Completed Research Projects
Educational Sciences
Begabungsförderung als Kinderrecht im Kontext von Diversität
Researched in cooperation with the Teacher Training Colleges in Salzburg, Styria and Vienna, the University College of Christian Churches of Teacher Education in Vienna/Krems as well as the BZBFI (Educational Center for the Promotion of Talent and Individualisation), the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research) and the ÖZB (Austrian Journal for Vocational Training), this project by the University of Vienna supports teaching at schools that understand talent as a repertoire of abilities, dispositions and potential that needs to be encouraged. For this purpose, lessons are recorded at the school location, guideline interviews are conducted with the school management and teachers involved, and group discussions are being held with the learners. As a result, an attempt is made to use the data obtained to develop beneficial or hindering factors in the promotion of talent and interests in the context of diversity. Furthermore the resulats are beeing made available to the (participating) schools as well as interested actors and representatives of the education system as possible development impulses.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Ilse Schrittesser |
| Project duration | 2015 – 2017/18 |
COMPASS - Cooperative Design Spaces for Next Generation Internet-of-Things Solutions
The Internet of Things (IoT) is driven by technological opportunism characterized by ubiquitous connectivity, making creating meaningful technology for humans a major challenge. While some applications are successful in creating value for people, businesses and society, others are a reminder that not everything that is possible should be realized. COMPASS aims to develop a guiding compass for the manifold opportunities opened up by the IoT, to ensure the development of innovative applications that are valuable, meaningful, empowering and trustworthy, maximize their utility and reflect responsible innovation. The result is a tool that supports companies in the development of value-based technology and policy-makers in the drafting of corresponding legal frameworks, and that helps researchers to identify knowledge gaps and define future agendas accordingly. The IoT as part of the Next Generation Internet (NGI) is particularly relevant, since the opportunities and problems of today's Internet are further amplified by the growing spread and widespread availability of IoT systems.
Concrete outcomes include studies on a) creating spaces for public discourse to shape the future of IoT as part of the NGI for people; b) support for companies to further develop their innovation processes in the IoT area in a responsible and people-oriented way; c) embedding responsible innovation in the education of future technology developers, and d) supporting policy makers in defining legal and regulatory frameworks for shaping the future IoT landscape.
Scientific Project Team (University of Vienna):
Univ.-Prof. Fares Kayali (Centre for Teacher Education), Univ.-Prof. Peter Reichl (Faculty of Computer Science), Univ.-Prof. Karl Anton Fröschl (Faculty of Computer Science)
Partner Institutions:
AIT, Austrian Institute of Technology (Project Management) TU Wien, Human Computer Interaction Group Research Institute AG & Co KG Österreichische Computer Gesellschaft.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. tech. Fares Kayali |
| Project duration | 02/2018 – 02/2019 |
Further Information
ENGAGE STUDENTS: Promoting social responsibility of students by embedding service learning within HEIs curricula
The Service Learning Approach is a teaching and learning method in which students come together with partners from practice, from their city, neighborhood or surrounding companies to conduct research together or to offer or improve services. With Service Learning, students react to a need for research from practice and, with such experience, acquire different skills than in theory-based courses (e.g. problem-solving skills, sense of responsibility).
How the Service Learning Approach differs from other teaching methods such as project-based learning, civic engagement or action research is part of the three-year ENGAGE STUDENTS project.
The project is working on the following outcomes:
- Methodology of the Service Learning Approach
- A textbook and additional material for teachers regarding the Service Learning Approach
- A practical project with students on Service Learning (including a study report)
The project represents an important contribution to an area relevant to the studies in the Development Plan 2025 of the University of Vienna (p. 39, p. 56, p. 57): building competence in Service Learning at the University of Vienna.
As part of the project, a staff training week on the Service Learning Approach will take place at the University of Vienna (probably in January 2020).
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Ilse Schrittesser, Dr. Katharina Resch |
| Project duration | 10/2018 – 09/2021 |
Further information
European Student Engagement Project STEP
The STEP project deals with the topic of “learning through engagement” and the possibilities of formal or non-formal recognition of student experiences in this area.
With the help of a quantitative study in 7 countries, the project participants want to measure whether there is a correlation between the recognition of "learning through engagement" and the level of engagement. Furthermore, it is examined whether the formal or non-formal recognition of student experiences in this area by the universities proves to be useful. In an interview study with students, they are asked how they would describe their experiences with volunteering.
The project also investigates the practice-oriented question of what steps universities could take to generate credit and formal recognition in the area of "learning through engagement".
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Ilse Schrittesser, Dr. Katharina Resch |
| Project duration | 09/2018 –08/2021 |
Further information
Learn to proGrAME – Learning to code through video game development
Learn to proGrAME – Learning to code through video game development
The basic idea behind this project is that pupils explore their learning of a programming language in the setting of video game development. In this endeavour, they can gain knowledge through processes that are no longer genuinely accessible to the researchers who are already able to code (or that are not accessible at all to researchers who do not plan to learn a programming language). In the course of this learning process, students move beyond their roles of traditional learners and actively reflect and exchange experiences about their learning. Through this reflection and exchange with the other participants, the students contribute to the generation of new knowledge.
The lead research question of the project is "Under which circumstances can the development of video games improve the learning of programming?"
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Ilse Schrittesser |
| Project duration | 08/2017 –07/2019 |
Further information
LERNEN verstehen - UNTERRICHT gestalten
Creation of a handout for teachers according to the current state of research in teaching and teaching research regarding the contribution of teaching to successful learning processes and the resulting possibilities for designing learning.
The handout is intended to clarify existing everyday conceptions and misconceptions about learning in a school context; shed light on connections between learning processes and lesson design; demonstrate through examples how fruitful moments of learning become visible and how lessons can be designed in such a way that stimulating learning opportunities open up, based on a reflected understanding of learning and the teacher’s orientation to the knowledge and skills of the students.
In terms of the professionalization continuum in the teaching profession, the pedagogical basics of learning are broken down, implications for didactic thinking and action are discussed and suggestions are made for their use in the classroom.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Ilse Schrittesser, Dr. Julia Köhler |
| Project duration | 06/2017 –11/2018 |
Further information
Neurodivergenz und Spiel
In a collaboration between the University of Vienna and the KU Leuven, we are currently working on a project in which we are investigating the digital play preferences of children and young people who perceive their environment differently or learn differently. In participating game sessions and participatory design workshops, we want to find out together what needs and wishes they have towards existing digital games and what alternative games could look like. In a series of meetings we will talk about the children's and young people's favorite games, which games they would like to play but cannot, review age-appropriate games and brainstorm ideas for better games. The project allows young people to explore and express their interests and to implement them creatively.
Cooperation Partner:
- Catholic University Leuven
| Contact | Dr. tech. Katta Spiel |
| Project duration | 5/2019 - 4/2020 |
Further information
Pädagogischer Umgang mit Ungewissheit
The study at hand deals with teachers, but also with teacher education in times of social upheaval. The study is primarily interested in describing what it means for teachers to deal with increasing uncertainties in their everyday school life, which result from movements and changes in society as a whole. Particular attention is paid to current challenges in the pedagogical handling of migration-related diversity in schools. In practice, the question often arises as to how, as an educator, one recognizes, allows and accepts differences without falling into deadlocked “we” and “you” categories. It's about concepts that make new answers possible and about perspectives that enable us to bear the inevitable tension of dealing with uncertainty in a positive and productive way.
The study builds on a rich pool of interviews with teachers about their practice, collected over the years together with student teachers. With a critical attitude towards the dominance of evidence- and competence-based teacher education, the analysis pursues a central question: Which language and which vocabulary is used to teach about being, doing and becoming a teacher under the conditions of social change speak? This is about the terms and concepts we use when we talk about being and becoming a teacher. Words and concepts cannot change everything, but they determine to a large extent what can be said and done - if we have the words for it - and what cannot be said and done because we cannot name what we lack.
Derived from the results of the study, the project also aims to outline a didactic concept for research-based courses in teacher training courses and thus make a contribution to university didactics as part of mass university studies.
| Contact | Dr. Neda Forghani-Arani |
| Project duration | 10/2017 –02/2019 |
Further information
Potential of transformative learning theory for teachers' professional development (IMPULSE Iran – Austria)
The leading question of this research project is why teachers’ professional development and in-service training programs often do not make an effective change in the current situation of teachers' actions in classrooms and their personal practical knowledge and, finally, which methods for teachers’ professional development could be effective to make a sustainable improvement.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Ilse Schrittesser |
| Project duration | 12/2018 –09/2021 |
Further information
Pre/Post-Self-Assessment (PPSA)
In close cooperation with the admission procedure of the University of Vienna and in cooperation with the University of Salzburg and the University College of Christian Churches of Teacher Education Vienna/Krems, a multi-stage self-assessment is being developed and scientifically supported at the center as part of the third-party funded project Pre/Post-Self-Assessment (PPSA).
| Contact | |
| Project duration | Jänner 2014 - Dezember 2017 |
Project Tempus - Continuing Training and Education for Educators and Education Managers in Diversity
Universities of several EU states (Hildesheim, Bremen, Vienna, Helsinki, Rome), Russia, Ukraine and Belarus participated in this international EU project. The main objective of the Tempus project was to enforce cross-border networking and the international orientation of education and training courses in the areas of diversity education and diversity management to bring together best practice examples from educational institutions.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Eva Vetter |
| Project duration | December 2013 - November 2016 |
Further information
SOLVINC – Solving intercultural conflicts with international students
In the context of globalization, international student mobility is becoming increasingly important for the European higher education sector. Completing a semester abroad presents students with challenges and at the same time promotes positive experiences with language, culture and intercultural skills. The challenges include the distance to one's own social network and a lack of support systems during the semester abroad. Foreign students at universities often experience a "culture shock".
Universities can respond to such challenges with offers that can be summarized under the title "internationalization at home" and actively promote intercultural dialogue and exchange. The SOLVINC project makes a contribution to this.
The following products are developed in the project:
- A collection of so-called "critical incidents" / experiences of culture shock from the perspective of students
- A Reader on the topic student diversity
- Material for teachers
In January 2019, all project members will learn about the culture shock / "critical incidents" approach at a Staff Training Week in Paris. The project concludes with a final conference in Poland on the subject of student diversity (probably in September 2020).
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Susanne Schwab, Dr. Katharina Resch |
| Project duration | 11/2018 –10/2020 |
Further information
Sparkling Instruments - Digitale Musikinstrumente zur Förderung des Interesses an MINT Fächern
By engaging with building and playing digital musical instruments, kids will get excited about MINT subjects as well. While they create a sound-generating device and thus a digital instrument from electronic components, they acquire knowledge from mathematics, physics and computer science in a playful and exploratory way. These learning effects are presented in detail in an accompanying study.
Three groups of students, one of them all girls, tried out existing instruments and music games. The students then built their own musical instruments in a series of workshops. The students got to know electronic components, soldered them onto a circuit board specially developed for the project and made their own housing with a 3D printer.
In a final public performance developed by the students, these instruments were presented to the school community and the public. After the school year, a total of 20 individual digital musical instruments with different sounds were created, all of which can be played in different ways. In addition to the public school performances, a hackday was organized at the Waves Music Festival 2018 in Vienna to get a broader group of children and young people enthusiastic about music technology in a publicly accessible way.
Project Management:
Univ.-Prof. Fares Kayali (Centre for Teacher Education)
Scientific Project Team:
DI Naemi Luckner (Centre for Teacher Education) Mag. Vera Schwarz (Centre for Teacher Education) Matthias Steinböck, MSc, BSc (Centre for Teacher Education) Dr. Oliver Hödl (Faculty of Computer Science) Univ.-Prof. Peter Reichl (Faculty of Computer Science)
Partner Schools:
G11 Geringergasse http://www.g11.ac.at
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Fares Kayali |
| Project duration | 07/2017 –12/2019 |
Further information
Student DCE - Students as Digital Civic Engagers
Higher education institutions contribute to the promotion of student civic engagement by enabling students to participate in extracurricular activities (such as working in a student association) or in curricular learning opportunities (such as offering a service within the framework of service learning). Digital tools expand the spectrum for civic engagement. Through the creative application of digital technology, not only can socially relevant problems be dealt with, but new areas of social commitment can be opened up.
The aim of the project is to equip students with the necessary skills so that they become self-confident "Civic Engagers" who use digital technology in the best possible way for civic engagement.
The following products are being developed for this purpose in the project:
- A handbook on digital civic engagement in higher education
- A toolbox to promote digital civic engagement by students
- A toolkit for implementing digital civic engagement in the university curriculum including OERs (Open Educational Resources)
- Creation of an online course based on MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) to develop digital skills of students in the context of civic engagement
| Contact | Dr. Katharina Resch, Sabine Freudhofmayer BA MA |
| Project duration | 09/2020 – 08/2022 |
Further information
Inclusive Education
eCrisis
The last decade of European history has been characterised by serious societal challenges and conflicts which occur as emergent by-products of economic recession, social structure instabilities, and most recently, the refugee crisis. An increasing number of citizens in Europe are still nowadays culturally, socially, and educationally excluded. The vision of a healthy and stable socioeconomic structure which brings together people from diverse ethnical backgrounds, societal values, religions and cultures under a European umbrella of societal justice, inclusion and rapid integration is threatened by the current situation.
The 3-year eCrisis project aims to enable inclusive education through playful and game-based learning and, thereby, foster the development of social, civic and intercultural competences such as conflict resolution, creative thinking, and reflective debate in primary and secondary education students.
| Contact | |
| Project duration | 9/2016 –8/2019 |
Further information
INEDIS - Inclusion in Education for Persons with Disabilities
The overall objective of INEDIS is to strengthen capacity building at higher education institutions (HEI) to facilitate inclusive education for students with disabilities at university level and strengthen the ability of HEI to contribute to inclusive community and school development with a special focus on the intersection of gender and disability. INEDIS addresses necessities for capacity building in three areas:
- Strengthening the capacities of HEIs and employing institutions by empowering students with disabilities at universities and by further developing research and teaching capacities on disability and inclusion at high levels of scientific excellence. Addis Ababa University leads the development of an evidence-based training for HEI staff that will enable universities to better support students with disabilities in higher education.
- Fostering knowledge development and competencies to facilitate research and teaching with respect to gender and disability and developing direct measures to empower female students with disabilities in education and the labor market. The University of Gondar conducts a participatory research study on challenges for women with disabilities in higher education and secondary schools. Findings will be included in the training developed by Addis Ababa University and inform the development of support structures, e.g. at disability centers.
- Enhancing knowledge, skills and competencies of academic staff to research and teach issues of community and school development and strengthen university community services to support inclusive development. A participatory research study implemented by Dilla University focusses on views, practices and prospects at community and school level and provides the basis for a university training on inclusive community development for community workers. Additionally, a resource center for persons with disabilities, families, community workers, teachers and other stakeholders will be set up at Dilla University.
A special emphasis is given to capacity building of research, teaching and management skills as well as exchange of research findings and knowledge within the consortium. The University of Vienna will contribute to and support the design and implementation of participatory research studies, the development of training curricula and materials, the publication of research results, and the management of the project. Additionally, co-teaching and participation in international conference visits will further develop dissemination skills at high level of scientific excellence.
| Contact | |
| Project duration | 3/2017 –8/2020 |
Further information
Zertifikatskurs für Lehrkräfte mit Fluchthintergrund
The research project "Bildungswissenschaftliche Grundlagen für Lehrkräfte mit Fluchthintergrund" deals with the recording of (training) educational backgrounds and the current needs of teachers with a refugee background. From the results of the survey, the team led by Michelle Proyer, head of the project at the University of Vienna, developed a concrete practice-oriented pilot measure in the form of a certificate course. Selected participants are qualified to start their careers as teachers at secondary level in Austria. The course, which was specially developed for refugee teachers, is held over two semesters in cooperation with the Vienna School Board, the AMS Lower Austria and the AMS Vienna. The certificate course is financed by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA). The language of instruction is German. The participants complete the course with a certificate.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Dr. Eva Vetter, Mag. Maria Antoinette Goldberger |
| Project duration | 2/2017 –7/2019 |
Further information
Didactics of civic and citizenship education
DIGIRES
The project Digital Resistance sees itself as part of the process towards a European concept of digital citizenship and aims to strengthen the digital skills of students and thus enable them to recognize discrimination, indoctrination and fake news (DIF) on the Internet and to develop counter-strategies to promote democratic discourse online.
In the area of digital competences, the project refers to the frameworks of the Council of Europe (Council of Europe 2016: Competences for a democratic culture) and the European Union (European Commission 2017: DigComp 2.1 The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens).
To strengthen these competences, the project consortium is developing a digital handbook that supports teachers in dealing with the topic of DIF on the basis of research-based learning with the students in class. As part of group work, the young people deal with the influence of (social) media on society and politics, question sources and the interests behind them and deepen their media skills. This creates media formats that are collected on an interactive online platform - created and operated by the consortium.
The platform is the starting point for further peer activities, in which the students can pass on their newly acquired knowledge to other students, present their projects and exchange information across countries. In addition, the platform guarantees free access to the developed didactic materials for interested teachers.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dirk Lange |
| Project duration | 06/2018 –10/2019 |
Further information
Language Teaching and Learning Research
BuddySystem
The aim of the international research project "BuddySystem" is to investigate and improve existing structures for receiving and supporting international students at European universities. In particular, the focus is on existing sponsor or buddy systems, which enable the assignment of local students (buddies) to interested international students (incoming students). In the course of the project, a qualitative study on the expectations and possibilities for improvement of this relationship will be carried out at the University of Vienna. It aims at making the competence development on both sides visible.
Further information about the BuddySystem project.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Dr. Eva Vetter, MMag. Susanne Lesk |
| Project duration | 09/2017 –05/2020 |
Further information
FAME - Facilitating autonomy and motivation through using e-tandems in foreign language teaching at school (Sparkling Science Project)
FAME allows pupils to work in e-tandems in foreign language lessons, develop exercises themselves in teams, document them and reflect on their feedback behaviour together with their tandem partners. The aim of this project is to achieve greater autonomy and motivation among learners.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Eva Vetter |
| Project duration | October 2014 - September 2016 |
Further information
Social Erasmus+
The SocialErasmus+ project is being carried out concurrently under the coordination of ESN International at several European partner universities. The aim is to give Erasmus students the opportunity to get involved in the local society during their exchange visit and to be practically active at local educational institutions.
The project is dedicated to providing Erasmus students with a deeper insight into the educational reality of their host country as well as enhancing and promoting informal learning in an academic context.
More information about the project SocialErasmus+.
| Contact | Univ.-Prof. Dr. Eva Vetter, Mag. Maria Antoinette Goldberger |
| Project duration | 11/2017 –10/2019 |
Further information
Austrian Educational Competence Centres
Cross Age Peer Tutoring in Physics
Older students explain recent physics concepts: Previous research has shown that tutors benefit from cross-age peer tutoring in the fields of electricity and optics. This project examines whether this finding applies to other learning areas and other age groups as well.
| Contact | |
| Project duration | January 2013 - August 2015 |
Further information
Mascil: Mathematics and Science for Life
Mascil is an international project that has received funding from the Seventh Framework Programme of the EU and brings together 18 partners in 13 countries. These partners include experts in STEM education, general education, and e-learning, as well as journalists.
The project aims to promote research-based learning in primary and secondary schools. In particular, it aims at linking education in the STEM subjects with the world of work.
| Contact | Ass.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Suzanne Kapelari, MA |
| Project duration | 2013 - 2016 |
Further information
PARRISE: Promoting Attainment of Responsible Research & Innovation in Science Education
PARRISE is a multidisciplinary consortium involving 18 institutes from 11 countries. The members of the consortium have expert knowledge in the context of Inquiry-Based Science Education (BSE) and Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI). The focus is on an EU objective: Citizens should be empowered to participate in research and development processes. PARRISE starts with school education and combines two approaches that are widespread in European schools to form a new integrative concept: Socio-Scientific Inquiry-Based Learning (SSIBL). For this purpose, existing good practice examples are collected and exchanged in order to develop new materials that can be used in the classroom. The aim is to support teachers and teacher trainers in integrating socially relevant problems into research-based learning and to promote their networking activities.
| Contact | Mag. Christine Heidinger |
| Project duration | 2013 - 2017 |
Further information
TEMI: Teaching Enquiry with Mysteries Incorporated
TEMI is an international teacher education project involving 13 institutions from 11 countries. The project develops research-based training programmes for teachers in which they learn how to teach content based on mysterious and emotionally engaging phenomena and research-based learning. Through so-called "mysteries", teachers should foster a deep motivation to learn about science. TEMI sets out to gradually push students toward becoming confident enquirers.
| Contact | Dr. Simone Abels |
| Project duration | February 2013 - August 2016 |