The Goethe University Frankfurt (GU), positioned among the top international research universities, offers a wide variety of academic programs, a diverse group of research institutes, and a focus on interdisciplinary approaches to solving complex problems. Over 40,000 students are enrolled at the GU and 558 professors are working at the GU.

One of the research institutes is the Department of Human Geography.  The understanding of human geography is inspired by critical thinking and a desire to commit ourselves to politically relevant work at the department. Belonging to the largest geography departments in Germany, the department offers over 1,500 students, over 70 members of staff and guests a vibrant and stimulating academic environment. The department is also involved in teacher education. More than 800 students from every teacher degree program are enrolled at the department. In addition, the department offers in-service teacher training.

The working group of Geographical Education is mainly responsible for the teacher degree programs and for the in-service teacher training.  We are engaged in research and modern teaching. The collaboration between teaching and research is at the center in our work. We regard geographic education as a perfect environment to develop competences that lead to a complex, problem-orientated and critical understanding of the world, serving as a basis of responsible and mature acting in everyday contexts.

We aim to develop empirical methods to advance such competences among students and teachers alike. We specifically concentrate on the research on digital media and geomedia as representation of space. Our goal is to support a critical attitude of media acquaintanceboth in reception and production. Another focus is on e-learning and e-learning supported by project work as ways of teaching geography and of achieving competences in handling new media as an inherent component of everyday life.

Currently, we are examining ways of implementing new media and geographic information systems in school and university education. Our main focus in this area lies in the development of competence models and curricula. We are also active in research training, in the examination of teachers’ concepts of geomedia, and the development of teacher trainings for a more complex, individual and flexible understanding of teaching geography. Via concepts of blended- and e-learning, we are giving the teachers and students the possibility to work self-directed and from different places. Within these research areas we engage in different cooperations with various German universities and work together with research institutions abroad as well.

For futher information, please visit the Goethe University website http://www2.uni-frankfurt.de/en or the Human Geography Department website http://www.humangeography.de/