University of Hildesheim

With digital learning environments becoming more prevalent, the ease with which generative AI enables the scalable production of real-time, automated feedback holds the potential to reshape learning and teaching experiences. This meeting report synthesizes the interdisciplinary perspectives of 50 scholars from educational psychology, computer science, science education, and the learning sciences on the use of generative AI for feedback and its promises and risks in educational practice. We highlight points of convergence in the scholarship, identify areas of debate and unresolved challenges, and outline open questions and future directions for research and educational practice that emerged from structured small-group activities designed to bridge disciplinary barriers.

• Female students consistently outperform male students in creative thinking across 62 countries. • Socio-economic status (SES) is a strong predictor of creative thinking, comparable to mathematics and reading. • Gender and SES effects on creative thinking are stable globally, with minimal moderation by macro-level variables. Even in the time of artificial intelligence, creative thinking is considered an important 21st century skill. Nevertheless, our understanding of how contextual factors such as socio-economic status (SES) and gender affect creativity is still limited – especially from an international perspective. In the current study, we thus examined the impact of gender and SES on creative thinking across 62 countries, using data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Creative thinking, alongside mathematics and reading, was analyzed using a two-stage meta-analytic approach, integrating effect sizes from country-specific samples with a total sample size of N = 493,660. Our results revealed consistent gender disparities, with females outperforming males in creative thinking and reading, a trend robust across countries but with considerable variability. Gender disparities were less pronounced in the mathematical domain. Moreover, SES was found to be a strong predictor of creative thinking, mathematics, and reading, with higher SES associated with better performance across all domains. There was no substantial interaction effect between gender and SES for creative thinking and reading, suggesting that SES advantages are consistent across genders. Our analyses indicated substantial heterogeneity between countries, emphasizing the need for context-specific educational policies. These findings highlight the pervasive influence of gender and SES on fundamental educational outcomes and hence stress the necessity of tailored interventions to address these disparities around the globe.

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), extensively used across multiple industries, has long been discussed for its potential to enhance heavy metal mobility in aquatic systems, with studies yielding contradictory results. This study examines the remobilization of particle-bound lead from suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the Innerste River (Lower Saxony, Germany), which is affected by historical mining and known for substantial Pb contamination. Using real river water containing its native SPM to preserve the chemical matrix of the system, we assessed Pb partitioning between total and dissolved phases to evaluate EDTA’s remobilization potential. Baseline dissolved lead concentrations reached up to 1.8 µg L−1 (median 0.69 µg L−1). Across all batch experiments, a measurable increase in the dissolved Pb fraction occurred only at EDTA concentrations far exceeding those measured in the river (0.68–3.8 µg L−1). Bayesian concentration–response modelling yielded no-effect concentrations (NEC) between 210 and 530 µg L−1. Complementary speciation modelling showed that shifts in Pb speciation occur only at EDTA concentrations near the experimentally derived NEC values. These findings show that current EDTA concentrations in the Innerste are unlikely to remobilize Pb from SPM. The study also provides a statistically supported NEC estimate based on batch experiments using unaltered river water containing its naturally present SPM. To our knowledge, this is the first application of Bayesian NEC modelling to EDTA-induced Pb remobilization.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-026-37480-x.

The growing use of escape games in education has led to innovative digital tools that support learning and teaching. This paper introduces the Escape Game Chatbot, a ChatGPT-based tool that assists users in co-designing educational escape games through guided narrative planning, puzzle creation, and alignment with learning objectives focused on Sustainable Development Goals. The Escape Game Chatbot aims to lower design barriers for educators and game designers lacking expertise in this context. A formative evaluation with 15 university participants indicates positive impacts on design understanding, creativity support, and the likelihood of the Escape Game Chatbot’s reuse.

IntroductionAlpine woody plants are deeply embedded in traditional healthcare systems across the Southern European Alps, where multiple organs—including leaves, bark, fruits, buds, and flowers—are used to manage respiratory, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, dermatological, metabolic, cardiovascular, and urogenital disorders. This systematic review synthesizes ethnopharmacological uses, evaluates phytochemical and pharmacological evidence, and contextualizes the ecosystem functions of woody plant species native to the European Alps.MethodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were systematically searched for peer-reviewed studies published up to May 2025. Data from 281 eligible sources were harmonized, covering 54 woody species (28 trees, 26 shrubs; 25 families). Extracted variables included ecological distribution, harvested organs, phytochemical classes, and experimentally validated bioactivities. Therapeutic indications were mapped using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-2).ResultsPhytochemical profiles were predominantly characterized by phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and saponins. These compounds underpin convergent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, vasoprotective, and cytotoxic activities demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. Beyond medicinal relevance, the same species contribute to soil stabilization, hydrological regulation, carbon sequestration, and the preservation of biocultural landscapes. However, climate-driven range shifts, land-use intensification, commercial overharvesting, and limited pharmacokinetic and toxicological data constrain both sustainability and clinical translation.DiscussionHigh-priority taxa and critical knowledge gaps were identified. An integrated research framework is proposed, combining standardized green extraction technologies, high-resolution metabolomics, longitudinal ecological monitoring, participatory documentation of traditional knowledge, and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms. Such integration is necessary to advance evidence-based phytotherapy while ensuring sustainable stewardship of Alpine woody ecosystems.

Accelerometry provides more objective estimates of physical activity and sleep parameters than self-report data. However, the use of accelerometry may suffer from reactivity to measurement, that is, changes in behaviour under study due to the awareness of being observed. In two field-experimental studies, we examined reactivity to measurement in physical activity and sleep parameters estimated with accelerometry. We used within-subjects designs and manipulated if participants were made aware of the measurement intention or if it was concealed. During a 2-week study, participants received a red accelerometer for one of the weeks and were informed that their physical activity would be monitored in this week. In the other week, participants received a black accelerometer and were informed that it would monitor sleep. In fact, both the red and the black accelerometers monitored both physical activity and sleep. We consistently found no evidence for reactivity to measurement for any indicator of physical activity (moderate to vigorous physical activity, steps) or sleep (duration, efficiency). Accelerometry can provide unbiased measures of indicators of physical activity and sleep and is therefore a valuable addition to the common use of self-report data.

This report presents the final results of Work Package 2 (WP2) – Developing Gender-Inclusive Teaching Innovations in Library and Information Sciences – within the GEDIS project (Gender Diversity in Information Science: Challenges in Higher Education). WP2 provides both the analytical foundations and the pedagogical infrastructure needed to integrate gender perspectives systematically into Library and Information Science (LIS) education across several European universities. The work package combines a comprehensive analysis of existing LIS curricula, a consensus-building process with international experts, staff training activities, and student-centred innovation. WP2 delivers five main results: (1) a Comprehensive Curriculum Analysis Report, documenting how gender is currently addressed in LIS programmes and where gaps remain; (2) a Consensus Document on Innovative Teaching Strategies, realised as the white paper Embedding Gender Perspectives in Information Science Education: Barriers, Opportunities, and Pathways for Change; (3) Prototype Teaching Methods, Tools, and Materials, organised into twelve prototype teaching packages based on 91 student-created and 153 staff-created multilingual Open Educational Resources (OER); (4) a Detailed Implementation and Evaluation Plan for piloting gender-inclusive teaching strategies; and (5) Gender-Inclusive Educational Frameworks that structure these innovations into coherent curricular pathways. The report shows how these outputs contribute to the overall objectives of GEDIS, support the design of professors’ and librarians’ toolkits, and prepare the ground for piloting in subsequent work packages. It also reflects on lessons learned regarding multilingual co-creation of OER, curriculum reform and sustainable integration of gender perspectives in LIS teaching.

Zusammenfassung: Da die Arbeit mit inneren Anteilen nach dem Internal Family Systems Ansatz (IFS) in der Sportpsychologie bisher noch kaum vertreten und wissenschaftlich diskutiert ist, wird hier eine methodische Einführung in die sportpsychologische Praxis und Forschung unternommen. Nach einer theoretischen Einführung werden methodische Hinweise zur praktischen Anwendung anhand eines konkreten Fallbeispiels und zwei explorativen Erhebungen präsentiert. Die Fokusgruppendiskussion zwischen acht Sportpsycholog_innen und IFS-Expert_innen ergab übereinstimmenden Zuspruch bezüglich Anwendbarkeit und Anschlussfähigkeit innerhalb der Sportpsychologie sowie Potenziale zur Bearbeitung verschiedener sportpsychologischer Themen (z. B. Emotionsregulation). Folgend wurde ein dreieinhalbstündiger Workshop zu inneren Kritiker_innen im Sport entwickelt und hinsichtlich Akzeptanz, Durchführbarkeit und Wirkung auf die Beziehung zu inneren Anteilen der teilnehmenden 13 Sportstudent_innen evaluiert. Die Ergebnisse sprechen für eine hohe Akzeptanz, eine gute Durchführbarkeit und eine tendenziell positive Veränderung der Beziehung zu inneren Kritiker_innen. IFS könnte demnach eine vielversprechende methodische Bereicherung für die sportpsychologische Praxis sein. Kritische Diskussionen dienen als Anhaltspunkte für weitere Forschung.