Learning is more fun when it is combined with exercise - three Oldenburg student teachers are convinced of this. The university's start-up and innovation centre has supported their start-up "Study Active".

Anyone who throws paper balls around in class gets into real trouble in most schools. In Catarina Remelgado da Silva's private lessons, things are different: here, pupils are not only allowed to aim small paper balls at bowls to their heart's content, but also to hop, jump and clap - which are also hardly desirable in school lessons - are part of her lessons.

Together with her fellow students René Rodrigues Graca and Philipp Schmiemann, the Oldenburg student, who is currently in her fourth master's semester as a primary school teacher, has founded an institution that has made active learning a principle: By throwing the paper balls, children of primary school age can learn about the number range up to one thousand, for example. Using movements such as clapping or jumping, the three want to practise differentiating between different types of words when teaching German.

Study Active is the name of the three students' new tutoring school - or rather learning aid school - which has been up and running in Oldenburg since June and was supported by the University's Start-up and Innovation Centre (GIZ). It is aimed at pupils in grades 1 to 6 in the subjects German, English, maths and general studies. "We have also developed a booklet with concepts for active breaks," says Catarina. She, René and Philipp are currently teaching seven students, with nine on the waiting list.

The Study Active concept: "Our aim is to teach the subject matter on different levels," explains René. While content at school is traditionally taught primarily through writing, reading and listening, the children should not only fill out worksheets in their private lessons, but also become active. "This has nothing to do with sport, it's simply a different approach to learning content," emphasises René. The idea is not new; numerous studies have shown that learning with exercise has a positive effect in the long term.

The three have observed that it works in their private lessons. Above all, they notice that the children really enjoy learning and sometimes even look forward to the next lesson. "It's mega cool when a child comes up with their own ideas on how to change an exercise and at the end the mum asks when I'll be back," reports the 23-year-old. The three are certain that this strong motivation also promotes learning success.

Catarina, René and Philipp were inspired to set up a company for active learning support by their own teaching experiences: All three had previously worked as tutors and had completed school internships. Catarina also works as a substitute teacher at a primary school in Oldenburg. Both at school and in their tutoring sessions, the students often encountered unmotivated pupils, and they themselves did not enjoy filling out one worksheet after another with listless children in the afternoons. "At some point, we started to question everything," she says.

At first it was just fun among friends, but after an initial brainstorming session, the idea of setting up their own tutoring school quickly became serious. "In November 2021, we said: we're going to do it now," says Philipp. As all three of them study sport as a subject, it quickly became clear that exercise should be at the centre of their concept. Together, they familiarised themselves with the topic, looked through literature and created booklets with learning content for four subjects.

However, implementing the plan was not easy for them. "At first, we had no idea how to set up a company," says Philipp. They received support from Sascha Köpken from GIZ, among others, who supervised the start-up process and discussed with the team, for example, how to organise their business model or acquire customers. "Study Active is a very positive example of the fact that setting up a company is not just an interesting career alternative for students of Computing Science or the natural sciences, but is also an option for graduates from all Schools who want to make a difference," says the start-up consultant.

The three students found the meetings with other start-ups organised by the GIZ and the "Oldenburg start-up cheques", a cheque booklet with free advice vouchers issued by the GIZ and the Oldenburg Technology and Start-up Centre (TGO), particularly helpful. For example, they were able to consult a lawyer and arrange marketing appointments.

However, Catarina, René and Philipp have not yet reached the end of their goals in setting up their currently still small learning aid school in Oldenburg. Firstly, they want to establish themselves throughout Germany. When they graduate soon - Catarina and René will complete their Master's degree in primary school teaching in March next year, while Philipp is currently completing his Bachelor's degree in secondary and comprehensive school teaching in the subjects of sport and technology - they plan to focus entirely on Study Active instead of going into teaching.

Beyond their company, the three students are also committed to bringing more exercise into schools. "We want to create greater awareness of how much can be achieved through movement in learning - for example by offering our own training courses for teachers," emphasises Catarina. The three are also planning a podcast. In it, they will interview various experts who specialise in active learning.

They are currently organising a charity run to support the Oldenburg primary schools in Bloherfelde, Kreyenbrück and Nadorst. Philipp has been walking from Munich to Oldenburg in 30 daily stages since 9 September with the aim of collecting a total of 30,000 euros in donations. The money will be used to fund exercise clubs, special chairs for active sitting - with the option to tilt, so to speak - as well as exercise materials for the breaks, such as balls, skipping ropes or nets for football goals. "We have already won the OLB Foundation as a sponsor," says Catarina happily. She and her two colleagues founded an association specifically for this project, which they intend to use to fund other activities for children in the future.

However, the three students' eyes light up when they talk about their tutoring. Catarina enthuses: "When a child has a lot of fun in a lesson or is happy because it has achieved something, that is still the best reward."