Corona und die Digitalisierung der universitären Lehre an der Universität Mannheim : Executive Summary zu einer Studierendenbefragung im HWS 2020/21

Die Corona-Pandemie und die Maßnahmen zu deren Eindämmung haben dazu geführt, dass die Universität Mannheim ihren Lehrbetrieb in kürzester Zeit grundlegend umstellen musste. Notgedrungen musste auf Präsenzveranstaltungen verzichtet und die Nutzung digitaler Mittel ausgebaut werden. Um Informationen über diese Umstellung zu sammeln, führte das Qualitätsmanagement der Universität Mannheim eine Befragung unter Studierenden zum HWS 2020/21 durch. Diese Befragung sollte Einblicke in die Perspektive der Studierenden geben und zeigen, wie sie die Lehre in diesem Semester bewerten

Tango Controls and data pipeline for petawatt laser experiments

The Centre for Advanced Laser Applications in Garching, Germany, is home to the ATLAS-3000 multi-petawatt laser, dedicated to research on laser particle acceleration and its applications. A control system based on Tango Controls is implemented for both the laser and four experimental areas. The device server approach features high modularity, which, in addition to the hardware control, enables a quick extension of the system and allows for automated data acquisition of the laser parameters and experimental data for each laser shot. In this paper we present an overview of our implementation of the control system, as well as our advances in terms of experimental operation, online supervision and data processing. We also give an outlook on advanced experimental supervision and online data evaluation – where the data can be processed in a pipeline – which is being developed on the basis of this infrastructure

Facilitating spatial perspective taking through animation: Evidence from an aptitude-treatment-interaction

The present study examined the facilitating function of animations for spatial perspective taking. The task demanded to estimate directions to memorized objects in a spatial scene from an imagined position and orientation within the scene. Static pictures which required imagined reorientation of the self were compared to animations showing the reorientation externally. Individual differences in perspective taking ability were considered. Results showed a large effect in favor of animations for reaction times. An aptitude–treatment-interaction was found for accuracy: The relation between perspective taking ability and accuracy in direction estimation was moderated by type of presentation (static pictures vs. animation). Perspective taking ability played a much stronger role in direction estimation accuracy with static pictures than with animations. It is concluded that focused animations can facilitate perspective taking and thereby compensate for low spatial perspective taking ability

Improving navigation systems. How design features of guidance systems influence wayfinding and survey knowledge

Route guidance systems provide spatial information that supplement real-world experiences during wayfinding. The design features of the images displayed by these guidance systems influence the survey and route knowledge they convey. We conducted two experiments to test the influence of different design features on spatial knowledge. The first experiment took place in a virtual reality. During a learning phase, participants automatically moved through a virtual village. At each intersection, a navigation system appeared. In a subsequent testing phase, participants had to use their spatial knowledge of the village to complete a pointing task, a wayfinding task and a map completion task. The second experiment took place in a real, but unknown city. Participants walked a pre-defined route through the city and were instructed to look at a navigation system at each intersection. Afterwards, they had to complete a pointing task and a sketch-map task. In both experiments, the rotation of the map image, the zoom-level, the degree of schematization and the display of off-screen landmarks was manipulated. When data collection is finished, data of about 300 participants will be analyzed with mixed-model regressions. The results could provide new insights that are highly valuable for the research on spatial cognition

Improving navigation systems. How design features of guidance systems influence wayfinding and survey knowledge

Route guidance systems provide spatial information that supplement real-world experiences during wayfinding. The design features of the images displayed by these guidance systems influence the survey and route knowledge they convey. We conducted two experiments to test the influence of different design features on spatial knowledge. The first experiment took place in a virtual reality. During a learning phase, participants automatically moved through a virtual village. At each intersection, a navigation system appeared. In a subsequent testing phase, participants had to use their spatial knowledge of the village to complete a pointing task, a wayfinding task and a map completion task. The second experiment took place in a real, but unknown city. Participants walked a pre-defined route through the city and were instructed to look at a navigation system at each intersection. Afterwards, they had to complete a pointing task and a sketch-map task. In both experiments, the rotation of the map image, the zoom-level, the degree of schematization and the display of off-screen landmarks was manipulated. When data collection is finished, data of about 300 participants will be analyzed with mixed-model regressions. The results could provide new insights that are highly valuable for the research on spatial cognition