“Helping young people to find out what history has to do with them”

Ms. Pater, what can we expect to see on this new platform created by the Arolsen Archives? 

Our education hub “and today?” is a future-oriented resource for historical and political education which uses an informal approach and is tailored to the needs of young people growing up in a digital world. The platform features a growing range of innovative digital learning modules known as mini games that explore the history of the Nazi era as well as focusing on marginalization and participation since 1945. 

What’s special about this learning resource?

Our aim in developing “and today?” was to create a brand new type of educational resource that takes the present as its starting point and responds to the challenges connected with learning in a digital world. By incorporating historical perspectives, we want to help young people better understand the present.

Learning in a digital world

Can you describe the challenges in detail?

Digitalization has generated new content and new formats, but it has also speeded things up. Young people’s daily lives are full of uncertainties and insecurities; they’ve become more complex and fast-paced. Historical-political education needs to respond by creating resources that provide young people with orientation and show them options for action and opportunities for participation.

What things were particularly important to you during the design process?

We focused on four aspects: We wanted the materials to address the challenges connected with digitalization and help young people navigate the digital world competently and insightfully ─ ultimately, it’s about developing media literacy skills. Secondly, we focused on participation right from the word go. We involved young people and gave them age-appropriate responsibilities in designing and planning the materials. Thirdly, we developed multimedia formats that focus on students’ personal interests, foster their motivation to learn, and invite them to apply an independent, interest-driven approach to learning. The fourth building block is contemporary relevance. The themes covered by the mini games relate to the world young people live in.

What do you mean when you use the term “education hub?” 

The English term “hub” refers to a node, a central point where things come together. It applies to our platform in several different ways. For example, historical issues and contemporary issues are intertwined throughout “and today?” The platform also juxtaposes a range of perspectives and experiences: the perspective of the users themselves, who include young learners, teachers, and other educators; input from project participants, e.g. journalists, game developers, activists, and creatives; and the perspectives of people who experience various forms of marginalization and talk about it. Our partnerships with other institutions serve to combine educational expertise from different areas, such as memorial sites, schools, and academia. 

Who is the platform intended for?

Our educational program features low-threshold options for students from the 9th grade up and in-depth options for older students taking advanced courses at school. It is aimed at young learners aged 15 and over, but also provides learning incentives for students up to the age of 25. The mini games work across the curriculum. They are not only designed for use in history lessons, but are also suitable for lessons in other subjects, such as ethics or art. All you need is an internet-enabled device like a PC or tablet, an up-to-date browser, and an internet connection.

Study on Gen Z served as point of departure

How did the platform come into existence?

A study commissioned by the Arolsen Archives titled “How does Gen Z feel about the Nazi era?” was the starting point. According to its findings, the generation of 16 to 25-year-olds is more interested in the Nazi era than their parents. It also showed that young people relate history to contemporary issues, such as racism, discrimination, and antisemitism.

Armed with these insights, we put together an interdisciplinary “development team” made up of educational experts and began to approach schools. The systematic involvement of young people at every stage along the way, from brainstorming topics and formats to refining the mechanics of the mini games, has been central to the process of developing “and today?” and will remain so in future.

To give you an example, listening to the questions young people were asking and finding out what wasn’t clear to them was one thing that was very helpful to us. I was extremely impressed by how quickly the young people related the past to the present and noticed contradictions. During the initial phase of development, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was very much on everyone’s mind. The students brought it up straight away, and one of the points they raised was how important it is to document the atrocities of war, but how problematic it can be when these photos and video recordings are spread indiscriminately on the internet. We used discussions like this one to find out what young people need in order to develop their own moral compass.

Do you have any plans for developing the platform in future?

Our educational resources need to be iterative and sustainable. So one of the things we’re doing is evaluating and revising our existing resources. That involves carrying out research and holding various workshops. And we schedule regular open office hours so teachers have the opportunity to give us feedback. The second thing we’re doing is expanding the range of resources we offer on an ongoing basis; cooperative projects have a role to play here.

“Nifty digital tools”

Which guiding principles did you use as the basis for the educational concept?

The Beutelsbach Consensus provides the framework. Our goal is to shed light on historical context and foster the skills young people need in order to participate in democratic processes. To facilitate this, we provide young people with a non-judgmental space, where they are free to explore contradictions and ruptures and can reflect on controversial topics without bias in order to develop their own values. Elements like dialog boxes, which can be used for anonymous polls, are great because they foster discussion and interaction.

What kind of feedback have you received from students and teachers?

Students really enjoy being involved in developing “and today?” Teachers particularly like being able to use this flexible, ready-made product immediately, without having to do a lot of preparatory reading. They’re increasingly expected to teach about social issues. “and today?” makes that simple, even in cover lessons. You don’t need a whole project week to be able to use our resources. Teachers also like the fact that they’re not left completely on their own. They can ask questions during our open office hours, take part in our training courses, and network with one other.

How can schools and other educational institutions become cooperation partners?

Schools that are interested in cooperating with us should contact us by e-mail or talk to us during our open office hours. But they can also use “and today?” completely free of charge without becoming one of our partners, of course.

Are any new modules already in the works?

Yes, we’re currently working on an interactive module about the documents stored in the Arolsen Archives. It’s going to be exciting to see how it turns out!

*The modules are currently only available in German, but they will be translated into other languages in due course.