What makes for good learning
Prof. Dr Wolfram Rollett has been appointed to the Chair of School Pedagogy with a Focus on School Development at the Department of Educational Sciences. The educational researcher investigates learning and development processes using empirical methods.
Welcome to the University of Oldenburg! What made you decide to come here?
The offer I received from the University of Oldenburg was very attractive and the university offers a really good environment for my research in the field of school development. The educational sciences and subject-specific didactics are very well established in Oldenburg, and the teacher training, which is my main focus, is also highly regarded.
What is the focus of your research?
I’m working on various topics at the moment, so I’ll just name two examples: in one of my collaborative research projects the aim is to work out how children and youths benefit in terms of cognitive skills and motivational characteristics when they learn to solve complex reasoning problems using robotic systems. In another research collaboration we’re investigating how the social composition of school classes affects the way friendships form and develop. We’re looking at the role individual characteristics such as gender, social background or special education requirements play, and also how important teachers are in this constellation.
What do you like about your subject?
That through my research I can contribute to a better understanding of the impact of the learning and development environment at schools. I can explore ways to change it so that pupils benefit even more from going to school in the future.
What are your plans for your first months at our university?
First of all, I want to get to know and understand the organisational processes. Then I'll try to establish a good network in Oldenburg and find partners for collaborations in research and teaching. The focus of my work over the next few months will then be to develop the teaching programme in the area of school development together with the new members of my research group and design a joint research agenda for the coming years.
Who or what influenced you most during your studies?
The opportunity to gain experience and test myself in all kinds of different contexts during my time as a student. I was able to dip into many different areas, whether as a student assistant, through internships, as a participant in workshops and conferences, as a group leader at holiday camps or by working on the student council. I developed a lot as an individual during that time.
Your tip for surviving on campus?
The “onboarding”, as we call it these days, was extremely successful. Everything was very well organised and I was able to get to work here in Oldenburg in no time at all, so in that respect my “survival on campus” was pretty much guaranteed. If you’re new to our university, I would suggest you take advantage of the many events that are constantly being organised for people to make new contacts. There are always great opportunities for this.