At the beginning of the lab days, the ideas and questions of a total of 83 students from Austria and Germany were collected.
It became clear that the students’ existing knowledge about glaciers was mostly very basic. Students mentioned glaciers consisting of ice, being cold, or can be found in the Alps. In some cases, misconceptions also emerged, such as equating glaciers with icebergs or assuming that glaciers are habitats for animals.
Most of the students’ questions focused on glacier retreat: why glaciers are melting, how quickly this is happening, what are the consequences and what can be done against it. This strong interest in climate change contrasts with what is often fragmented or superficial knowledge of the underlying scientific processes.
Overall, it became clear that many young people have only limited knowledge about their formation, dynamics, and significance. This is precisely where the GlacierXperience project comes in: it makes glaciers tangible through real experiments and virtual explorations, helping to develop a deeper understanding of these sensitive environments and their connection to climate change.
