The Centre of Excellence for Nutrition (KErn) brings together expertise on nutrition in Bavaria and, amongst other things, develops information materials for various target groups. It falls under the remit of the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry. KErn has commissioned us to design and produce four learning stations on the topic of nutrition in the age of climate change. The learning stations are aimed at pupils in Years 6 to 8 at Bavarian secondary schools and grammar schools.&
Over the course of two school lessons, pupils are to develop an awareness of climate-friendly nutrition and recognise the interconnections between the thematic building blocks by working independently on the learning stations in small groups. Climate-friendly nutrition is examined from socio-economic, cultural, health and ecological perspectives. This includes a basic understanding of terms such as regional, seasonal and organic. Working through the learning stations is intended to strengthen the pupils’ self-competence.
The various thematic modules are to be presented in a way that is age-appropriate and varied. This includes the functionality of the learning stations, their design and the way pupils are addressed.
Having examined the subject matter in depth, we are developing a rough concept for each learning station based on the specified topics. To this end, we are seeking the educational support of two teachers. It is important to us that pupils are enabled to work through the learning stations independently with the help of brief instructions. For the teachers, there is a handbook containing further information and tips on practical implementation.
As we refine the concept, we design a wooden learning box. The individual learning stations are developed in the form of educational games, which are stored in this box. The learning boxes must be easy to transport and quick and simple to set up or put away.
When finalising the design, we revisit the project’s objective and ask ourselves: What impact must the design have to achieve this goal? Key concepts are: young and fresh, dynamic and positive, playful and methodical, gender-inclusive, tailored to the target group. The colours used are bright and bold, complemented by secondary colours in pastel shades. Each learning station has its own colour scheme. This makes it easy to assign the individual materials to the corresponding learning station.
We have the learning box manufactured according to our specifications by a diaconal organisation for people facing social exclusion and housing shortages. We produce the inlay for the wooden box, which holds the individual items in place during transport, in our own workshop. We test the prototype with a group of pupils. The enthusiasm is immense. Through the test, we gain valuable insights which we incorporate into the final product.
“Our requirements were not easy, but the team at VISUELL managed to win us over with their analogue interactive learning box. The collaboration was, right from the start, a partnership of equals with a shared goal.
We’ve received nothing but positive feedback from schools – both regarding the content and the analogue wooden learning box!”Dr Christiane Brunner
Head of the Nutrition Information and Knowledge Transfer
