to the project.
On 18 January 2023, Salome Flegr successfully defended her doctoral thesis on the meaningful integration of real and virtual experiments in physics education. The practice-based dissertation, which was written as part of a collaboration between the IWM and the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, was awarded the highest distinction, Summa cum Laude.
In her dissertation, the former PhD student in the Multiple Representations Lab investigated the extent to which combining real and virtual experiments in physics education can enhance learning and improve students’ conceptual understanding of the content. To achieve this, she conducted a total of four studies. The results of her research were not only published in scientific journals but also disseminated through several articles aimed at practitioners, including a contribution to the LEAD-Schule-Blog (German only).
