University teaching and school education linked
New teaching/learning format gave primary school classes and student teachers space for practical experience at the Chemnitz Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
As part of one of their courses, students on the primary school teaching degree programme specialising in business, technology, home economics and social studies passed on their specialist knowledge of metals to pupils in a primary school class for the first time. The prospective teachers independently planned and organised a work placement for the pupils. They divided the 31 participating children into five groups and led them one after the other to five experimental stations, each of which was supervised by two student teachers and merely supported by IWW employees. The pupils learnt, for example, that metals can be as liquid as water if they are made hot enough, and used this knowledge to cast small pewter figures. They explored the structure of metals under an optical microscope and learnt that metals often rust and therefore need to be protected against corrosion. Many of the pupils were impressed by the tensile test, in which they were able to tear aluminium and steel apart with combined force. Finally, they learnt about the relationship between hardness and wear resistance. „Our classes were really enthusiastic. The dual nature of the teaching-learning concept that was attempted worked. On the one hand, pupils of primary school age learnt about materials science work at a research facility, and on the other hand, the primary school teaching students gained their first teaching experience at an early stage and were able to pass on the knowledge they had acquired in the course. The new teaching-learning concept will also be incorporated into the institute's teaching portfolio in the future.
Central press release:
https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/tu/pressestelle/aktuell/9277
Picture
There was a big crowd at the light microscopes, where the pupils were able to look inside metals for the first time
7.2.2019 – Teaching at the professorship ( thomas.grund@mb… )
