[{"content":"The Civic Data Lab supports civil society organizations in using data for public-interest goals, offering free networking, learning opportunities, and project consulting — from data management and visualization to artificial intelligence. It is jointly run by the Gesellschaft für Informatik, CorrelAid, and the German Caritas Association.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/network/civic-data-lab/","section":"Research","summary":"Supporting civil society in creating social value with data — networking, learning formats, and project consulting.","title":"Civic Data Lab","type":"research"},{"content":"Dan Verständig is Professor for Educational Theory and Practices of Critical Computational Literacy at the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S), Goethe University Frankfurt. His research addresses learning in the context of digitality, with a focus on inequality, civic participation, and creative-critical approaches to coding and data literacy. He is a founding member of the Critical Big Data and Algorithmic Literacy Network (CBDALN) and works with experimental formats such as interactive installations, data-driven art, and playful methods to make digital infrastructures visible and reflect on their societal implications. He also advises NGOs on digital literacy and information security.\n","date":"15 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/team/dan/","section":"Group Members","summary":"Dan Verständig is Professor for Educational Theory and Practices of Critical Computational Literacy at the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S), Goethe University Frankfurt. His research addresses learning in the context of digitality, with a focus on inequality, civic participation, and creative-critical approaches to coding and data literacy. He is a founding member of the Critical Big Data and Algorithmic Literacy Network (CBDALN) and works with experimental formats such as interactive installations, data-driven art, and playful methods to make digital infrastructures visible and reflect on their societal implications. He also advises NGOs on digital literacy and information security.\n","title":"Dan Verständig","type":"team"},{"content":"Our publications reflect the research activities of the working group and its members. They cover topics in educational theory, Critical Computational Literacy, critical technology studies, digital education, data and AI, and interdisciplinary perspectives on digital transformation. The list includes books, peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, conference papers, reports, and other scholarly contributions.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/publications/","section":"Research","summary":"Here you will find the publications by all members of the working group.","title":"Publications","type":"research"},{"content":"Codenauten is a programming school based in Braunschweig that teaches young people how to plan, design, and program their own ideas — building skills in languages like Java and Python alongside problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. Codenauten is also a partner in the joint research project SKILL.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/network/codenauten/","section":"Research","summary":"Programming school in Braunschweig teaching young people to plan, design, and code their own ideas.","title":"Codenauten","type":"research"},{"content":"Our projects explore critical perspectives on digital technologies in education and society. Working across disciplines and in collaboration with academic, educational, and civil society partners, we investigate questions of digital transformation, data, AI, participation, and educational justice. The projects presented here reflect the diverse research, teaching, and knowledge transfer activities of the working group.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/projects/","section":"Research","summary":"Projects in which the working group is involved.","title":"Projects","type":"research"},{"content":"We believe that outstanding student projects deserve to be seen—not left in a drawer. On this page, we showcase a selection of projects that have particularly impressed us through their creativity, critical perspective, academic quality, or experimental approach. They demonstrate how students engage with complex questions, develop original ideas, and explore new ways of thinking and creating. This collection is intended both as a source of inspiration for future projects and as a recognition of the remarkable work of our students.\n","date":"30 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/education/good-practice/","section":"Education","summary":"Selected examples of good practice from courses and media projects.","title":"Good Practice","type":"research"},{"content":"Doctoral theses and Habilitations underway or completed in the working group.\n","date":"20 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/theses/","section":"Research","summary":"Doctoral theses and Habilitations underway or completed in the working group.\n","title":"Theses","type":"research"},{"content":"We collaborate with Deutsche Bahn on questions of digital transformation, innovation, and professional development, fostering exchange between critical research and practice.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/network/deutsche-bahn/","section":"Research","summary":"Cooperation in the areas of innovation and training.","title":"Deutsche Bahn","type":"research"},{"content":"We collaborate with academic, educational, and civil society partners who share our commitment to critical technology studies. Our collaborations are guided by values such as the common good, social justice, democratic participation, and addressing societal challenges through critical, interdisciplinary, innovative, and engaged research.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/network/","section":"Research","summary":"Partner institutions and research networks we collaborate with.","title":"Network","type":"research"},{"content":"Here you find answers to frequently asked questions, organized into the categories General, Media Projects, and Final Theses.\nGeneral # How do I develop an academic research question? At the heart of every academic paper is a research question and its investigation using scholarly sources. Put simply, academic work seeks to answer a question—but not just in any way. The answer must meet academic standards and be situated within the relevant scholarly discourse.\nAn academic assignment—whether a traditional term paper or another format such as an internet project, video essay, or podcast—serves to investigate an academic problem. By writing such a paper, you learn to narrow down a topic, formulate arguments, structure bodies of knowledge, and analyse problems from specific perspectives. You also develop the ability to work with academic sources and to formulate and justify your own position through well-founded arguments. A term paper is therefore not merely a summary or compilation of different scholars\u0026rsquo; views, but an independent engagement with a topic in which the research question always remains central.\nThe development of a research question begins with narrowing your focus to a particular topic, such as film and education, digital inequality, or social media and identity. It is often helpful to develop a research question directly from a seminar. For example, you might (a) systematically compare different theories discussed in the course, (b) apply a theory to a new phenomenon or object (e.g. learning theories and digital transformation), or (c) describe and analyse an educational, cultural, or social phenomenon using appropriate analytical approaches and place it within a broader contemporary context (e.g. through film or media analysis).\nIt is essential that your research question is formulated precisely. You should also ensure that it is appropriate in scope for the assignment and that you have sufficient time and resources to answer it adequately. Developing a good research question is already a substantial part of the academic work. While research questions in academic research are expected to be innovative and connected to existing scholarly debates, research questions developed during your studies are not required to make original scholarly contributions. Nevertheless, they should reflect the current state of knowledge presented in the course and ideally develop an independent perspective on the topic—for example, by making a connection or exploring an aspect that was not explicitly discussed during the seminar.\nIf this answer does not fully address your concerns, we encourage you to consult additional resources from other universities on developing research questions or discuss your ideas with your instructor.\nHow many credit points can I earn? The composition and scope of assessments are defined in the respective study regulations. As a rule, a distinction is made between active participation (2 ECTS credits) and a graded or ungraded assessment (5 ECTS credits), which may consist of several components. One ECTS credit corresponds to approximately 30 hours of student workload. What happens in the case of attempted deception? From time to time, assignments are submitted that have been downloaded from the internet or copied, either partially or entirely, from books or other sources. This constitutes intentional academic misconduct. In such cases, you forfeit the right to receive credit for the respective course.\nBeyond the formal consequences, academic dishonesty also damages the trust that forms the basis of academic supervision. As a result, we would generally decline to supervise or examine future qualification theses, such as a Bachelor\u0026rsquo;s thesis. Academic misconduct therefore harms not only the discipline but, above all, your own academic development.\nWhat is the difference between a written elaboration (Ausarbeitung) and a term paper (Hausarbeit)? A written elaboration builds on a presentation that has already been given and therefore focuses on the content presented there. It is advisable to select one particular aspect and examine it in greater depth. As with any academic work, sources must be properly cited and included in a bibliography. Both the presentation and the elaboration are expected to be based on a clearly formulated research question.\nThe two formats differ not only in length but also in their academic ambitions.\nA written elaboration allows you to further develop a topic that you have already prepared for a presentation. You may largely retain the argumentation and structure of your presentation, and the scope does not necessarily need to extend beyond the original topic. Formally, however, it must meet the same academic standards as a term paper.\nA term paper, by contrast, should go beyond the content of the presentation. In addition to accurately describing the topic, it should establish connections to further theoretical or empirical perspectives. Where appropriate, you may also incorporate a small empirical research project, for example through interviews, questionnaires, or other academic methods. In any case, your conclusions should include critical reflection on your own findings and demonstrate your ability to assess both the limitations and the significance of your results.\nHow is a term paper structured? A term paper is the fundamental form of academic engagement with a topic. It is organised around a research question that you develop independently on the basis of scholarly literature and introduce in the opening section. It is important that the research question is clearly defined and appropriately limited in scope. Rather than addressing a broad topic such as \u0026ldquo;Media and Violence\u0026rdquo; in general, a term paper should focus on a specific aspect or perspective.\nThe introduction usually explains the relevance of the topic, presents the research question, and outlines the structure of the paper. The main body discusses those aspects of the topic that are necessary to answer the research question, drawing on relevant academic literature. The conclusion brings these aspects together, returns explicitly to the research question, and presents the overall findings.\nWhen is the deadline for submitting written work? Deadlines for written coursework and examinations are determined individually within each course.\nAs a general rule, written assessments for courses held during the summer semester must be submitted no later than 30 September of the respective year. Written assessments for courses held during the winter semester must be submitted no later than 31 March of the respective year.\nIn justified exceptional cases, deadline extensions may be granted. Please contact your examiner in good time if you require an extension.\nHow does an oral examination or thesis presentation work? If you would like to take an oral examination, you should agree on both the topic and the examination date with your examiner in advance. During the examination, an additional member of staff will be present to document the proceedings.\nIn an oral examination or thesis presentation, you will usually present two prepared topics in a presentation of approximately 20–25 minutes. One of the topics should have a theoretical focus, while the other should be practice-oriented. The theses you present serve as the basis for a subsequent discussion with your examiners.\nHow long should presentations be? Presentations given as coursework or examinations should generally last around 20 minutes. If the presentation constitutes the formal assessment, it must also be accompanied by a written elaboration. When will I receive my grade? Grades for oral examinations are communicated immediately after the examination.\nFor written assessments, examiners generally have up to six weeks after the submission deadline to complete the evaluation.\nMedia Projects # What counts as a media project? Media projects may be completed individually or as group work. The size and scope of the project depend, among other things, on the design of the respective course and the assessment options available within the corresponding module.\nMedia projects may take the form of podcasts, film productions, video game essays, websites, apps, or other formats with a clear connection to media education and a focus on the critical and reflective engagement with media. The aim is to move beyond the limitations of the written word while maintaining academic standards. Like traditional term papers, media projects are expected to follow scholarly principles and be based on a clearly formulated research question.\nHow long does a film project have to be? In general, it is difficult to specify a fixed duration for audiovisual projects, as their scope depends on a variety of factors, including the size of the project team, preparation, filming, design, post-production, and editing. Consequently, there is no universally applicable minimum or maximum running time. Instead, the scope of the project should be appropriate to the research question and the intended learning outcomes. What is a video essay? A video essay is a format that allows you to engage with a topic through audiovisual materials. Rather than relying solely on written text, arguments are developed and supported directly through moving images, sound, and other media elements. This makes it possible to illustrate, substantiate, and critically examine your thesis using the medium itself as part of the academic argument. When does a video project have to be submitted? Video and film projects completed as part of courses in the summer semester must be submitted by the end of the semester, no later than 30 September of the respective year.\nVideo and film projects completed as part of courses in the winter semester must likewise be submitted by the end of the semester, no later than 31 March of the respective year.\nWhat do I need to consider for internet projects? An internet project differs from a traditional term paper primarily in its mode of presentation. Instead of following a linear written format, it should make meaningful use of the possibilities offered by the web, wherever these support the investigation of the topic. Like a term paper, an internet project is based on a clearly defined academic research question that guides its structure and argumentation. Are there design requirements for creating websites? No. There are no mandatory design requirements for websites. However, we strongly recommend considering the following guidelines:\nPay attention to loading times. Websites often require the loading of many additional files, particularly large assets such as high-resolution images. Ensure compatibility across different web browsers. Users access websites with a variety of browsers, so accessibility and consistent functionality are essential. In general, it is advisable to develop websites in accordance with W3C standards. Validating your markup is an effective way to identify and resolve potential issues. Keep usability in mind. A well-designed interface makes complex academic content easier to understand and navigate. Since scholarly topics can be highly complex, it is worth investing time in carefully planning the site\u0026rsquo;s structure and navigation before development begins. Maintain academic standards. Internet projects also require proper citation of all sources and a complete bibliography. Take advantage of the hypertextual nature of the web. Use hyperlinks to provide readers with additional information and direct access to referenced sources wherever appropriate.\nWhat role do programming skills play? You do not need to be a professional web developer to create an excellent internet project. A wide range of content management systems as well as AI-assisted development tools (\u0026ldquo;vibe coding\u0026rdquo;) can help you design and present your project effectively.\nYou may also find our collection of useful web design tools and services helpful.\nCan I include podcasts or other formats? Yes. In fact, incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, podcasts, and other media is encouraged whenever they contribute meaningfully to your argument and help answer your research question. The web thrives on connecting different forms of content, and academic internet projects should make thoughtful use of these possibilities. Please ensure, however, that all embedded materials comply with applicable data protection regulations and copyright law. Final Theses # Can I write my Bachelor\u0026#39;s thesis on a topic in media education? Yes, absolutely. If, based on your studies, you would like to pursue a topic related to media education, simply contact the relevant members of the working group. Together, we will discuss your ideas and the next steps for supervising your Bachelor\u0026rsquo;s thesis.\nWe also welcome inquiries from students whose thesis topics engage with media education from an interdisciplinary perspective. In such cases, you are encouraged to contact members of the working group to discuss your project, receive advice, and explore possibilities for supervision.\nCan I dedicate my Master\u0026#39;s thesis to media education? Yes. We are happy to supervise Master\u0026rsquo;s theses that address topics in media education, provided that you have acquired the necessary background knowledge through your studies.\nPlease contact the member of the working group with whom you would like to develop your Master\u0026rsquo;s project. We will then discuss your research idea together and clarify all questions regarding supervision, expectations, and the thesis process.\nWhere do I find the forms for registering final theses? The required registration forms for Bachelor\u0026rsquo;s and Master\u0026rsquo;s theses are provided by the respective examination office of your degree programme.\nPlease refer to your programme\u0026rsquo;s examination office or faculty website to ensure that you use the current forms and follow the applicable submission procedures. If you have any questions regarding supervision or the registration process, feel free to contact the working group.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/education/faq/","section":"Education","summary":"Answers to frequently asked questions about assessments, media projects, and final theses.","title":"Frequently Asked Questions","type":"education"},{"content":"display is a creative and experimentation space in central Frankfurt where digitalization becomes tangible: an open laboratory for digital society with workshops, talks, exhibitions, and hands-on formats. It is run by the non-profit NODE association in cooperation with the City of Frankfurt, offering programs for schools, initiatives, businesses, and the interested public.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/network/display/","section":"Research","summary":"Creative and experimentation space for digital society in the heart of Frankfurt.","title":"display - creative space","type":"research"},{"content":"Here you find helpful resources for your studies. They include literature databases, publishers and journals, studies on media use, initiatives, and collections of tools and services.\nResearch # University Library # Make use of the University Library\u0026rsquo;s offerings and wide range of services when searching for journal articles, periodicals, books, and more.\nLiterature Databases # katalog.adlr.link: Resources for communication, media, and film studies. bildungsserver.de: The German Education Server is the information portal on Germany\u0026rsquo;s federal education system, run jointly by the federal government and the sixteen federal states. FIS Bildung: Literature database for educational research. ism-info.de: ISM Information System Media Education — portal on media and information literacy. ERIC: Search of the Education Resources Information Center. Google Scholar: Google LLC\u0026rsquo;s search engine for general academic literature research. loc.gov: Library of Congress (LoC). pedocs.de: Pedocs is a repository for literature in education research. It is free for contributors and users, follows the open-access principle, and is run by the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education. ResearchGate: ResearchGate is a commercial social network and database. Semantic Scholar: Semantic Scholar is an AI-based research tool for academic literature. Social Science Research Network (SSRN): The Social Science Research Network is a website and document server for the rapid dissemination of research papers in the social sciences, humanities, and economics. Social Science Open Access Repository (SSOAR): A freely accessible document server making social science articles openly available. Publishers and Journals # Verlag Barbara Budrich: Academic publisher for political science, education research, sociology, social work, and gender studies. Verlag Beltz: Publishing group focusing on children\u0026rsquo;s and young-adult books, education, further education, pedagogy, and psychology. Medienpaed.com: MedienPädagogik is an electronic journal for the theory and practice of media education. Medienimpulse.at: Medienimpulse is an Austrian academic journal on media education. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, it has appeared quarterly since 1992, and as an online magazine since 2009. kopaed: Publisher for communication and pedagogy, based in Munich. Sage Publications: Independent academic publisher in the United States. Seminar.net: International open-access journal on theoretical and practical aspects of learning among young people, adults, and older people. SpringerLink: SpringerLink is a commercial information service for books and journals. Taylor and Francis Online: British publishing group based in London, publishing over 1,000 academic journals and around 2,000 books per year. Transcript: An academic publisher based in Bielefeld. Antiquarian and Used Books # AbeBooks: An international online marketplace for books, brokering new and used books between sellers and buyers for a commission; the company does not trade itself. Booklooker: An online marketplace for books, audiobooks, games, films, and music, brokering new and used items between sellers and buyers for a commission. ZVAB: Founded in Berlin in 1996 by students Bernd Heinisch, Friedemann Kutschbach, and Jens Bauersachs to simplify the difficult and often fruitless search for antiquarian books in physical shops. Projects and Material # Studies on Media Use # ARD-ZDF-Onlinestudien: Since 1997, the ARD/ZDF online studies have tracked the development of internet use in Germany and how users engage with online offerings. Medienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest (mpfs): Since 1998, the association has collected independent baseline data on how children and young people in Germany use media. D21-DIGITAL-INDEX: The D21 Digital Index study is the annual report on the state of the digital society, showing how German society can make use of digital transformation. Landesanstalt für Medien NRW: Studies, materials, and publication series on media research and education. Initiatives # Unblackthebox: UNBLACK THE BOX is a network initiative founded in 2019 by researchers from education, sociology, educational informatics, media and health pedagogy, together with teachers in schools, higher education, and teacher training. Bildung #mitgedacht: The initiative invites people to think along and — in contrast to classic movements and position papers — opens a participatory space for media discourse and exchange, encouraging all stakeholders to take a constructive part in the debate on the future of education. Critical Big Data and Algorithmic Literacy Network (CBDALN): The informal network brings together international experts from relevant fields and offers a comprehensive database of educational resources and materials for fostering critical data literacy. Services and Tools # We have curated a growing collection of tools that support research, teaching, and creative work with digital technologies. These include a collection of useful tools for working with digital media as well as a collection of tools for online collaboration. We continuously expand these collections and warmly welcome suggestions for additional resources.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/education/resources/","section":"Education","summary":"Literature databases, publishers, studies on media use, initiatives, and collections of tools and services for your studies.","title":"Resources","type":"education"},{"content":"Together with the Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität (MGGU) we created the Data Detectives workshops — a playful format on children\u0026rsquo;s rights and privacy literacy, bringing questions of data and privacy into the museum.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/network/giersch-museum/","section":"Research","summary":"Together we created the Data Detectives workshops on children’s rights and privacy literacy.","title":"Museum Giersch der Goethe-Universität","type":"research"},{"content":"We share our research beyond papers — in conference talks, workshops, barcamps and public science-communication formats.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/transfer/","section":"Research","summary":"Talks, workshops, barcamps and science-communication formats by the working group.","title":"Transfer","type":"research"},{"content":"NODE is an open platform for the exchange on culture, arts, and technology, run by the Frankfurt-based non-profit NODE Verein zur Förderung Digitaler Kultur e. V. It hosts the biennial NODE Forum for Digital Arts festival with creative coding workshops, exhibitions, performances, and discourse formats.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/network/node-forum/","section":"Research","summary":"Frankfurt-based non-profit platform for the exchange on culture, arts, and technology.","title":"NODE Forum for Digital Arts","type":"research"},{"content":"","date":"1. October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/ank%C3%BCndigung/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Ankündigung","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/announcement/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Announcement","type":"tags"},{"content":"We are a research group exploring the intersections of education and computation through research and teaching. We publish our research, teaching materials, and share updates on our activities in news.\n","date":"1 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/","section":"Home","summary":"We are a research group exploring the intersections of education and computation through research and teaching. We publish our research, teaching materials, and share updates on our activities in news.\n","title":"Home","type":"page"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/","section":"News","summary":"","title":"News","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/people/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"People","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1. October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/personen/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Personen","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"1 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/team/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Team","type":"tags"},{"content":"We are delighted to welcome Rosalie A. Waelen to the research group.\nRosalie joins as postdoctoral researcher and her research focuses on the ethics of artificial intelligence, applied ethics, philosophy of technology, critical theory, and social and political philosophy. In her work she examines technologies such as computer vision, facial recognition, and emotion recognition from an ethical perspective, with particular attention to questions of power.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re delighted to welcome Rosalie to our team. We look forward to the ideas, collaborations, and experiences we\u0026rsquo;ll share together. A very warm welcome!\n","date":"1 October 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20261001-welcome-oct26/","section":"News","summary":"We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Rosalie Waelen to our research group. Starting October 1, she will be joining our team as a postdoctoral researcher focusing on AI, ethics, and critical theory.","title":"Welcome to the Working Group!","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"30 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ai-literacy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"AI Literacy","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/conference/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Conference","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/critical-computational-literacy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Critical Computational Literacy","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/privacy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Privacy","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/skill/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"SKILL","type":"tags"},{"content":"From 7–9 October 2026, we will be at the annual conference of Plattform Privatheit, where we will present our work from the SKILL project.\nIn SKILL, we explore how artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data privacy can become subjects of critical and practical engagement in schools. A particular focus is on how students and teachers imagine AI and how these imaginaries shape their understanding of data, privacy, and digital technologies.\nWe are looking forward to presenting our approaches and exchanging perspectives with the privacy research community!\n","date":"30 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260930-plattform-privatheit2026/","section":"News","summary":"At the annual Plattform Privatheit conference, we will present the SKILL project and our work on AI, privacy literacy, and Critical Computational Literacy.","title":"SKILL at Plattform Privatheit 2026","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"21 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ai/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"AI","type":"tags"},{"content":"From 28 September to 2 October 2026, the DGS Congress 2026 will take place at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.\nDan Verständig, together with Annekatrin Bock (University of Vechta) and Franco Rau (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg), will contribute a talk on Futures of Education in the Context of Digital Infrastructures: Between Governance and Inequality.\nThe contribution asks how educational systems are changing under increasingly data-intensive and AI-supported conditions. Digital infrastructures and algorithmic systems increasingly shape processes of assessment, observation, and decision-making, transforming not only educational practices but also institutional responsibilities and forms of social differentiation. The contribution particularly addresses tensions between educational judgement, algorithmic governance, and social inequality. At the same time, it challenges the idea of technological development as a linear or inevitable future of education and instead asks how plural and contested educational futures can be made visible.\nWe are looking forward to the discussions and conversations in Mainz!\nView the conference programme\n","date":"21 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260921-dgs-kongress/","section":"News","summary":"At the DGS Congress 2026 in Mainz, Dan Verständig, Annekatrin Bock, and Franco Rau will discuss possible futures of education under data-intensive and AI-supported conditions.","title":"DGS Congress 2026 in Mainz","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"21 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/dgs2026/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"DGS2026","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/digital-infrastructures/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Digital Infrastructures","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"21 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/education/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Education","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/data-literacy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Data Literacy","type":"tags"},{"content":"From 16–19 September, our team will be contributing two hands-on workshops exploring how we can engage critically, creatively, and playfully with AI, data, and digital infrastructures.\nOn Wednesday, Anna Bräunig and Dan Verständig together with Julia Wierzbowski and Marvin Priedigkeit from Codenauten, as well as Britta Kölling, will host “Tracing Digital Footprints: Unlocking Privacy in the Age of AI.”\nBuilding on work from our SKILL project and the AI Awareness Lab, the workshop invites participants to become Data Detectives: tracing digital footprints, exploring who can access our data, and experimenting with playful approaches to privacy and AI literacy. At ECCES, the format will be playtested and discussed together with teachers, researchers, and participants. Combining hands-on activities with Critical Computational Literacy, the workshop explores how questions of data, surveillance, privacy, and participation can become tangible in educational settings.\nOn Friday, Ula Przybylska and Dan Verständig will host a Co-Construction Workshop (CCWS).\nRather than treating data as something simply given, the workshop explores how data is continuously generated, transformed, interpreted, and reframed through our practices. In a hands-on co-construction setting, participants will experiment with ways of making these processes visible — including their gaps, frictions, transitions, uncertainties, and multiple perspectives. The workshop brings our CCWS approach into conversation with creative data practices and serves as an experimental space for our ongoing RMU Data Dialogue. Together, we will map some of the messiness of working with data — and explore what becomes visible when visualisation itself becomes a practice of reflection and critique.\nWe are looking forward to three days of experimenting, playing, discussing, and exchanging ideas in Hamburg!\n","date":"10 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260910-ecces-2026/","section":"News","summary":"From 16–19 September, our team will be at ECCES 2026 in Hamburg, contributing two hands-on workshops on AI, data privacy, and reflexive visualization practices.","title":"ECCES 2026 in Hamburg","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"10 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ecces2026/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"ECCES2026","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/workshop/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Workshop","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ai-art/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"AI Art","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/creativity/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Creativity","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20. August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/digitalit%C3%A4t/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Digitalität","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/digitality/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Digitality","type":"tags"},{"content":"With the growing spread of complex computational technologies into creative and artistic fields, the question of the role and significance of creative practitioners and artists arises from a subject-theoretical perspective. In an interdisciplinary ethnographic study, Juliane Koglin shows how creativity and mediality are renegotiated in a world shaped by algorithms and emergent processes. What role do algorithmic and data infrastructures play in creative-artistic practices — and how can they be brought into analytical view? The study shows that these changed conditions have a direct impact on processes of articulation and subjectivation.\nThe dissertation (original German title: Mensch und Maschine im Atelier. Zur Bedeutung von rechenbasierten Technologien für kreativ-künstlerische Praktiken) was submitted on 30 April 2025 and published by transcript on 3 February 2026 (324 pages, ISBN 978-3-8376-8145-1).\nThe book at transcript publishing\n","date":"20 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/theses/mensch-und-maschine-im-atelier/","section":"Research","summary":"In an interdisciplinary ethnographic study, Juliane Koglin shows how creativity and mediality are renegotiated in a world shaped by algorithms and emergent processes — and what computational technologies mean for processes of articulation and subjectivation in creative and artistic practices.","title":"Human and Machine in the Studio","type":"research"},{"content":"","date":"20. August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/ki-kunst/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"KI Kunst","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"20. August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/kreativit%C3%A4t/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kreativität","type":"tags"},{"content":"Our research spans externally funded projects, and the partnerships that support them.\n","date":"20 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/","section":"Research","summary":"Our research spans externally funded projects, and the partnerships that support them.\n","title":"Research","type":"research"},{"content":"The BMFTR-funded project \u0026ldquo;Serious Games for AI and Privacy Literacy in Schools (SKILL)\u0026rdquo; at the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S), Goethe University Frankfurt, is looking for a student assistant (m/f/d, 80 hrs/month), starting as soon as possible.\nThe position is initially limited to one year, with the option of extension — a longer-term collaboration is explicitly desired.\nYour tasks # Supporting the design and development of interactive teaching and learning materials Research for academic publications and project reports Supporting the preparation and follow-up of workshops on privacy literacy and machine learning in school and out-of-school contexts Requirements # Basic experience with digital tools (e.g. collaborative platforms, simple web technologies, content management systems) Basic skills in media design and production (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite or comparable creative applications) Good German and/or English skills; willingness to develop the missing language Additionally desirable:\nFirst experience with qualitative social research methods Experience with reference management software (e.g. Zotero) How to apply # Please send your application with the usual documents (short cover letter, CV, certificate of enrolment) by e-mail to Prof. Dr. Dan Verständig — subject line: SKILL SHK. Please combine your documents into a single PDF no larger than 5 MB.\nDownload the full announcement (PDF).\n","date":"11 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260811-skill-shk/","section":"News","summary":"The BMFTR-funded SKILL project at the C3S is looking for a student assistant (80 hrs/month), starting as soon as possible.","title":"Job Opening: Student Assistant","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"11 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/jobs/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Jobs","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11. August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/stellenangebot/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Stellenangebot","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"11. August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/bildungstheorie/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bildungstheorie","type":"tags"},{"content":"The starting point of this habilitation is the question of how a theory of Bildung can be reformulated under the conditions of a culture of digitality, and what possibilities remain for autonomy and maturity within binary-algorithmic structures. Its focus is the notion of the in-between, understood as a space of the undecided. In binary-algorithmic structures, which are carried by unambiguity and classification, spaces of the undecided — of vagueness, negotiation, and virtuality, all of which point to contingency — are dwindling. Yet these spaces are elementary for a critically reflexive relation of human beings to themselves, to others, and to the world: the very foundation of theories of Bildung, which the habilitation connects, among other concepts, to the notion of disruption.\nAt the centre of the research design stands a concept of Bildung that can connect to forthcoming research questions in cultures of the digital. To develop it, classical models and ideas of the Bildung discourse are taken up, discussed and advanced under the new cultural conditions, and, in a concluding section, a concept of Bildung is developed against the background of collectives.\n","date":"11 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/theses/digitale-kollektive/","section":"Research","summary":"This habilitation project asks how a theory of Bildung can be reformulated under the conditions of a culture of digitality. Its focus is the notion of the in-between as a space of the undecided — a space that dwindles in binary-algorithmic structures, and with it the basis of a critically reflexive relation to oneself, to others, and to the world.","title":"Digital Collectives. Educational-Theoretical Analyses for a Culture of Digitality","type":"research"},{"content":"","date":"11 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/educational-theory/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Educational Theory","type":"tags"},{"content":"Modern large language models (LLMs) have made interaction with artificial intelligence accessible through everyday language. In educational contexts, they can generate explanations, reformulate content, provide examples, answer follow-up questions, and adapt contributions to an evolving dialogue. Yet fluent outputs are not necessarily accurate, relevant, or conducive to learning. Whether LLMs can contribute to jointly developing explanations therefore depends on their capabilities and on how users formulate goals, evaluate responses, and shape the interaction.\nThis project asks to what extent LLMs enable the joint development of explanations and how such interaction can be described theoretically. It examines which contributions support mutual reference, monitoring, and scaffolding, how users elicit and respond to them, and which possibilities and limitations arise from the complementary but asymmetric relationship between humans and language models. It also investigates the knowledge and skills required for purposeful, critical, and responsible use and the implications for AI literacy and computer science education.\nThe project combines three theoretical perspectives. The theory of hybrid interaction systems directs attention to the reciprocal influence of humans and digital artifacts within specific contexts of use (Schulte \u0026amp; Budde, 2018). Research on explanation as a social practice conceptualizes explanations as processes in which participants negotiate their object, form, and aim (Rohlfing et al., 2021). AI literacy provides a framework for identifying the cognitive, practical, affective, and ethical competencies required for reflective engagement with AI. Building on these perspectives, the project introduces co-construction as an approach to human–LLM explanatory interaction and develops the concept of co-constructive prompting. Prompting is understood not as formulating a single optimal input, but as an iterative process in which provisional goals and generated explanations are examined, refined, corrected, and extended.\nThe exploratory project comprises three studies intended to develop theory from complementary perspectives. The first examines participants\u0026rsquo; accounts of their experiences with LLMs. The second observes two people using an LLM together and investigates how they organize the interaction, interpret responses, and determine subsequent actions. The third uses a workshop to discuss the joint construction of explanations with an LLM. Comparing interactions before and after the workshop allows changes following reflection to be explored. Across the studies, analyses address conversations as well as individual prompts and responses. They consider whether model outputs provide contributions on which users can build, particularly connections with earlier dialogue, opportunities to monitor understanding, and appropriate support. These functions do not imply human-like understanding, intention, or responsibility. Users remain responsible for assessing plausibility, consulting other sources, and deciding how generated content should be used.\nThe expected contribution is a theoretically grounded, analytically applicable model specifying under which conditions LLMs can participate in co-constructive explanatory interaction. Connecting model capabilities with communicative practices and educational aims clarifies the potential and boundaries of co-constructive prompting. The project seeks to inform learning opportunities beyond prompt templates. Learners should monitor emerging explanations, evaluate outputs using epistemic and ethical criteria, and deliberately shape human–AI interaction. Interaction with LLMs thus becomes both a means of learning and an object of critical reflection.\nReferences # Rohlfing, K. J., Cimiano, P., Scharlau, I., Matzner, T., Buhl, H. M., Buschmeier, H., Esposito, E., Grimminger, A., Hammer, B., Häb-Umbach, R., Horwath, I., Hüllermeier, E., Kern, F., Kopp, S., Thommes, K., Ngonga Ngomo, A.-C., Schulte, C., Wachsmuth, H., Wagner, P., \u0026amp; Wrede, B. (2021). Explanation as a Social Practice: Toward a Conceptual Framework for the Social Design of AI Systems. IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, 13(3), 717–728. https://doi.org/10.1109/TCDS.2020.3044366 Schulte, C., \u0026amp; Budde, L. (2018). A Framework for Computing Education: Hybrid Interaction System: The need for a bigger picture in computing education. Proceedings of the 18th Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1145/3279720.3279733 ","date":"10 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/theses/co-constructive-interaction/","section":"Research","summary":"This doctoral project investigates how explanations can be developed jointly in the interaction between humans and large language models. Building on hybrid interaction systems, explanation as a social practice, and AI literacy, it develops the concept of co-constructive prompting: an iterative process of examining, refining, and extending generated explanations. Three exploratory studies trace how users organize, monitor, and reflect on their interaction with LLMs.","title":"Co-Constructive Interaction with Language Models","type":"research"},{"content":"","date":"10 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ecer2026/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"ECER2026","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/explainable-ai/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Explainable AI","type":"tags"},{"content":"Anna Bräunig and Dan Verständig will be at #ECER2026 in Tampere, Finland!\nThe European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) is one of the major international meeting points for educational research. Researchers from across Europe and beyond come together to share their work, exchange perspectives, and discuss education in relation to social, cultural, technological, and political change.\nAnna and Dan will contribute to these conversations by presenting work from the SKILL project. Their contribution engages with questions around AI, education, and socio-technical imaginaries, exploring how ideas, expectations, and narratives around artificial intelligence take shape in educational contexts.\nWe are looking forward to inspiring conversations, new perspectives, and meeting colleagues in Tampere!\nRead our abstract here.\n","date":"10 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260810-ecer2026/","section":"News","summary":"Meet us at ECER 2026 in Tampere, where we will present our work from the SKILL project and join the international conversation on educational research.","title":"Meet us at the ECER 2026!","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"10 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/people/michael-lenke/","section":"People","summary":"","title":"Michael Lenke","type":"people"},{"content":"","date":"10 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/people/","section":"People","summary":"","title":"People","type":"people"},{"content":"","date":"10 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/socialxai/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"SocialXAI","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"10 August 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/talk/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Talk","type":"tags"},{"content":"Anna Bräunig is a research associate in the working group and works in the SKILL project. As a digital creative, she also works across photography, digital design, social media, and public relations. A portfolio of her work can be found on her website.\n","date":"16 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/team/anna/","section":"Group Members","summary":"Anna Bräunig is a research associate in the working group and works in the SKILL project. As a digital creative, she also works across photography, digital design, social media, and public relations. A portfolio of her work can be found on her website.\n","title":"Anna Bräunig","type":"team"},{"content":"As part of C3S, the working group uses a shared pool solution for office and support requests. Every message is read by the C3S Office and routed to the appropriate person. Send us an email to mail@medienbildung.team. Ideas, feedback, and suggestions are always welcome.\nOur working group brings together researchers with diverse disciplinary backgrounds who share an interest in educational theory, Critical Computational Literacy, digital inequality and critical technology studies. Together, we conduct research, teach across disciplines, and collaborate with academic and societal partners to explore the relation of digital technologies in education and society.\nJoining the working group # If you would like to carry out research in our group as a postdoc, several funding programmes can support you:\nDFG Walter Benjamin Programme — early-career postdocs DFG Emmy Noether Programme — experienced postdocs establishing an independent junior research group Klaus Tschira BOOST FUND — supports postdoctoral researchers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science with flexible funding for independent, high-risk, and interdisciplinary research, alongside career development and networking opportunities. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships — incoming, worldwide Humboldt Research Fellowship — postdocs and experienced researchers from abroad DAAD PRIME — postdoctoral researchers\u0026rsquo; international mobility Scholarships and support for doctoral students\nGerman Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes) — Germany\u0026rsquo;s largest and oldest scholarship foundation for academically gifted students. It provides financial support as well as an extensive non-material programme including summer academies, international opportunities, mentoring, and interdisciplinary networking for outstanding students and doctoral researchers. StipendiumPlus – Germany\u0026rsquo;s 13 Scholarship Foundations — An overview of the 13 scholarship foundations funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). Together they support students, doctoral researchers, and in some cases apprentices through financial assistance, academic development, and networking opportunities. Doctoral students from abroad can consider:\nDAAD scholarships for doctoral students — incoming, worldwide Visiting researchers # We welcome visiting researchers and international fellows who are interested in collaborating with our working group. Funding may be available through programmes such as:\nErasmus+ — staff mobility, research exchange, and international collaboration DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service — scholarships and funding for international researchers Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowships — fellowships for postdoctoral and experienced researchers Bilateral exchange programmes — offered by your home institution or through existing international university partnerships If you are interested in working with us, please send us your CV together with a brief statement outlining your research interests and explaining how they relate to the work of our group.\n","date":"16 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/team/","section":"Group Members","summary":"As part of C3S, the working group uses a shared pool solution for office and support requests. Every message is read by the C3S Office and routed to the appropriate person. Send us an email to mail@medienbildung.team. Ideas, feedback, and suggestions are always welcome.\n","title":"Group Members","type":"team"},{"content":"We are delighted to welcome Anna Bräunig and Lynn Haag to the Critical Computational Literacy research group.\nLynn recently joined the working group as a student assistant, supporting our work in science communication, design, and the Critical Computational Workshop Series (CCWS). She will contribute to communicating our research, developing visual materials, and supporting events and public engagement activities.\nAnna joins our team as a researcher in the SKILL Project. Her work focuses on AI imaginaries and investigates how different ideas, narratives, and expectations surrounding artificial intelligence shape educational practices, technologies, and future visions. Through her research, she contributes to our broader work on Critical Computational Literacy and critical perspectives on AI in education.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re delighted to welcome Anna and Lynn to our team. We look forward to the ideas, collaborations, and experiences we\u0026rsquo;ll share together. A very warm welcome!\n","date":"15 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260715-welcome-july26/","section":"News","summary":"We are delighted to welcome Anna Bräunig and Lynn Haag to the Critical Computational Literacy research group.","title":"Welcome to the Working Group!","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"7. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/ki/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"KI","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/raspberry-pi-foundation/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Raspberry Pi Foundation","type":"tags"},{"content":"On 14 July 2026, Dan Verständig will give an invited talk as part of the Raspberry Pi Foundation Research Seminar Series.\nThe online seminar brings together an international audience of researchers, teacher educators, educators, technology professionals, and policymakers to discuss current developments in computing education and digital technologies. Since the series began, participants from more than 60 countries have joined the conversations.\nIn his presentation, Dan will introduce perspectives from Critical Computational Literacy, exploring how educational approaches can move beyond technical skills to critically engage with computational systems, AI, and digital infrastructures. The seminar will be followed by breakout discussions and an open Q\u0026amp;A with participants.\nFound out more here: https://www.raspberrypi.org/research-impact/research/seminars\n📅 Date: 14 July 2026\n🕔 Time: 17:00–18:30 BST (18:00–19:30 CEST)\n💻 Online (Zoom)\nRegistration is open via the Raspberry Pi Foundation: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-0Wd4LeRRKW4NOYfAxDtmQ\n","date":"7 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260707-raspberrypi-ccl/","section":"News","summary":"On 14 July, Dan Verständig will give an online seminar in the Raspberry Pi Foundation Research Seminar Series, exploring Critical Computational Literacy and educational perspectives on AI.","title":"Raspberry Pi Foundation Seminar Series","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"7 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/seminar/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Seminar","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"7. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/vortrag/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Vortrag","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/barcamp/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Barcamp","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/ccws/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"CCWS","type":"tags"},{"content":"From 9–12 July 2026, Ula Przybylska will be participating in the Tech Utopia Barcamp, where she will facilitate a co-construction workshop on Explainable AI (XAI).\nUnder the motto \u0026ldquo;Let\u0026rsquo;s become digitally independent – together.\u0026rdquo;, the barcamp brings together people interested in digital sovereignty, open technologies, and community-driven alternatives to today\u0026rsquo;s dominant digital platforms.\nWhy is your data \u0026ldquo;free\u0026rdquo;? Is it possible to move beyond WhatsApp, Google, and similar services without losing connection to others? These are some of the questions explored throughout the event.\nIn her workshop, Ula will invite participants to collaboratively explore Explainable AI (XAI) and discuss how AI systems can become more transparent, understandable, and co-constructed through diverse perspectives.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re attending the Tech Utopia Barcamp, come and say hello—we\u0026rsquo;d love to meet you and continue the conversation.\n👉 Learn more: https://local-it.org/barcamp2026/\n","date":"4 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260704-tech-utopia-barcamp/","section":"News","summary":"From 9–12 July, Ula Przybylska will join Tech Utopia Barcamp and facilitate a co-construction workshop on Explainable AI (XAI).","title":"CCWS @ Tech Utopia Barcamp 2026","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"4 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/event/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Event","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/people/anna-br%C3%A4unig/","section":"People","summary":"","title":"Anna Bräunig","type":"people"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/artificial-intelligence/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Artificial Intelligence","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/childrens-rights/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Children's Rights","type":"tags"},{"content":"The Civic Data Lab supports civil society organizations in using data for public-interest goals, offering free networking, learning opportunities, and project consulting — from data management and visualization to artificial intelligence. It is jointly run by the Gesellschaft für Informatik, CorrelAid, and the German Caritas Association.\nOur involvement # Dan Verständig serves as a member of the Civic Data Lab\u0026rsquo;s advisory board.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/projects/civic-data-lab/","section":"Research","summary":"Supporting civil society in creating social value with data — we contribute through advisory board membership.","title":"Civic Data Lab","type":"research"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/civil-society/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Civil Society","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/coding-education/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coding Education","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/coding-bildung/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Coding-Bildung","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/creative-coding/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Creative Coding","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/people/dan-verst%C3%A4ndig/","section":"People","summary":"","title":"Dan Verständig","type":"people"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/data-justice/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Data Justice","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/data-visualization/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Data Visualization","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/datenvisualisierung/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Datenvisualisierung","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/digital-arts/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Digital Arts","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/digital-education/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Digital Education","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/digitale-bildung/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Digitale Bildung","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/digitale-kunst/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Digitale Kunst","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/erkl%C3%A4rbare-ki/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Erklärbare KI","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/hack---makespace/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hack- \u0026 Makespace","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/innovation/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Innovation","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/kinderrechte/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kinderrechte","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/k%C3%BCnstliche-intelligenz/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Künstliche Intelligenz","type":"tags"},{"content":"We\u0026rsquo;re happy to share our newly relaunched website. It brings together our research projects, PhD theses and Habilitations, teaching materials, and open resources in one place, in both English and German.\nOver the coming months we\u0026rsquo;ll be using this space to share updates on our work — new publications, workshops, and open resources for critical computational literacy education.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260702-launch-of-the-new-website/","section":"News","summary":"We’ve relaunched our website with a new design and a clearer overview of our research, teaching, and resources.","title":"Launch of the New Website","type":"news"},{"content":"Lynn Haag is a student assistant in the working group. She supports the team\u0026rsquo;s communication and helps create and edit workshop materials.\nAs a designer, she works across graphic design, animation, 3D visualization, and scientific illustration. A portfolio of her work can be found on her website.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/team/lynn/","section":"Group Members","summary":"Lynn Haag is a student assistant in the working group. She supports the team’s communication and helps create and edit workshop materials.\nAs a designer, she works across graphic design, animation, 3D visualization, and scientific illustration. A portfolio of her work can be found on her website.\n","title":"Lynn Haag","type":"team"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/privacy-literacy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Privacy Literacy","type":"tags"},{"content":"The RMU Data Dialogue is a format and platform for sharing and discussing data-related topics, dedicated to fostering critical and creative perspectives on data visualization, algorithmic practices, and digital infrastructures. Its focus is on visualizing data as critical practice — using visualization not merely to display information, but to interrogate, disrupt, and reimagine how data constructs realities.\nThe programme addresses data ethics, algorithmic bias, visualization politics, digital surveillance, and data justice through hands-on workshops, exploration groups, and inputs from international experts, inviting participants to experiment with critical, artistic, and speculative visualization techniques.\nThe Data Dialogue welcomes emerging researchers from the educational and social sciences, the arts, and computational fields, as well as creative technologists, data journalists, designers, and policymakers who critically engage with the social, cultural, and political implications of visualization.\nThe 2026 edition takes place 9–11 December at Goethe University Frankfurt, hosted by the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S) and organized through the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) strategic alliance.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/projects/data-dialogue/","section":"Research","summary":"A format and platform for sharing and discussing data-related topics — fostering critical and creative perspectives on data visualization, algorithmic practices, and digital infrastructures.","title":"RMU Data Dialogue","type":"research"},{"content":"Rosalie Waelen is a postdoctoral researcher in the working group. Her research focuses on the ethics of artificial intelligence, applied ethics, philosophy of technology, critical theory, and social and political philosophy. In her work she examines technologies such as computer vision, facial recognition, and emotion recognition from an ethical perspective, with particular attention to questions of power.\nShe received her PhD in AI ethics from the University of Twente in 2023 and subsequently worked as a researcher at the Sustainable AI Lab of the Institute for Science and Ethics (IWE) at the University of Bonn.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/team/rosalie/","section":"Group Members","summary":"Rosalie Waelen is a postdoctoral researcher in the working group. Her research focuses on the ethics of artificial intelligence, applied ethics, philosophy of technology, critical theory, and social and political philosophy. In her work she examines technologies such as computer vision, facial recognition, and emotion recognition from an ethical perspective, with particular attention to questions of power.\n","title":"Rosalie Waelen","type":"team"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/schools/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Schools","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/schule/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Schule","type":"tags"},{"content":"SKILL („Auswirkungen von Künstlicher Intelligenz in der Schule spielend erfassen\u0026quot; — playfully understanding the effects of artificial intelligence in schools) strengthens privacy literacy in school media education. In workshops with teachers and students, the project explores how artificial intelligence is perceived in everyday school life, and develops educational concepts and training modules on that basis. An interactive escape box with AI applications lets participants experience algorithmic processes hands-on and reflect critically on data protection risks.\nThe project is coordinated by Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and carried out together with Goethe University Frankfurt and Codenauten GmbH. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) within the research programme \u0026ldquo;Plattform Privatheit – IT-Sicherheit schützt Privatheit und stützt Demokratie\u0026rdquo;.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/projects/skill/","section":"Research","summary":"Strengthening privacy literacy in school media education through workshops, training modules, and an interactive escape box with AI applications.","title":"SKILL – Playfully Understanding the Effects of AI in Schools","type":"research"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/training/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Training","type":"tags"},{"content":"The Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 318 \u0026ldquo;Constructing Explainability\u0026rdquo; investigates how people can be actively involved in the processes by which algorithmic decisions are explained. Rather than treating explanations as something delivered to passive recipients, the centre develops the foundations of co-constructive explanation, in which explainer and explainee shape understanding together — so that users can make informed decisions and participate critically in a digital society.\nAround 75 researchers from linguistics, psychology, media studies, sociology, economics, computer science, and philosophy work together at Paderborn University and Bielefeld University across three research areas: explanation processes, explaining as a social practice, and the representation and computation of explanations.\nOur involvement # Ula (Sowa) Przybylska explores playful approaches to critical AI literacy within the project WIKO.\nMichael Lenke explores practices of prompting and educational theory in computing education in project WIKO.\nTogether both design and conducts Co-Construction Workshops (CCWS) aimed at improving people\u0026rsquo;s interaction with and understanding of artificial intelligence.\n","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/research/projects/trr318/","section":"Research","summary":"Collaborative Research Centre on co-constructive explanations of AI systems, involving users actively in the explanation process.","title":"TRR 318 – Constructing Explainability","type":"research"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/people/ula-przybylska/","section":"People","summary":"","title":"Ula Przybylska","type":"people"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/weiterbildung/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Weiterbildung","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2 July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/workshops/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Workshops","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"2. July 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/zivilgesellschaft/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Zivilgesellschaft","type":"tags"},{"content":"This week, Dan Verständig will participate in Breaking the Code: Hacktivating Non-Normative Algorithms, taking place at the Universidade do Porto from 18–19 June 2026.\nBringing together scholars and practitioners from media studies, critical code studies, digital humanities, art, and education, the conference explores how computational systems can be challenged through critical, creative, and non-normative approaches. This year\u0026rsquo;s theme, \u0026ldquo;Error 403 – Critical Refusals,\u0026rdquo; invites participants to rethink resistance, interruption, and refusal in digital cultures.\nDan\u0026rsquo;s talk, \u0026ldquo;Refusing to Run: Critique as Practice in Critical Computational Literacy,\u0026rdquo; examines how critique becomes educational not by fostering ever more competent interaction with computational systems, but by cultivating moments of refusal, interruption, and non-performance. From the perspective of Critical Computational Literacy, glitches, errors, and breakdowns are understood not as failures, but as productive pedagogical openings.\nWe are looking forward to engaging in discussions with colleagues from across disciplines and to contributing educational perspectives to the conversations on critical algorithmic practices.\nMore information about the conference is available at https://coda.letras.up.pt/brkcode/.\n","date":"15 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260615-breaking-code/","section":"News","summary":"Next week, Dan Verständig will present ‘Refusing to Run: Critique as Practice in Critical Computational Literacy’ at the Breaking the Code conference in Porto.","title":"Speaking at Breaking the Code 2026","type":"news"},{"content":"Next week, Ula Przybylska and Dan Verständig will travel to Erfurt to participate in the Civic Data Barcamp.\nAs part of the event, they will introduce the first iteration of The Biased Five, an unplugged, role-play-based workshop exploring Social Explainable AI (sXAI) through play, discussion, and collaborative reflection.\nIn the workshop, participants step into different everyday scenarios in which AI systems influence decisions, routines, and social interactions. Rather than explaining AI through technical concepts, The Biased Five invites participants to experience, question, and negotiate algorithmic decision-making from multiple perspectives.\nThe workshop serves as an experimental playground for developing educational approaches to Critical Computational Literacy and Social Explainable AI, where explanation is understood as a social, participatory, and situated practice.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re looking forward to meeting the Civic Data community, sharing ideas, and testing this new format together with participants.\nMore information about the Civic Data Barcamp: https://civic-data.de/barcamp/\n","date":"5 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/news/2026/20260605-civic-data-barcamp/","section":"News","summary":"Ula and Dan will present the first iteration of ‘The Biased Five’, a playful unplugged role-play workshop on Social Explainable AI, at the Civic Data Barcamp in Erfurt.","title":"CCWS @ Civic Data Barcamp","type":"news"},{"content":"","date":"5 June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/game/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Game","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"5. June 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/spiel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Spiel","type":"tags"},{"content":"Michael Lenke is a researcher at the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S). His work in the field of computer science education focuses on educational approaches that foster reflective and meaningful interactions with digital technologies. He is particularly interested in artificial intelligence, (explainable) AI in educational contexts and computational thinking.\nPrior to joining C3S, Michael Lenke worked as a researcher at Paderborn University in the field of computer science education. After completing his Master of Education for higher education in computer science and mathematics, he contributed to the Erasmus+ project TeaEdu4CT – Future Teachers Education: Computational Thinking and STEAM, where he developed teaching concepts for the education of future primary school teachers. He subsequently joined the Collaborative Research Center TRR 318 Constructing Explainability, where he designs and conducts workshops aimed at improving people\u0026rsquo;s interaction with and understanding of artificial intelligence.\n","date":"15 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/team/michael/","section":"Group Members","summary":"Michael Lenke is a researcher at the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S). His work in the field of computer science education focuses on educational approaches that foster reflective and meaningful interactions with digital technologies. He is particularly interested in artificial intelligence, (explainable) AI in educational contexts and computational thinking.\n","title":"Michael Lenke","type":"team"},{"content":"Natalie Scheib supports the working group from the office of the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S). She assists with management and communication, with events, and with organizational matters.\n","date":"15 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/team/natalie/","section":"Group Members","summary":"Natalie Scheib supports the working group from the office of the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S). She assists with management and communication, with events, and with organizational matters.\n","title":"Natalie Scheib","type":"team"},{"content":"Ula (Sowa) Przybylska (she/her) is a researcher and digital creative with a background in cultural anthropology and immersive media. At the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S), she explores playful approaches to AI literacy as part of the TRR 318 project Constructing Explainability.\nMoving between traditional and experimental research formats, her work combines critical inquiry with playful, embodied experiences that invite new ways of engaging with technology.\nPlease don\u0026rsquo;t hesitate to reach out!\n","date":"15 January 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/team/ula/","section":"Group Members","summary":"Ula (Sowa) Przybylska (she/her) is a researcher and digital creative with a background in cultural anthropology and immersive media. At the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S), she explores playful approaches to AI literacy as part of the TRR 318 project Constructing Explainability.\n","title":"Ula Przybylska","type":"team"},{"content":"Members of the research group teach across disciplines and degree programmes at Goethe University Frankfurt. Their courses cover educational theory, digital education, Critical Educational Technology Studies, Critical Data Studies, philosophy of education, ethics, and creative technologies. Reflecting the interdisciplinary mission of the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S), teaching combines critical inquiry with creative and research-based approaches to understanding computational technologies and their societal implications.\nCourses # Course Term Instructor Level Making Sense of AI: Unplugged and Playful Approaches to Explainable AI WiSe 2026/27 Ula Przybylska, Ella Streefkerk BA Meaningfulness and Automation WiSe 2026/27 N.N., Dan Verständig MA Introduction to AI ethics and critique of the computational WiSe 2026/27 N.N. MA Daten verstehen: Einführung in Creative Data Literacy WiSe 2026/27 Dan Verständig, Azadeh Akbari MA ","date":"30 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/education/","section":"Education","summary":"Members of the research group teach across disciplines and degree programmes at Goethe University Frankfurt. Their courses cover educational theory, digital education, Critical Educational Technology Studies, Critical Data Studies, philosophy of education, ethics, and creative technologies. Reflecting the interdisciplinary mission of the Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S), teaching combines critical inquiry with creative and research-based approaches to understanding computational technologies and their societal implications.\n","title":"Education","type":"education"},{"content":"","date":"30. September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/de/tags/lehrforschung/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Lehrforschung","type":"tags"},{"content":"","date":"30 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/oer/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"OER","type":"tags"},{"content":"The interdisciplinary teaching-research project \u0026ldquo;Digitale Grenzen überwinden\u0026rdquo; (Overcoming Digital Boundaries) connected two universities and three degree programmes: 35 master\u0026rsquo;s students of educational science, media education and computer science at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg and Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg worked together on innovative approaches to questions of media education under the conditions of digitality. The project was led by Florian Krückel (Würzburg) and Dan Verständig.\nFollowing a multi-day kick-off meeting in April 2019, mixed-site teams developed four projects that connect theory and practice and are documented as freely accessible Open Educational Resources:\nExcellenz — a personalised, game-based learning environment: a prototype linking classic knowledge-management content with playful elements for adult education. Die drei Selbste (The Three Selves) — self-tracking and Bildung: a theoretically and empirically grounded engagement with the Quantified Self, conveyed as an accessible story. Digitale Medien im Lehramt (Digital Media in Teacher Education) — a comparative empirical study of the media-pedagogical competence of teachers and student teachers across several German federal states, designed, conducted and analysed by the students themselves. Roboter in der Schule (Robots at School) — the relationship between humans and machines from theoretical and practical perspectives, resulting in a six-session course for children aged 9 to 12, piloted with a fourth-grade class at a primary school in Magdeburg. Why good practice? The project shows how student work can grow beyond the assessed assignment: the results were not filed away but published as freely reusable materials. Interdisciplinary teams across two universities, a genuine field test in the classroom, and the consistent connection of educational-theoretical reflection with hands-on design make it a model for project-based teaching in media education.\nVisit the project website postdigital.io\n","date":"30 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/education/good-practice/postdigital-io/","section":"Education","summary":"35 master’s students from Würzburg and Magdeburg developed four media-education projects in a cross-site teaching-research collaboration — from a game-based learning environment to a robotics course for primary school children, published as Open Educational Resources.","title":"postdigital.io","type":"research"},{"content":"","date":"30 September 2020","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/teaching-research/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Teaching Research","type":"tags"},{"content":" Responsible for Content # Prof. Dr. Dan Verständig\nE-mail: verstaendig@c3s.uni-frankfurt.de\nGoethe University Frankfurt\nCenter for Critical Computational Studies (C3S) Postal Address # Goethe University Frankfurt\nCenter for Critical Computational Studies\nTheodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1\nHauspostfach 28\nD-60629 Frankfurt am Main Visitor Address # Goethe University Frankfurt\nCenter for Critical Computational Studies\nIKB building, 2nd floor\nEschersheimer Landstraße 121\n60322 Frankfurt am Main ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/imprint/","section":"Imprint","summary":"Responsible for Content # Prof. Dr. Dan Verständig\nE-mail: verstaendig@c3s.uni-frankfurt.de\nGoethe University Frankfurt\nCenter for Critical Computational Studies (C3S) Postal Address # Goethe University Frankfurt\nCenter for Critical Computational Studies\nTheodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1\nHauspostfach 28\nD-60629 Frankfurt am Main Visitor Address # Goethe University Frankfurt\nCenter for Critical Computational Studies\nIKB building, 2nd floor\nEschersheimer Landstraße 121\n60322 Frankfurt am Main ","title":"Imprint","type":"imprint"},{"content":" Data Controller # Prof. Dr. Dan Verständig\nE-mail: verstaendig@c3s.uni-frankfurt.de\nWhat Data We Collect # This website is a static website built with Hugo.\nWhen you access this website, the hosting provider processes technically necessary information in server log files, such as your IP address, the date and time of access, the requested resource, browser type, and operating system. These data are processed solely to ensure the technical operation, security, and maintenance of the website and are not used to create user profiles.\nThis website:\ndoes not use cookies, does not use analytics or tracking services, does not collect personal data through contact forms, does not provide a newsletter, does not display personalized advertising. If you follow links to external websites or access embedded third-party content, the privacy policies of the respective providers apply.\nYour Rights # Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to:\naccess your personal data (Art. 15 GDPR), request the correction of inaccurate data (Art. 16 GDPR), request the erasure of your personal data (Art. 17 GDPR), request the restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR), receive your personal data in a portable format (Art. 20 GDPR), object to the processing of your personal data (Art. 21 GDPR). You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection supervisory authority if you believe that your personal data are being processed in violation of applicable data protection law.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/privacy/","section":"Privacy","summary":"Data Controller # Prof. Dr. Dan Verständig\nE-mail: verstaendig@c3s.uni-frankfurt.de\nWhat Data We Collect # This website is a static website built with Hugo.\n","title":"Privacy","type":"privacy"}]