Learning research from researchers: The profile seminar in Schleswig-Holstein's schools sees science and educators working together in close collaboration

Hendrik Groß & Almut Macke

What can be done to make complex research tangible for students, while, at the same time, enabling them to work independently on scientific topics?

The profile seminar Sensor Science and Medicine, which the IPN developed in close collaboration with the Humboldt School in Kiel and researchers from the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1261 Biomagnetic Sensing at Kiel University, focuses on this question. It not only teaches important skills outside the core subjects, but also creates a dialogue between researchers and students.

The profile seminar, introduced in Schleswig-Holstein in 2021, is intended to give students the opportunity to explore topics outside of the regular curriculum independently and project-based. The framework for the implementation of the profile seminar is deliberately kept open and can be designed individually by each school and teacher from execution to examination. In the seminar, a complex, interdisciplinary topic is deconstructed and developed so that it becomes tangible for the seminar participants. External partners such as scientists or experts can be brought in for the participants’ support, enriching the seminar through workshops, visits to research institutions and industry as well as individual dialogue. The profile seminar takes place over the first two to three semesters of the qualification phase of secondary school, whereby several subject areas can be covered over the course of the phase.

The profile seminar Sensor Science and Medicine was the result of a close collaboration between the IPN, a Collaborative Research Center (CRC) at Kiel University (CAU) and the Humboldt Secondary School in Kiel. After revision, the seminar was held there again this school year. Feedback and requests were incorporated into the revision after the first implementation.

The aim of the profile seminar is to give the seminar participants an insight into the research of the Collaborative Research Center 1261 Biomagnetic Sensing and to establish a dialogue between the CRC researchers and the school. This gives the researchers the opportunity to present their specialist topics to the public and communicate them to specific target groups, while the students gain authentic insights into research and scientific practice. The seminar - starting in the first semester of the qualification phase in year 12 (or 11 in the case of G8) - is divided into several phases: In the first phase, the connection between school and science is established via a film produced by the researchers involved in the CRC. This is followed by a specially developed project day in the Kiel Student Research Center, a school laboratory operated jointly by the CAU and the IPN. The transition to the second phase is seamless, with the methods of research and project work being learned at school. In addition, the CRC provides an additional handout with experiments. The overarching goal of making complex science tangible is the result of close collaboration with researchers and can be set individually depending on the focus of the seminar.

On the project day, the students work independently at four stations to learn the basics of heart function and diagnostics, as well as the basic principles of the magnetoelectric sensors: piezoelectricity and magnetostriction. The former describes the property of a solid body to generate an electrical voltage from deformation; a magnetostrictive material in turn changes its volume under the influence of an external magnetic field.

The interaction of these two properties makes it possible to detect a magnetic field generated by cardiac activity to generate a magnetocardiogram (MEG). In the fourth and final part of the project day, the participants are encouraged to use their knowledge to develop their own sensor and test its abilities at a measuring station. These topics thus tie in with basic concepts from the school subjects of biology, chemistry and physics, but go beyond them in the direction of today's highly relevant research areas.

The project day is followed by the third phase of the seminar which usually presents the most challenging task for the participants: finding a research question and developing their own project on the topic of sensor technology and medicine. This involves not only finding a relevant and interesting question, but also applying and developing skills such as time management, material acquisition, programming and presentation techniques. The evaluation out of the seminar revealed the greatest difficulties in this phase, which is supported by findings from other, school-related research projects.

In the second iteration of the profile seminar, the involvement and support of people with expertise in the field was expanded significantly. Two workshops on sensors with microcontrollers were introduced and carried out in cooperation with the state program Future School in the Digital Age, which took place directly in the school. During and after the workshop, experts were available to answer the students’ technical questions and give individual advice. In addition, a four-member panel of researchers from the CRC was appointed to tutor the students on the development of their research question and to provide the teacher with a second opinion on the technical evaluation of the project results. The participants were also given the opportunity to visit Kiel University’ Faculty of Engineering for insights and inspiration.

At the end of the semester, the profile seminar produced a plethora of project ideas and results, which were presented in the fifth and final phase before the students, expert panel and teacher. The research questions covered a wide range of medical and sensory topics such as hearing protection, care for the elderly, ergonomics in everyday life, personal protective equipment and aids for people with disabilities. For example, a hat equipped with a distance sensor was developed, which would warn its wearer of a collision within three meters by means of an acoustic signal. The technology was to be used both to support blind people and to be implemented in helmets for firefighters who have to find their way in poor visibility conditions.

The profile seminar will also be developed further in the future. Many students found it difficult to contact the experts from Kiel University and the IPN with questions, despite the offer. In many cases, it was also noted that finding a research question, time management and practical project work proved to be much more difficult than anticipated. Feedback will therefore be incorporated again for the third iteration of the profile seminar and a second day in the Kiel Student Research Center will be integrated - allowing students to receive support in constructing their early prototypes. The distance to the expert group could also be reduced further. A questionnaire study on project-oriented research-based learning will be used to scientifically monitor further developments.

All participants found the personal interaction very valuable. Thanks to the direct dialogue and extracurricular events, the seminar participants gained important insights and could test their own experiences. From the teacher's point of view, the students' independent familiarization with the seminar topic provided a new focus that enabled increased development of self-organization and methodological skills.

About the authors:

Dr.-Ing. Hendrik Groß is a research scientist in the Department of Chemistry Education at the IPN and works in the subproject Public Outreach and Education (SOP) of the Collaborative Research Center 1261 Biomagnetic Sensing. As a materials scientist, he worked in specialist research and electron microscopy for five years and since 2022 has devoted himself to the challenge of sparking curiosity and enthusiasm for materials and technology among a wide range of groups of people.

Almut Macke teaches German, biology and STEM subjects and has been working at the Humboldt School in Kiel for ten years as a teacher, biology teacher and training teacher for trainee teachers. She believes it is important to teach students skills that promote study skills and to integrate current research aspects into lessons during their time at school.