Dissertation Award from the Leibniz Association Goes to the IWM

During the Leibniz Annual Conference on 22 November, Magdalena Novak (right), now a postdoctoral researcher in the Realistic Representations lab, received the Leibniz Association's prestigious dissertation prize. The prize, valued at €5,000, was awarded in recognition of her dissertation entitled "Touch this Wisely - You May Want to Know More... How the Haptic Sense May Enhance Learning Experiences and Learning Outcomes".

In her dissertation, the educational researcher investigated how the tactile exploration of museum exhibits influences visitors' perception and memory of the objects on display. To investigate this, she designed experimental exhibitions on agriculture and nutrition that were presented to visitors in different sensory formats: through photographs only, as real objects, or as tangible objects that could be touched. The results showed that participants who engaged in haptic experiences had significantly improved recall of the exhibits and their features. As a result, Magdalena Novak concluded that the opportunity to interact with objects physically increases awareness of their reality and significance. IWM Director Ulrike Cress praised the research as "an excellent demonstration of seamlessly combining state-of-the-art basic research with practical relevance to address a pressing and significant contemporary issue."

Magdalena Novak's outstanding achievement of being recognised as one of the top two out of approximately 900 completed dissertations in 2021 is a source of great satisfaction for her, especially given the importance of the topic. "In a constantly evolving world, where visual and auditory learning are at the centre of digitisation, this topic is more relevant than ever. As social actors, museums have an educational mission and must reach a wide audience. If we can achieve greater enthusiasm and sustainable knowledge transfer through explorative elements, it is worth pursuing developments in this direction," says the prizewinner.

Every year, the Leibniz Association awards the Doctoral Prize for outstanding doctoral theses from Leibniz institutes in two categories: "Humanities and Social Sciences" and "Natural and Technical Sciences". The award-winning works are selected based on their outstanding evaluations, as well as their interdisciplinary significance, practical relevance and publication in specialist journals or presentation at academic conferences.