Research Projects in Teaching

Research Projects in Teaching

Research Projects in Teaching

On this page you will find all teaching-learning-research projects in which students have practically dealt with scientific research topics in different courses of the Institute of Communication Science.

Completed projects can be found here.

Experimental study on the perceived trustworthiness of scientific experts in online videos

Initiated by the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, many students and young adults worldwide have been demonstrating for better climate action since 2018. Master students explored the current phenomenon of the Fridays for Future (FFF) movement in the module "Methods of Communication Research" (master’s program MuK) in the summer semester 2019. Led by Dr. Anne Reif (seminar lecturer) and Prof. Dr. Monika Taddicken (module supervisor), the students conducted their own empirical sub-projects in small groups. They tried out various research methods, including an online survey among FFF participants and qualitative and quantitative surveys of students.

Group discussions on the topic of “Science and media/Trust in science and scientists”

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 led to a global pandemic that has drastically changed our daily lives. As part of the master's module "Methods Communication Research" (master’s program MuK) and seminars in the bachelor's program Media Studies in the summer semester 2020, students explored the topic from different angles. In addition to a content analysis in the current media discourse, the risk perception and topic-related media use of the recipients were assessed using quantitative surveys.

In the summer semester of 2020, students surveyed pupils on the topic of media literacy. In a seminar, interview guidelines were developed for this purpose, which were then used in the field. The interviews dealt with topics such as the pupils' life situation as well as the teaching of media skills at school and at home. Furthermore, own skills and abilities in dealing with digital media were part of the interviews and various theories such as different media literacy models or the discourse on post-digitization were referenced. Overall, the students were able to reveal varying perspectives on the diverse aspects of media literacy. The results of the interviews have been used in the preparation of a publication, which is currently under review.

"The Debate - Research, Facts, Positions" - Accompanying Research on Innovative Science Communication Formats

Self-portrayal in selfies and user reactions to the hashtag #bodypositive on Tumblr

In the summer semester of 2018, students of the master's program „Media Technology and Communication“, conducted research on the topic of climate change on the internet. Based on a study by Dr Arne Freya Zillich and Dr Lars Günther of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, which focused on online search behaviour on the scientific topic of autonomous driving, the research focused on how users react to critical positions on the topic of climate change and to what extent this influences their online usage behaviour. The theoretical background is provided by the theory of cognitive dissonance and approaches of selective media and online usage research. In addition to surveys and interviews, the main part of the comprehensive methodological design was an eye-tracking experiment, in which the subjects' eye movements were recorded during their internet research.

Social networking sites, YouTube videos, podcasts and more: there are many new opportunities online for innovative formats of science communication. During the summer semester of 2021, students in the master's module "Methods of Communication Research" (Master’s program MuK) used qualitative interviews and explored the role of social network sites such as Instagram or Twitter, YouTube videos including likes and comments, or science podcasts regarding trust in science.