The project researches the digital shift in history teaching; exploring the conditions, forms, attributes and effects. The project team will therefore theoretically and systematically explore and critically reflect upon the significance of the digital transformation for teaching and learning in history lessons. The project will also include an overview of the socio-cultural framework of history teaching, i.e. the dissemination and appropriation of history through digital media in historical culture. In addition, empirical studies will be carried out to explore the influence of the digital transformation on teaching and learning history, paying particular attention to digital educational media such as apps, generative artificial intelligence, online learning platforms and social media. These methods will enable the team to ascertain the potential and the challenges of digitality for history teaching and to formulate conclusions for future research and teaching practice.
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Aims
The project has the following objectives:
- To review extant research into historical teaching and learning with digital educational media.
- To develop a practical, theoretical and subject-specific heuristic method to analyse the digital transformation in history lessons.
- To research and critically reflect upon historical teaching and learning with selected digital educational media.
- To identify potential and challenges related to the use of digital educational media in history education.
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Methodology
The project consists of several complementary research strands. The team will start by locating research gaps on various aspects of the digital shift, based on a comprehensive overview of existing research into history education using digital educational media. They will then work on theory formation: combining practical theory with historical didactic concepts to develop a heuristic method for analysing digital change. Finally the team will carry out explorative studies (i.e. case studies, interviews and analysis) on selected digital educational media in order to empirically explore the conditions, forms, characteristics, and effects of the digital transformation.
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Results
A number of research reviews on history teaching and learning in times of digital transformation have already been published. A forthcoming paper will outline the practical and theoretical approaches relating to research into history education. In addition, peer-reviewed articles have also been published, in which selected digital educational media (i.e., digital learning platforms, generative AI, apps) have been examined in the context of history teaching and learning (see publications and presentations).
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Publications
- Mierwald, M. & Brauch, N. (2025): Promoting historical competencies through digital media and language support: Research on the innovative teaching of social science (history) in Germany. In: Ehmke, T. Lee & Chi-Kin, J. (eds): Innovative teaching and classroom processes. Research perspectives from Germany and China (p. 171-181). London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003436065-15
- Mierwald, M. & Deutschmann, F. (2025). Mit historischen Personen chatten – Chancen und Herausforderungen des Einsatzes von generativer KI im Geschichtsunterricht. Geschichte in Wissenschaft und Unterricht 76(3/4), p. 155-170. doi: https://elibrary.utb.de/doi/10.5555/gwu-3%2B4-2025_03
- Mierwald, M. (2024). Chatting about the past with artificial intelligence. A case study of students’ interaction with ChatGPT while completing a historical learning task. Journal of Educational Media, Memory, and Society (JEMMS), p. 143-173. doi: 10.3167/jemms.2024.160206
- Mierwald, M. (2024). 'Hast du gehört? Der widerspricht sich voll selber.' Zum Umgang von Schüler*innen mit Zeitzeugen-Interviews auf einer digitalen Lernplattform. Medienimpulse, 63(2), 45 Pages. https://doi.org/10.21243/mi-02-24-01
- Mierwald, M. (2024). Historisches Denken 2.0. Benötigen wir neue (digitale) historische (Methoden-)Kompetenzen? In: Hartung, O., Krebs, A., & Mayer-Hamme, J. (eds). Geschichtskulturen im digitalen Wandel? (p. 147-168) Frankfurt am Main: Wochenschau Verlag.
- Mierwald, M. (2023). Historisches Lehren und Lernen mit digitalen Medien – Geschichtsdidaktische Impulse für die Digital Humanities. In: Antenhofer, Chr., Kühberger, Chr., & Strohmeyer, A. (eds). Digital Humanities in den Geschichtswissenschaften (p. 461-475). Köln: Böhlau Verlag.
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Presentations
- Mierwald, M. (2025, September). Zwischen Kreide und KI. Empirische Einsichten in den Geschichtsunterricht im digitalen Wandel. Keynote speech at the Geschichtsdidaktik empirisch 2025, 04.-05.09.25, Basel, Schweiz.
- Mierwald, M. (2025, September). Urteilsbildung per Smartphone? – Die LUIGI App zur Förderung historischer Urteilskompetenz. Presentation at the annual conference of the Gesellschaft für Fachdidaktik (GFD), 01.-03.09.25, Saarbrücken, Deutschland.
- Mierwald, M. & Hoins, D. (2025, August). “Doing history teaching with GenAI” - An exploration of teaching practices during an AI pilot project in Germany. Presentation at History Educators International Research Network (HEIRNET) Conference 2025, 27.-29.08.25, Cologne, Germany.
- Mierwald, M. (2025, Januar). Wie war Bismarck drauf? Über historisches Lernen mit KI als Mensch-Maschine-Kommunikation. Presentation at the Fachdidaktischen Kolloquium der Professur für Neuere und Neueste Geschichte an der Technischen Universität Dresden, 20.01.2025, Dresden/online.
- Mierwald, M. (2025, Januar). Eine Revolution? Über Kontinuität und Wandel historischen Lehren und Lernen in Zeiten von KI. Presentation as part of the Geschichtsdidaktischen Forschungskolloquium at the University Duisburg Essen, 14.01.2025, Essen.
- Mierwald, M. (2024, November). Das postdigitale Klassenzimmer? Geschichtsunterricht im digitalen Wandel. Presentation at the Geschichtsdidaktischen Kolloquium at Paderborn University, 07.11.2024, Paderborn.
- Mierwald, M. (2024, September). Praxistheorie meets Geschichtsdidaktik – Aussichtsreich für die ethnographische Beschreibung und Analyse digitalen historischen Lernens? Presentation at the biennial Konferenz für Geschichtsdidaktik (KGD) 'Geschichtsdidaktik im Wandel – Innovative Zugänge und Herausforderungen', 18.09.2024, Mainz.
- Mierwald, M. (2024, April). Geschichtsdidaktik in einer postdigitalen Welt: Historisches Lehren und Lernen in der medialen Transformation? Inaugural lecture at the Technischen Universität Braunschweig, 24.04.2024, Braunschweig.
