Theory meets practice: the ‘Orientation’ mobile teaching and learning laboratory for geography education
07/29/2026Armed with compasses, GPS devices and plenty of a spirit of discovery, the area near Kitzingen Primary School was transformed into an open-air geography laboratory. In the mobile teaching and learning laboratory (mLLL) run by the Department of Didactics of Geography at the University of Würzburg, primary school children explored their surroundings through play, created their own treasure hunts and then designed their first digital map.
Over two mornings in June and July 2026, the grounds near Kitzingen Primary School were transformed into a vibrant research environment: As part of the mobile teaching and learning laboratory (mLLL) on the Didactics of Geography, a total of four primary school classes in Years 3 and 4 experienced hands-on geography. This innovative project was devised as part of two academic dissertations by students Sharina Wieland and Felicia Schobert, with the aim of putting modern geographical working methods into practice in a way that is suitable for pupils and action-oriented, and of evaluating them.
Field research: from compasses and GPS to creating their own maps
Under the motto ‘Discover, Understand and Apply’, the primary school pupils learnt how to use analogue and digital geographical tools in practice. Equipped with compasses and GPS devices, the children navigated the terrain independently in small groups, each supervised by two students, solved exciting orientation tasks, determined their individual double-step count and playfully developed their spatial awareness by independently designing a treasure hunt for other groups. Each treasure chest also contained a small memento of this special day.
Back in the classroom, the session concluded with a creative and cognitive activity: the geodata and impressions gathered were analysed, after which the pupils proudly created their very first digital map.
A real win-win for everyone involved
The Teaching and Learning Lab is a classic win-win situation for both the school and the university:
- Benefits for pupils and teachers alike: the children leave the classroom, experience a highly motivating project day and acquire fundamental skills in spatial orientation and the use of modern technologies. Teachers are able to see their pupils in a different learning environment and observe them closely. They also gain insights into innovative technical, methodological and didactic approaches.
- Benefits for the students: At a preparatory meeting on the North Campus, the students were given subject-specific and methodological training in preparation for their placement at the school. On each day of the project, 16 students took on the professional supervision of the classes. They were able to put the theoretical knowledge they had learnt directly into practice and gain valuable experience in supporting groups of pupils. The insights gained were evaluated and reflected upon once the project had been completed.
The project was supervised by Thomas Amend, Head of Didactics of Geography at the University of Würzburg. The Teaching and Learning Laboratory impressively demonstrates how modern university didactics and dynamic school lessons can go hand in hand to spark enthusiasm for geography.
Outlook
The Didactics of Geography is working to make this successful project available to other primary schools in the future.
Contact:
Thomas Amend
Didactics of Geography
thomas.amend@uni-wuerzburg.de
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