Typical starting point and objective

The minimal form is suitable for clearly defined subject areas, individual research results or experimental approaches for which subject-specific and, if applicable, subject-specific didactic preparatory work is already available. It can be used, for example, if a specialised working group has a descriptive effect, a suitable model reaction or an innovative procedure and the first step is to check whether it can be used to create a viable educational offer.

Typical target products are a single student experiment, a demonstration experiment, a material module for an existing teaching sequence or an initial prototype for the student experiment. The transfer requirement is deliberately limited: The initial aim is to examine the basic suitability of the subject matter and to develop a technically sound, practically functioning implementation.

Section I: Didactic foundation

In the minimum form, it should first be clarified which technical message is to be conveyed. The breadth of the subject area is deliberately reduced for this purpose. The focus is on a few core concepts that are essential for understanding the selected subject matter. A complete reconstruction of the entire field of research is not necessary.

Ideally, the technical clarification is carried out in exchange with specialised experts, if necessary on the basis of primary literature. In particular, the central principles of action, the limits of the modelling and the parameters relevant to the experiment should be clarified. In addition, a review of curricular connection points is necessary: The new context should not merely appear as additional knowledge, but should be linked to existing basic concepts, content areas or areas of expertise.

Own empirical studies on student or teacher perspectives are not absolutely necessary in the minimum form. They can be omitted if literature, preliminary surveys, plausible didactic starting points or empirical knowledge are already available. However, a well-founded assessment of possible obstacles to understanding and practical barriers remains useful.

Section II: Development and testing

The focus is on the development or adaptation of a single experiment or material module. The setting should be simplified to such an extent that it can be carried out robustly in the intended target environment. In particular, safety, time requirements, required equipment and chemicals, visibility of the effect, comprehensibility of the evaluation and reproducibility should be examined.

The specialised characterisation can be limited to those measurements that are necessary to ensure the validity of the experiment. Not every analytical method from the research process has to be transferred to the implementation at school. It is crucial that it remains comprehensible which technical statement the simplified experiment supports and where its limits lie. Technical correctness always takes precedence over clarity!

The experiment can initially be trialled with a small target group, for example in a student laboratory, a seminar or a cooperating school class. A qualitative re-registration on practicability, comprehensibility, time requirements and typical difficulties is often sufficient. If necessary, this is followed by a short optimisation cycle.

Section III: Dissemination

Dissemination remains limited in its minimal form. For example, a publication of the experiment, the provision of a worksheet, integration into an existing student laboratory or presentation as part of a training programme are suitable. A systematic dissemination strategy is not yet absolutely necessary.

Results and limitations

The result is a resilient prototype or a tried and tested material module. The minimal form allows a resource-saving examination of whether a research object is viable for educational contexts. However, it does not yet create a comprehensive best-practice offer for broad implementation in schools. If the material is to be used regularly and beyond individual contexts, it makes sense to expand it to include additional testing, evaluation and dissemination steps.

Typical starting point and objectives

The extended form is suitable for new, but thematically clearly definable fields of research. It is used in particular when several interrelated experiments, materials or teaching modules are to be developed and more in-depth empirical support is required. Typical contexts are doctoral projects, larger teaching-learning development projects, school pupils or focussed co-operations between several specialised and didactic actors.

The goal is no longer just a single prototype. The aim is to achieve an evaluated best-practice status for a limited range of topics that can be used in student labs, in the classroom or in teacher training programmes.

Section I: Didactic foundation

The subject area is systematically structured. In addition to core concepts, in-depth concepts are identified that can be supplemented depending on the target group, time frame and performance level. In this way, a graduated teaching structure is created: central statements remain accessible to all learners, while further specialised aspects can be optionally deepened.

In addition, orientating student and teacher perspectives should be collected. For learners, the focus can be on prior knowledge, pre-concepts, interests, perceived relevance to the real world and typical barriers to understanding. For teachers, curricular fit, perceived complexity, time requirements, laboratory equipment, availability of materials and support needs are particularly relevant. The surveys do not necessarily have to be representative. Their primary purpose is to inform subsequent development in a targeted manner and to include barriers as design criteria at an early stage.

Guidelines for the development are derived from the technical clarification and the stakeholders. These specify not only the concepts to be taught, but also suitable contexts, barriers to understanding, curricular connection points and practical requirements for experiments and materials.

Section II: Development and testing

In the extended form, several experiments or materials are developed that are harmonised in terms of content. For example, a sequence of introduction, experimental development and in-depth application is conceivable. The materials should be designed in such a way that they can be used in a modular fashion and adapted to different time frames.

The co-operation between specialised science and didactics is becoming increasingly important. Specialised scientific working groups can identify suitable model reactions, analytical procedures and critical parameters. Subject didactics examines which reductions are viable for schools, how the subject matter can be visualised and which prerequisites must be created for robust implementation. The developed experiments are characterised in specialised terms, insofar as this is necessary for their validation and documentation.

The experiments are tested in several iterations. The pupil offers a suitable development space for this because new materials can be used, observed and adapted at short notice under comparatively controllable conditions. Depending on the transfer objective, this should be followed by trialling in partner schools. This will show whether the materials are also viable under regular school conditions in terms of time requirements, equipment, classroom management and curricular integration.

The evaluation can combine qualitative and quantitative elements. For example, pre-post questionnaires, observations, guideline-based re-registering students, short interviews or written assessments by the teachers involved are suitable. The results are incorporated into the optimisation process on an ongoing basis.

Section III: Dissemination

Dissemination comprises initial systematic measures. These include developed teaching materials, specialised background information, risk assessments, sample solutions and, if necessary, differentiation suggestions. Publication as an open educational resource or in a specialist journal can be supplemented by further training, workshops or student labs.

Material sets are useful if specialised chemicals or equipment are difficult for teachers to access. They can facilitate initial trialling and at the same time enable re-registering students from the field. However, large-scale distribution or systematic product development is not necessarily part of the extended form.

Results and limitations

The result is an evaluated best practice status for a defined subject area. The programmes developed are professionally validated, tested in practice and documented with suitable materials. Depending on the project objective, they can be implemented directly or used as a basis for later scaling. A full form is required if not just individual programmes but a comprehensive topic area is to be implemented in the long term and with a wider reach.

Typical starting point and objective

The full form is intended for didactically scarcely developed, up-to-date and complex subject areas. It is particularly suitable for structured research networks such as Collaborative Research Centres, Research Training Groups or multi-year transfer projects in which current research, specialised expertise, innovative methods and long-term development resources come together.

The aim goes far beyond the development of individual teaching modules. The aim is to systematically open up a subject area for schools, pupils and teacher training. To this end, graduated approaches are developed for different target groups, empirically substantiated, practically tested and made accessible in the long term through suitable dissemination measures.

Examples: Collaborative Research Centre PolyTarget, Transregio CataLight

Section I: Didactic foundation

The technical clarification is carried out in close co-operation with the specialised research groups involved. In addition to primary and secondary literature, the expertise of the researchers is systematically used to record central concepts, methods, forms of evidence and typical research questions in the subject area. This exchange is particularly relevant for highly topical issues, as essential knowledge is not yet available in textbooks or overviews and is often implicitly anchored in the research groups.

The knowledge structure is transformed into a communication structure. Core concepts must be defined, the communication of which is essential for a basic understanding. In-depth concepts allow a graduated expansion for different class levels, performance levels or teaching formats. At the same time, curricular points of reference are identified so that the new subject area does not stand additively alongside existing teaching content, but rather reframes classic content areas and basic concepts in current contexts. Experience has shown that the idea of "classic curriculum content taught in attractive contexts" is effective.

Example: PolyTarget conducts research in the field of nanomedicine, developing polymer-based carriers for the targeted release of drugs. For teaching, this is a good opportunity to integrate the new subject area of "nanotechnology" (KMK requirement since 2022) into the curriculum. The classic subject area of polymers is taught and then expanded to include the context of nanomedicine. Classical curricular content (monomers, polymers, polymerisation, polarity, polyester formation and cleavage, ...) can be taught using the attractive context of nanomedicine[source].

In addition, students' and teachers' perspectives are systematically analysed. For learners, the focus is on prior knowledge, pre-concepts, interests, lifeworld relevance and possible barriers to understanding. For teachers, in addition to subject-specific assessments, curricular fit, time requirements, equipment, availability of materials, perceived complexity and need for support are analysed. The results will be translated into guidelines that will structure further development.

Section II: Development and trialling

Experimental development work is a central focus. Together with the specialised scientific groups, suitable model reactions, materials, detection procedures and analytical methods are selected and gradually adapted for use in schools. The requirements differ from the objectives of specialised research: in the field of education, it is not maximum performance or complete analytical depth that is decisive, but a robust, safe, clear and cost-effective representation of the underlying principle.

Example: In this paper on the liposome nanoreactor, an experiment or reaction principle from research is transformed for teaching. The costs are reduced by ~95%, while the performance is largely retained. Both systems (research vs. teaching) are compared with each other. [Source.]

The full form can comprise several coordinated experiments, teaching sequences and teaching formats. In addition, low-cost devices, simple detection methods, material sets or digital components can be developed. Specialised scientific analysis serves to validate and characterise the school systems. In appropriate cases, a direct comparison of research and school systems can be documented to make the connection between current research and teaching transparent.

Example: In this paper on nanomedicine, a three-part series of experiments is presented that describes the complete cycle from polymer synthesis → drug encapsulation → targeted drug release[source]. Complete teaching materials for several series of experiments for teachers, including experiments, videos, background information and PowerPoint slides, can be found here.

The testing is carried out in several stages. First of all, materials are piloted in pupils and iteratively optimised in the sense of rapid prototyping. They are then used in partner schools under real teaching conditions. Depending on the project, other target groups may be added, such as students, teachers in further training courses or actors in extracurricular education. The evaluation combines different perspectives and methods. Re-registering students from all areas of application are systematically documented and fed back into further development cycles.

Section III: Dissemination and implementation

In its full form, dissemination is not understood as a downstream publication, but as an integral part of the transfer process. The aim is sustainable implementation that extends beyond individual events or project locations.

Dissemination can combine several levels. Locally, partner schools, students and university courses offer spaces for closely supervised use and re-registering students. Regionally, teacher training centres, study seminars, specialist groups and multipliers can be involved. National and, where appropriate, international journals, conferences, open educational resources platforms and digital training programmes can also be used.

Material sets can significantly lower the entry barrier for teachers, especially if they bundle speciality chemicals, consumables or low-cost devices that are difficult to access. Editable teaching materials reduce the amount of preparation required and make it easier to adapt to different learning groups and school curricula. Training courses close technical and practical gaps, enable a hands-on experience and increase confidence in implementation.

Example 1: In her dissertation, Dr Antonia Wallbraun describes her material set on the topic of nanomedicine, which includes all the necessary materials and chemicals as well as teaching materials. It was also distributed free of charge (in conjunction with free further training) and was able to reach 300 schools across Germany within a short space of time.

Example 2: In the field of green hydrogen, schools often lack a simple way of detecting small quantities of hydrogen (well below the threshold for oxyhydrogen samples). In his dissertation project, Malte Petersen has developed such a foil in the TRR/SRB CataLight[source] and disseminates it free of charge to schools - here too, over 200 schools, school laboratories and universities have been reached in a short space of time. Accompanying teaching materials are also available.

With the appropriate level of development, co-operation with teaching material providers can be useful. These have structures for technical realisation, scaled production, reorderability, support and long-term distribution. In this way, standardised or marketable material sets can be created from scientifically developed and tested best-practice offers. In turn, re-registering students, classroom use and distribution can trigger new optimisation cycles.

Results and limits

The result of the full form is a scientifically sound, tested and disseminable best practice programme. This consists not only of individual experiments, but ideally of a coordinated overall package: a technical mediation structure, empirically based design guidelines, characterised experiments, teaching materials, training formats, material sets and a strategy for sustainable implementation.

Even in its full form, not every component necessarily needs to be developed from scratch. If reliable preliminary work is available, individual steps can be reduced or specifically validated. The full form therefore does not describe maximum effort for its own sake, but a comprehensive transfer logic for subject areas in which a broad and long-term opening for educational contexts is aimed for.