Bewertung und Entwicklung künstlicher Stehgewässer im Biosphärenreservat Pfälzerwald

The survival of the approximately 1,000 artificial ponds in the Pfälzerwald (Palatinate Forest) biosphere reserve is endangered as they continue to be abandoned, but a large number of them have conservation and historical value. An overall management concept is needed as the high costs for restoration and the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive regarding river continuity will make it impossible to maintain all of the ponds. Most of the ponds are migration barriers for fish and aquatic invertebrates. The assessment methods presented here are based on readily available data for the evaluation of the ecological and cultural-historical importance of the ponds, their implications within the landscape, and their (often negative) impact on stream ecology. The assessment of the condition of the ponds’ manmade structures leads to conclusions about the urgency for action. The assessment classes are linked with recommendations for action. In the synopsis of all assessments, management concepts emerge for the individual ponds, and priority lists of ponds can be generated that point out where actions are preferential.Aufgrund zunehmender Nutzungsaufgabe an den etwa 1.000 künstlichen Stehgewässern im Biosphärenreservat Pfälzerwald und ihrer gleichzeitig oft hohen naturschutzfachlichen bzw. kulturhistorischen Bedeutung ist ein Managementkonzept notwendig geworden. Dem Erhalt der Anlagen stehen hohe Sanierungskosten sowie die Anforderungen der EU-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie, für eine biologische Durchgängigkeit der Fließgewässer zu sorgen, entgegen. Die meisten Anlagen stellen nämlich unüberwindliche Wanderbarrieren dar. Die vorgestellten Bewertungsverfahren, basierend auf einfach zu erhebenden Merkmalen, beurteilen die ökologische und die kulturhistorische Bedeutung der Anlagen, die Bedeutung für das Landschaftsbild sowie ihre (negativen) Auswirkungen auf das Fließgewässersystem. Die Bewertung des baulichen Zustands ergibt Aussagen über die Dringlichkeit des Handelns. Die einzelnen Bewertungsklassen sind mit Handlungsempfehlungen verknüpft. In der Zusammenschau der einzelnen Empfehlungen leiten sich Maßnahmen für die einzelnen Gewässer ab sowie Priorisierungen von Teichen, an denen vorrangig Handlungen erfolgen sollen

App creation in schools for different curricula subjects - lesson learned

The next generation of jobs will be characterized by an increased demand for people with computational and problem solving skills. In Austria, computer science topics are underrepresented in school curricula hence teaching time for these topics is limited. From primary through secondary school, only a few opportunities exist for young students to explore programming. Furthermore, today's teachers are rarely trained in computer science, which impairs their potential to motivate students in these courses. Within the "No One Left Behind" (NOLB) project, teachers were supported to guide and assist their students in their learning processes by constructing ideas through game making. Thus, students created games that referred to different subject areas by using the programming tool Pocket Code, an app developed at Graz University of Technology (TU-Graz). This tool helps students to take control of their own education, becoming more engaged, interested, and empowered as a result. To ensure an optimal integration of the app in diverse subjects the different backgrounds (technical and non-technical) of teachers must be considered as well. First, teachers were supported to use Pocket Code in the different subjects in school within the feasibility study of the project. Observed challenges and difficulties using the app have been gathered. Second, we conducted interviews with teachers and students to underpin our onsite observations. As a result, it was possible to validate Pocket Codes' potential to be used in a diverse range of subjects. Third, we focused especially on those teachers who were not technically trained to provide them with a framework for Pocket Code units, e.g., with the help of structured lesson plans and predefined templates.Comment: 10 pages, 5 tables EduLearn 201

Engaging Students in Open Source: Establishing FOSS Development at a University

Open source is widely used for educational purposes in higher education around the world. While many educators use open source resources for teaching, there seems to be few contributions to such projects of students as part of their university courses. In this work we present our experience on establishing open source development from student contributors as part of their university curriculum. Since 2010 more than 300 students from Graz University of Technology have been involved in the presented Catrobat project and have gained knowledge about agile software development as well as several related domains, e.g., project management, marketing, or graphical design. In this paper we provide detailed insights into the project’s organization and evaluate in a study how students feel in this setting. As we conclude, bringing open source to university courses is an effective practical approach based on social learning and provides benefits for students and researchers

Deutsch Kamm, Kimme und die Bedeutung von idg. *ǵombho-, *ǵembh-

Deutsch 'Kamm' ist mit 'Kimme' verwandt und weiter mit russ. 'zub' "Zahn", 'zjabnut'' "frieren", albanisch dhamb "schmerzen", gr. gómphos "Pflock, Dübel", altindisch 'jambh' "beißen" u.a. Der Artikel diskutiert die Möglichkeiten semantischer Rekonstruktion und zeigt die Auseinanderentwicklung der Bedeutungen