Theme Weekend at the Steinmühle – Media and Learning: AI, Blender, ChatGPT—How Can Media Support Our Learning?

Media is playing an increasingly significant role in our students’ daily lives. For this reason, it is important to engage with media and discuss together how it can be used effectively in learning and at school in general, as well as the challenges its use presents. The students and teachers at Steinmühle took on this challenge as part of a joint themed weekend focused on media and learning.

 

In preparation for the upcoming high school graduation exams, the students and teachers explored topics such as study skills. To this end, a joint kickoff event began with a presentation of different learning styles, which the students could then identify with based on a self-assessment. These reflections were then explored in greater depth with the help of an online test. Questions such as “Do I remember things better when I walk around my room while studying?” or “What kind of music is best for studying?” played a role in the exercise. The main goal of this exploration was to help students make their learning more effective and to gain new ideas for different ways of learning.

Over the course of the weekend, a wide range of extracurricular activities helped students deepen this knowledge even further. In the “Learning by Explaining” program, a group of students explored how to effectively convey information to others—and in the process, learn themselves. Of course, the students put this into practice right away. To do so, they worked on various topics that they were able to bring up themselves. The “Presentations (Media and Presentations)” club also gave students the opportunity to present their existing knowledge in a clear and engaging way. One high school senior enthusiastically shared that, with her oral exams just around the corner, this had helped her prepare more effectively.

A group of students also explored the “Blender” software. This open-source program allows users to create 3D graphics. The session was led by Fabian, a student who is currently discovering the program for himself and was happy to share his knowledge with others. Together, the students succeeded in creating 3D models of objects they had brought with them. That evening, Fabian mentioned that he was already thinking about how a future workshop on the topic could be structured.

Another focus of the weekend was artificial intelligence (AI), as our students are increasingly using these tools in their everyday school life. In addition to exploring the practical implementation of various applications, the club also examined, among other things, the potential that artificial intelligence offers. Particular attention was paid to AI-powered tools designed to support schooling and learning. At the same time, the group examined potential limitations and discussed how AI can be used as efficiently and effectively as possible. In addition, the students explored ethical principles for using ChatGPT. For example, the group discussed the question of what interests companies might be pursuing by providing AI tools and what societal implications are associated with this.

What became particularly clear over the course of the weekend was that media has become an integral part of our daily lives, and that tools like ChatGPT can provide our students with valuable support in tackling academic challenges. At the same time, awareness grew regarding the limitations of artificial intelligence and the diverse opportunities for learning. In particular, the different learning styles remained a topic of conversation even after the weekend and will certainly be discussed more frequently in the future. We are already excited to see what new paths of learning the students will take.