The Friends of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences – Cleve Campus e.V. has now awarded its largest donation to date in its 13-year history to the ‘KLEX’ learning workshop. It is providing 22,000 euros in support of the educational research centre at the Faculty of Society and Economics.
The ‘KLEX’ laboratory (short for ‘Kindliches Lernen Erfahren und EXperimentieren’, meaning ‘Childhood Learning, Experience and Experimentation’) on the Kleve campus is a place where students on the Bachelor’s degree programme in Early Years Education can learn alongside children in an active, inquisitive, exploratory, creative and open-minded way. Professor Dr Marjan Alemzadeh – who was appointed to the university as a professor specialising in ‘Early Years Education’ as recently as August this year – has set herself the aim of prioritising experiential learning for both children and students here.
As part of the donation handover, the topic ‘Inventing Maths’ – based on an idea by concept designer and learning facilitator Kerensa Lee – featured on the seminar programme. Eight pupils from the Marienschule in Kleve visited the learning workshop to discover what can be achieved with a large quantity of the same material. For example, 30 euros’ worth of one-cent coins were spread out on a table and used to form various surfaces, shapes or lines, whilst structures were created from numerous ice-cream pots piled high. According to Professor Alemzadeh, the difference from a typical maths lesson is that quantities are made tangible through the senses, and the focus is on the children’s and pupils’ own experiences and creative expression.
“The board unanimously, and with unmistakable enthusiasm, endorsed our proposal to support the project. We will all be watching with great interest to see how ‘KLEX’ develops at our university,” said Peter Wack, Chair of the Campus Cleve Friends’ Association.
