Hochschule Karlsruhe Hochschule Karlsruhe - University of Applied Sciences
Hochschule Karlsruhe Hochschule Karlsruhe - University of Applied Sciences

InspirING®

Awakening enthusiasm for technology

With InspirING®, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences offers a program for schools that aims to get young people excited about science and technology through exciting experiments and to encourage them to take a closer look at scientific and engineering phenomena and the wide range of study and career opportunities in the STEM field. To this end, InspirING offers a number of special features.

Integration into the classroom

The experiments are oriented to the various engineering disciplines, but can be ideally integrated into the following subjects or profile subjects:

  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Science and Technology (NwT)
  • Informatics, Mathematics, Physics (IMP)

To provide insight into many different engineering disciplines, several experiments are usually combined into one action day. All action days are coordinated in advance between university officials and teachers, so that the experiments are tailored to the respective groups of participants and represent a varied addition to regular classes. The focus is on the young people: they are the protagonists of the experiments, conduct them themselves, experiment and are accompanied by students in the process.

Students as teachers

Students from various degree programs take over the teaching duties and guide the students so that they can carry out the experiments independently. In a specially designed course, they receive technical and didactic training for this purpose. The smaller age difference breaks down barriers and allows casual conversations about the experiments and studies.

Exciting and elaborate experiments with change of location

InspirING® takes place at the school and at the university . Using mobile equipment, students and professors plug into regular classes on-site on one day. On another day, students can expect state-of-the-art, non-transportable experimental facilities and workstations equipped to a high standard at the university. Visiting the university thus allows for extensive experimentation while providing insight into university life, especially the many laboratories for hands-on university education that we, as a university of applied sciences, can offer.

Who can participate?

School classes and groups of students from the 8th grade onwards from grammar schools and secondary schools in Karlsruhe and the surrounding area, as well as in the southern and anterior Palatinate.

Procedure of an action day

The duration, scope and number of participants of the action days at the school as well as at the university are not fixed, but are coordinated with the responsible persons on both sides. The level of knowledge of the participating groups of students is also taken into account when compiling the experiments.

Action day at the school

For the experiments at the school, we adjust to the usual class sizes; if necessary, a division of the classes into two would be helpful, which could be well absorbed by another experiment and a staggered run. We prepare the experiments so that they fit into the school time grid. Some experiments need a double lesson, others can be accommodated well in one school lesson. We come with a Streetscooter and bring a lot of equipment with us - so it makes sense to carry out an experiment two or three times in one morning in different classes.

Action day at the HKA

We can welcome up to 100 students from different grade levels at the college. We have good experience with group sizes of 8 to 10 students. The groups go through up to five different stations. We assign a student scout to each group, who accompanies the group throughout the day and takes them from one experiment to the next. It is also possible for a single class to visit one or two selected experiments; if necessary, we split the class up.

Action day planning

If you are interested in participating, there is the possibility to come to the university in advance, have a look at the labs and approach the planning in a personal conversation. If that is not possible, we will use all other communication channels to plan an InspirING® day.

Contact

Presse und Kommunikation
Pamela Hauptmann

Phone: +49 (0)721 925-1008
Fax: +49 (0)721 925-1005
pamela.hauptmannspam prevention@h-ka.de

Office hours:
nach Vereinbarung

Geb. R, Raum 116
Moltkestraße 30
76133 Karlsruhe

all contacts
Examples of experiments at school
  • Thermodynamics: using cameras to observe heat and spit fire
  • Electrical Engineering: Soldering an electronic cube
  • Mechanics: Feel forces and experience their effects in a gear shift
  • Chemistry: create a fire-breathing volcano using manganese dioxide and hydrogen peroxide
Examples of experiments at the HKA
  • Experience the climate in Antarctica & make ice with liquid air
  • Program a model factory with logic gates
  • Understand combustion engines
  • Experience virtual reality
  • Drawing with Fischer Technology robots
  • Building lithium-ion batteries yourself
  • Controlling industrial robots
  • Soldering electronic cubes
  • Experimenting in hydraulic engineering
  • Smell lightning in a high-voltage lab
  • Lasering components