New forms of artificial intelligence on the one hand and the ubiquitous networking of “everything with everything” on the other hand characterize the fourth industrial revolution. This results in a changed understanding of human–machine interaction, in new models for production, in which man and machine together with virtual agents form hybrid teams. The empirical study “Socializing with robots” aims to gain insight especially into conditions of development and processes of hybrid human–machine teams. In the experiment, human–robot actions and interactions were (...) closely observed in a virtual environment. Robots as partners differed in shape and behavior. Participants were instructed to achieve an objective that could only be achieved via close teamwork. This paper unites different aspects from core disciplines of social robotics and psychology contributing to anthropomorphization with the empirical insights of the experiment. It focuses on the psychological effects on anthropomorphization and mechanization, taking the inter- and transdisciplinary field of social robotics as a starting point. (shrink)

With increasing technological improvements, production processes are becoming more and more automated. Nevertheless, full automation is improbable in the medium term since human abilities cannot yet be completely replaced. Therefore, it is likely that so-called hybrid human–robot teams will assume the future production. This raises questions regarding the shaping of future production and the effects it will have on the employees, workstations, and the companies as a whole. The project “Work in the Industry of the Future” addresses the entirely new (...) cooperative relationship between man and technology in the Industry 4.0 and its impact on opportunities for the work force. To derive the requirements and effects of hybrid workplaces, an initial work analysis of existing workplaces with varying levels of technological enhancement will be conducted. Multiple standardized work analysis instruments that vary in method, duration, level of analysis, and recorded characteristics already exist. This paper gives an overview of an assortment of these methods that can be used in production. (shrink)

ZusammenfassungDer vorliegende Beitrag diskutiert das Konzept eines säkularen Religionsunterrichts als fachdidaktischen Ausgangspunkt einer religionswissenschaftlich ausgerichteten schulischen Religionskunde. „Säkularität“ erweist sich in diesem Zusammenhang als contested concept: Eine religionswissenschaftlich-konzeptionelle Perspektive, die Säkularität als eine weltanschaulich neutrale Metaperspektive interpretiert (Säkularität 1), steht idealtypisch einer individuell-identitätsformativen (Säkularität 2) sowie einer weltanschaulich-normativen (Säkularität 3) Interpretation eines säkularen Religionsunterrichts gegenüber, die in der schulpraktischen Wirklichkeit in Deutschland historisch dominieren. Der Artikel mündet in ein Plädoyer für einen differenzierteren und bewussteren bildungspolitischen Umgang mit einer säkularen Rahmung (...) von Religion/en in religionsbezogenem Unterricht in Deutschland und eine Stärkung des von der Religionswissenschaft präferierten Säkularitätsverständnisses. (shrink)