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Hamburg's adolescents discuss the opportunities and risks posed by genetically engineered foods
The BioTalk project was started in April 2005 and is being promoted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. As project co-ordinator, TuTech Innovation GmbH is working together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Autonomous Intelligent Systems and the research group BIOGUM (Biotechnology, Society and Environment), as well with the Institute for Didactics in Natural Sciences from the University of Hamburg. The consortium's partner for co-operation is the Hamburg Ministry of Education and Sports.
As a platform for discussion, BioTalk offers Hamburg's schoolchildren of various ages the opportunity to inform themselves of the social significance of genetically engineered foods, and to constructively examine the various aspects surrounding the subject. Laid out in the form of a competitive contest, online discussion shall be prepared during lessons within the framework of "project days" or "project weeks". The envisaged close co-operation with faculty involved is intended to ensure a common basis of understanding for participating schools and their pupils.
BioTalk and TuTech
The project team consists of Mr. Rolf Lührs and Ms. Birgit Hohberg from TuTech's "Interaktive Kommunikation" (IK) ('interactive communication') department. The IK Department offers advisory communications consulting for New Media. Consultancy encompasses the entire sector ranging from strategy development to the realisation of interactive applications on the internet. The Delphi Mediation Online System (DEMOS) shall be utilised within the course of BioTalk. That system has already proven its performance capability in Hamburg: The City of Hamburg used DEMOS for a public online discussion regarding the model "Wachsende Stadt" ('Growing City'). The result numbers among the most successful discussion projects conducted to date in the field of E-Democracy in Europe.
DEMOS stands for both an internet platform and a newly developed procedure which supports citizens' active involvement in the shaping and decision-making within political processes. Discussion on the DEMOS platform is supervised by moderators. By means of a special phase concept and regularly scheduled summaries, discussion is furthermore targeted towards the development and documentation of constructive findings. Compatible with all browsers, the platform's attractive user interface and numerous, clearly structured functions offer a compact overview. At the same time, they also enable easy-to-use and convenient handling. To top things off, the integrated playful elements are fun to work with, too.
In the VISP-Project TuTech is responsible for Work Package 5: Increased citizens participation.
More Information about WP5 and DEMOS:
Birgit Hohberg mailto:hohberg@tutech.de
http://www.tutech.de
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