The lecture series Virtual Education, Real Worlds? will continue in the summer semester of 2026. This semester will again feature exciting lectures on the use of XR in university teaching and selected research areas.
PD. Dr. Dagmar Hilfert-Rüppell (21.04.2026)
Beyond the keyhole – 360° videos in teacher training
360° videos provide realistic insights into teaching situations and enable trainee teachers to experience learning processes immersively, "right in the middle of things" rather than just "being there". The freely selectable perspective allows complex teaching processes, such as the approach and interaction of pupils during experiments or aspects of classroom management, to be observed and reflected upon from different angles. The event focuses on practical examples from teacher training, findings on effectiveness and acceptance, and technical and didactic design issues. The discussion will focus on how 360° videos can promote professional teaching perception and thus diagnostic and reflective skills, and what challenges arise in production and implementation. The aim of the lecture is to critically explore the potential and limitations of 360° videos and to provide impetus for future-oriented teacher training that looks beyond the traditional "keyhole" of classroom observation.
Prof. Dr. Marcel Mierwald (12.05.2026)
Is it all a matter of perspective? On the construction and appropriation of perspectivity in XR offerings on the history of Anne Frank
Prof. Dr. Raphael Zender (09.06.2026)
XR in schools: opportunities, risks and guidelines for reflective use
The lecture focuses on the use of immersive technologies in schools and asks when and how learning opportunities with XR are pedagogically useful for schoolchildren. The focus is on typical potentials – such as motivating learning approaches, the simulation of dangerous or difficult-to-access situations, spatial visualisations and collaborative virtual learning spaces – as well as risks and challenges such as side effects, access barriers, data protection and the digital divide. On this basis, guidelines for responsible use in schools and teaching are developed – from didactic design principles to questions of school and media development to the involvement of parents and extracurricular partners.
Prof. Dr. Vanessa Carlow (23.06.2026)
XR for better participation in urban development
Dr Stefanie Lenzer (14.07.2026)
Potential and challenges of immersive VR environments for diversity sensitivity in chemistry laboratories