Learning economics in the laboratory - this is made possible by the "Oldenburg Experimental Laboratory for Economics Education" (OX), which the University's Institute for Economics Education opened on Tuesday. In the OX, school classes and other learning groups can take part in experiments on various economic topics.
The laboratory is also used for the training and further education of economics teachers and for didactic research. It is part of the university's "Biography-orientated and cross-phase teacher training in Oldenburg plus" (OLE+) project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the teacher training quality offensive. The Oldenburg business didactics expert Prof Dr Dirk Loerwald is the scientific head of the project.
"Teacher training at the University of Oldenburg has always been characterised by a high degree of practical relevance," said Prof. Dr Sabine Kyora, Vice President for Studies, Teaching and Gender equality, at the opening ceremony. This is particularly evident in the theory-practice rooms that are currently being set up and further developed in various subject areas of the teacher training programme. "In these places, students can test and reflect on teaching concepts, but also carry out didactic research. I am delighted that we have now also created a laboratory for Economics Education with the OX," Kyora continues.
The economics laboratory in Oldenburg city centre (Kurwickstraße 14/15) is one of the first of its kind in Germany. Pupils, students, trainee teachers and teachers can carry out economics experiments at 30 tablet workstations. These experiments deal with questions such as how to distribute things fairly or make conscious consumption decisions. The experiment as a modern method of teaching economics is intended to give pupils and teachers a new approach to economic topics - such as comparing different market forms or state intervention in markets. "The special thing about economic experiments is that they combine subject-based learning and playful discovery as well as the findings of current research with teaching content. This ensures a high level of motivation," says Loerwald.
In addition to the experiments with school classes and other learning groups, laboratory manager Markus Allbauer and the team at the Institute for Economics Education also offer training courses for teachers. They learn more about the experiment as a learning method and receive practical tips for integrating it into their lessons. Another pillar of the OX is didactic research. Scientists and researching students can take part in experiments, observe what is happening in the laboratory and thus test the experiment as a teaching method and continuously develop it further in terms of subject didactics.
