Abstracts - Earli

Workplace changes and workplace learning: Effects on stress and strainStefanie Kipfmüller, University of Regensburg, GermanyHans Gruber, University of Regensburg, GermanyHelmut Heid, University of Regensburg, GermanyModern workplaces are characterised by permanent changes which affect the employees’ workingtasks and routines. It has been argued that these changes may instigate informal learning processes.On the other hand, the need to cope with changes in the workplace may also lead to social andmental loads. Little attention has been paid to the possibility that changes in the current workplacemay be related with social and mental stresses and strains. A study, which contributes to this topic,was conducted in the banking sector in German companies. Retail and corporate banking ischaracterised by a high amount of workplace changes in daily, weekly and monthly work. Subjectswere N=150 customer consultants in retail banking departments. Each of them was affected bysignificant changes in the IT system of their banks. At three measurement points work-relatedmental strains and a number of different personal internal and external resources were assessed byquestionnaires: (1) three months before the beginning of the change, (2) three months afterintroduction of the new IT system, (3) another three months after the implementation wascompleted. The results show that the workplace change was perceived as stressor which may causemental strains of different severity. The "willingness to change" proved to be an important internalresource which allows coping with this kind of stressor.H430 August 2007 11:00 - 12:20Room: PP4Poster SessionPoster sessionChair:Manfred Hofer, Universität Mannheim, GermanyEnhancing knowledge integration in high-school physicsEsther Bagno, Weizmann Institute of Science, IsraelBat Sheva Eylon, The Weizmann Institute of Science, IsraelHana Berger, The Weizmann Institute of Science, IsraelIn this paper we describe learning tools – the "Knowledge Integration Routines", that aim toenhance knowledge integration in the context of physics learning. The routines are short genericactivities that take 1-2 lessons to complete. They touch upon many important aspects of physicslearning (e.g. formulas, lab work and problem-solving) and assist students to form selectedrelationships among the variety of learning contexts in which they encounter a certain topic.Students report that working on the routines, improved their understanding of physics as well astheir ability to integrate various aspects of physics knowledge. They also use them spontaneouslyin the context of complex unfamiliar tasks. The results suggest that the routines advanced students’ability to relate a situation presented in a problem to theoretical knowledge.Peer tutoring in problem based learning: students’ perception and learning outcomesCatherine De Rijdt, Maastricht University, Netherlands– 444 –