Eine Handreichung für die Praxis. Der Klassenrat als Mittel demokratischer Schulentwicklung

Der Klassenrat ist ein Zeitfenster, in dem die Klasse alle aktuellen Themen, die die Schule, die Klasse und/oder die Schüler/-innen betreffen, in einer demokratischen und eigenverantwortlichen Form besprechen kann. Im Klassenrat sind Lehrer/-innen und Schüler/-innen gleichberechtigte Partner. Indem die Schüler/-innen ihre Angelegenheiten mit Unterstützung der Lehrer/-innen eigenverantwortlich regeln, können sie Selbst- und Sozialkompetenz entwickeln, demokratische Kommunikationsformen und Entscheidungsfindung üben und praktisch anwenden. So trägt der Klassenrat zur Entwicklung einer demokratischen Kultur in der Schule und zur Entwicklung demokratischer Kompetenzen bei. Das Material ist eine Veröffentlichung aus dem BLK-Programm „Demokratie lernen & leben“

Bewertung analytischer Planungsmethoden zur Erhöhung der Prognosesicherheit von Rahmenterminplänen bei Bauprojekten

In einem Bauprojekt werden in frühen Projektphasen erstmals Dauern für das Projekt durch den Bauherrn prognostiziert und festgehalten. Diese bilden die Grundlage für die weitere (Termin-) Planung. Abweichungen dieser geplanten Dauern haben weitreichende Auswirkungen auf das Projekt und seine Umwelt. Diese Auswirkungen umfassen: Erstens folgt eine Unzufriedenheit seitens der Nutzer oder Betreiber, da vertraglich vereinbarte Zwischen- oder Endtermine nicht eingehalten werden können. Durch diese nicht eingehaltenen Termine können weiter Anforderungen der Stakeholder an den Schnittstellen des Projektes zu seiner Umwelt nicht erfüllt werden. So ist beispielsweise ein verzögerter Produktionsstart, Einzug der Mieter oder eine verzögerte Nutzung mit hohen Kosten verbunden. Drittens können Folgeverzögerungen innerhalb des Projektes entstehen. Viertens ist eine verlässliche Planung der Ressourcen erschwert. Fünftens nimmt der Aufwand und damit die verbundenen Kosten für notwendige Änderungen während der Planung und Ausführung zu. Sechstens können Abweichungen die Projektatmosphäre negativ beeinflussen und Konflikte können entstehen. Zuletzt beeinflussen Abweichungen die Reputation und damit schließlich auch die wirtschaftliche Kraft des jeweiligen Unternehmens. Die Praxis zeigt hingegen anhand vieler Fallbeispiele die Herausforderungen einer möglichst genauen Prognose in frühen Projektphasen: Viele Informationen sind unbekannt und systematische Planungsfehlschlüsse erschweren die Prognose. Mit der Zunahme der Rechenleistung und verfügbaren Daten in einem Bauprojekt stehen analytische Planungsmethoden immer stärker im Fokus der Forschung. Mit diesen werden Daten objektiv ausgewertet, um systematische Planungsfehlschlüsse reduzieren zu können. Aufgrund der Unsicherheit in frühen Phasen stellt sich jedoch die Frage des Potenzials analytischer Planungsmethoden mit begrenzt verfügbaren Daten zum Bauprojekt. Die vorliegende Arbeit hat daher das Ziel, den Einsatz analytischer Planungsmethoden zur Reduktion der Abweichungen von in frühen Phasen eines Bauprojektes geplanten Dauern zu untersuchen. Mithilfe einer explorativen Studie werden erstens Strategien zur Reduktion von Abweichungen geplanter Dauern statistisch untersucht. Zweitens werden ausgewählte analytische Planungsmethoden anhand von Beispieldatensätzen im Hinblick auf ihre Prognosegenauigkeit verglichen. Hier werden die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung zur Prognosegenauigkeit den Erwartungen der Projektbeteiligten an ein zufriedenstellendes Niveau von Abweichungen der frühen Planung gegenübergestellt. Drittens wird anhand eines Beispieldatensatzes die Fehlschätzung analytischer Planungsmethoden der Expertenintuition gegenübergestellt. Mit den Ergebnissen der Arbeit erhalten Bauherren in frühen Phasen eines Bauprojektes Hilfestellungen zur Planung von Dauern in frühen Projektphasen, zur gezielten Anwendung analytischer Methoden und zur Projektdokumentation

Synergies Between Lean Construction and Artificial Intelligence: AI Driven Continuous Improvement Process

Both, Lean Construction (LC) techniques and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods strive for the continuous improvement of production systems in projects and organizations. A combined implementation of both approaches is an ongoing research area. Therefore, the question arises as to whether the added value generated by implementing both approaches jointly is greater than the added value generated by implementing them independently and what is the significance of people in their combined use. This paper explores theoretically the potential of synergies between LC and AI in the AEC sector with exemplary use cases as well as their resulting effects. Humans play a crucial role as interface between a combined use of both of them. As a result, a framework containing LC, AI and people is formed as basis for further combined developments. Therefore, change management, an area in which Lean has spent several years developing, can help both approaches gain traction. With the results, targeted applications can be developed, and practice can be supported

Development of a Serious Game in Construction Logistics Considering Digital and Lean Tools

All construction projects require well-organized logistics processes to ensure progress within budget and time. However, these processes are often decentralized and inefficient, leading to waste, high costs and delays. Business games have proven effective in raising awareness of the importance of construction logistics and disseminating optimization concepts. Based on a systematic literature review of digital tools in construction logistics and a user-oriented approach, a serious game was developed in an iterative process to highlight the benefits of these tools and the relevance of logistics. Designed for 10–17 participants over 2.5 hours, the game introduces principles like Pull, Kanban, Just-in-Time, and the Supermarket concept for pre-positioned storage near construction sites. The game also incorporates a digital delivery bill, enabling continuous tracking via QR codes and partially automated evaluations of delivery times and progress. To evaluate the developed serious game, feedback was collected from the participants through questionnaires and expert interviews. This interactive approach demonstrates the value of digital tools and fosters understanding of efficient construction logistics practices. The target group consists of students and professionals, who should understand the effects of the use of lean construction and digital tools in the field of construction logistics

Strategic Levers for Prefabrication in Construction: an Economic Case Study

The prefabrication industry is expected to grow and offer significant benefits to the construction industry, including improved efficiency, cost savings, quality and sustainability. Despite these benefits, there is a gap in the literature regarding the strategic levers that determine the optimal level of prefabrication. This study aims to investigate three levels of prefabrication (L1: brick walls, L2: brick walls with electrical installations and L3: brick walls with electrical installations and plastering) from an economic point of view. Levers from the literature were validated and supplemented based on an expert workshop with a small to medium-sized supplier of prefabricated elements and construction service provider in southern Germany. The economic feasibility was assessed using sensitivity analysis, focusing on cost drivers for organizational effort and increased efficiency. The results showed that higher levels of prefabrication (L2 and L3) lead to significant efficiency gains, especially in the best-case scenario. Organizational effort increases with the level of prefabrication, but at L3, efficiency improvements outweigh complexity, reducing costs such as material savings and mitigation of weather-related disruptions. Prefabrication, when strategically integrated, not only achieves the same goals as lean construction activities such as workflow efficiency and waste minimization, but the economic benefits increase with the level of prefabrication. This means that, under stable conditions, a high level of prefabrication is economically viable

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of mandelonitrile lyase from almonds

Single crystals of three different isoenzymes of (R)-(+) mandelonitrile lyase (hydroxynitrile lyase) from almonds (Prunus amygdalus) have been obtained by hanging drop vapor diffusion using polyethylene glycol 4000 and isopropanol as co-precipitants. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space group P2l with unit cell parameters a = 69.9, b = 95.1, c = 95.6 Å, and β = 118.5°. A complete set of diffraction data has been collected to 2.6 Å resolution on native crystals of isoenzyme III

Possible Futures for Lean Construction: A Scenario Analysis for Germany

Lean construction is increasingly adopted due to low productivity, industry fragmentation, and adversarial relationships, enhancing stability and transparency. This paper outlines future scenarios for Germany, aiding construction companies in proactive preparation. Using the scenario technique, three Lean construction scenarios were developed and compared with AIgenerated results. A literature review examined Lean construction\u27s current state, followed by identifying crucial influencing factors through megatrend analysis and a PESTEL analysis. Sustainability, digitization, and collaboration emerged as key factors. Future projections for each were developed and linked to form scenarios: A sustainability scenario which is shaped by environmental regulations and green technology for sustainability, advancements in Building Information Modeling (BIM) are shaping the digitization scenario and integrated project delivery methods form the third scenario “collaboration”. The scenarios developed in this paper support those initially suggested by an AI tool. This analysis enables construction companies to adapt oneself to future scenarios and derive actions

Aconitase Regulation of Erythropoiesis Correlates with a Novel Licensing Function in Erythropoietin-Induced ERK Signaling

Erythroid development requires the action of erythropoietin (EPO) on committed progenitors to match red cell output to demand. In this process, iron acts as a critical cofactor, with iron deficiency blunting EPO-responsiveness of erythroid progenitors. Aconitase enzymes have recently been identified as possible signal integration elements that couple erythropoiesis with iron availability. In the current study, a regulatory role for aconitase during erythropoiesis was ascertained using a direct inhibitory strategy.In C57BL/6 mice, infusion of an aconitase active-site inhibitor caused a hypoplastic anemia and suppressed responsiveness to hemolytic challenge. In a murine model of polycythemia vera, aconitase inhibition rapidly normalized red cell counts, but did not perturb other lineages. In primary erythroid progenitor cultures, aconitase inhibition impaired proliferation and maturation but had no effect on viability or ATP levels. This inhibition correlated with a blockade in EPO signal transmission specifically via ERK, with preservation of JAK2-STAT5 and Akt activation. Correspondingly, a physical interaction between ERK and mitochondrial aconitase was identified and found to be sensitive to aconitase inhibition.Direct aconitase inhibition interferes with erythropoiesis in vivo and in vitro, confirming a lineage-selective regulatory role involving its enzymatic activity. This inhibition spares metabolic function but impedes EPO-induced ERK signaling and disturbs a newly identified ERK-aconitase physical interaction. We propose a model in which aconitase functions as a licensing factor in ERK-dependent proliferation and differentiation, thereby providing a regulatory input for iron in EPO-dependent erythropoiesis. Directly targeting aconitase may provide an alternative to phlebotomy in the treatment of polycythemia vera