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Project

MITHOS

Mixed-Reality Interactive Training for Handling Heterogeneity and Conflict Situations in Schools

Mixed-Reality Interactive Training for Handling Heterogeneity and Conflict Situations in Schools

BMBF-Research programme in the frame of the research focus on „ Interactive systems in virtual and real spaces – Innovative technologies for a digital society“

Teachers often feel inadequately prepared to handle complex socio-emotional challenges, for instance, heterogeneous student groups, or conflicts about social behaviour. This requires an effective emotion- and conflict regulation, which cannot be trained systematically in teacher-training programmes. Mixed-Reality (MR) Environments can offer technological solutions.

The goal of MITHOS is to allow an MR-supported long-term acquisition of social skills in classrooms. MITHOS offers a realistic possibility of socio-emotional training for the classroom, without the risk of demeaning those involved. Teachers and trainees can, thus, prepare themselves better for the challenges that come with integrating diverse individual socio-emotional and cultural differences. MITHOS realises this through an immersive MR-environment. The MR-environment integrates a human-controlled Avatar and various autonomous pupil agents. Empathy and awareness of one's own needs are trained, to support perspective-taking and conflict regulation in heterogeneous student groups.

The human-centered generalisable concept is a novel combination of VR and sensor technologies to simulate interactive virtual agents. This makes it possible to exchange social signals, natural implicit social feedback, as well as the coupling of virtual and real experience realms.

Partners

Universität Augsburg, Universität des Saarlandes – Empirische Bildungsforschung und Fachdidaktik Deutsch Primarstufe, TriCAT GmbH, Paragon SemVox GmbH

Sponsors

BMBF - Federal Ministry of Education and Research

16SV8687

BMBF - Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Images

© TriCAT GmbH

Virtual training makes it easier to handle conflict situations and heterogeneity in classrooms (Source: TriCAT GmbH)