Information for example in museum contexts often is presented in immersive digital environments. The project examines the influence of these rooms on basic cognitive aspects of perception and information processing: Is there a difference in viewing duration or the subjective flow of time in rooms of varying size? And do the rooms influence the processing of information presented in these environments?
As part of the "DigiMat" project, scientists from the fields of cultural studies, psychology and materials science are working together to combine digital imaging with physical-chemical analysis of historical museum artifacts in order to create new levels of perception and interaction between museum visitors and the exhibits. The assumption of digital imaging is that it can make new and otherwise hidden information about the respective exhibition objects accessible to the museum visitor.
With regard to the communications and learning of scientific information, there has been a growing awareness in the field of formal and informal learning in recent years that the uncertainties inherent in scientific information must be communicated to learners. This is particularly evident in history lessons, where the construct character of history should be taught. But this is also important on the Internet, where we are dealing with a range of information that is characterized by a wide variety of more or less well-founded scientific information and a multitude of more or less reliable sources of information. In order to adequately understand scientific information, participate in informed discussions, form an opinion and make decisions based on the information provided, the nature and degree of uncertainty of the information must be presented, cognitively processed and taken into account when proceeding. It is therefore increasingly important to understand how people cognitively process uncertain information and information sources and how knowledge is created from this in interaction with other factors.
How can the historicity of sounds and noises be integrated into a museum narrative? What role do acoustics play in the transfer of knowledge in connection with the movement of visitors and in the field of tension between analog and digital? In order to answer these questions, the project "Historical Sounds" investigates the influence of different representations of historical sounds on their reception in the context of a presentation using 3D glasses.
Increasingly available spatiotemporal data (e.g. the development of average temperatures across the globe) needs effective means of communication to be understandable and usable by the public. A visualization format gaining popularity is the thematic dynamic map. This dissertation project, therefore, investigates the processes involved in perceiving, comprehending, and interpreting data presented on dynamic maps.
The project 'Learning with 3D reconstructions' examines the influence of visual and auditive types of presentations on cognitive processing of archaeological 3D reconstructions and concentrates, among other things, on the depiction of uncertain information.
In various research areas and topics such as climate change or testimonies it has already been demonstrated that mental representations are influenced by true and false information. Problematically, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify false information in our daily lives. Furthermore, new technologies simplify the creation of realistic-looking false messages in media. This dissertation project, therefore, addresses the question of how discriminability of information influences mental representations.
Artificial intelligence-based applications, especially deep learning techniques, allow the manipulation of visual and auditory information. In the context of knowledge acquisition, these technological developments offer the potential to personalize learning materials and optimize their utility. Aim of the project is to investigate the extent to which aligning the tutor with the learner influences the learning process.
While current theories on learning in multimedia learning environments concentrate on visual and auditory access, this dissertation project focuses on a different sensory approach to learning content: The haptics and haptic exploration of physical objects. Thus, the extent to which this haptic experience - in combination with visual impressions - influences learning and the learning experience in informal learning environments, such as museums and exhibitions, is investigated.
