Institute for Film and Image in Science and Education

The Institute for Film and Image in Science and Education ( FWU ) gGmbH , based in Grünwald, is the media institute of the federal states of the Federal Republic of Germany . It was founded in 1950, predecessor organizations already existed during the Nazi era and in the occupation zones shortly after the end of the war. The FWU supports the use of media in the classroom through media production, distribution and standardization as well as service, consulting projects and advanced training offers.

job

The FWU building in Grünwald.

According to its partnership agreement, the non-profit company has the task of “producing audiovisual media and promoting their use as teaching and learning aids in education, upbringing and science, and thus serving the general public. This also includes advice on the development and procurement of suitable equipment. ”Taking into account the curricula of the individual federal states , the FWU produces media for all areas of school and extracurricular education and is the leading producer of media for use in German schools. To support the organization of the lessons, the FWU provides detailed accompanying material for its productions. Around 65 new titles are designed and published every year, which are increasingly used as online media and thus replace DVD videos. The individual schools and educational institutions can buy the media from the FWU or borrow them from the state, district and city image offices / media centers . With the FWU media library, schools, teaching staff and pupils can use the entire range of media offered by the FWU online.

In the GDR there was a similar institution called the Institute for Film, Image and Sound (IFBT).

history

1934

On June 26, 1934, the Reich Office for Educational Films (RfdU) was created.

1938

With a series of pictures on Paul von Hindenburg , the first of a total of 55 so-called “school core series for general education schools” was published in 1938, which served to disseminate National Socialist topics.
The magazine “Film und Bild in Wissenschaft, Erziehungs und Volksbildung” is published by the RfdU as an information organ .

1939

In 1939 the picture system consisted of 23 state picture sites and around 800 district and city picture sites .

1940

Renaming to Reichsanstalt for Film and Image in Science and Education (RWU)

1944

By 1944, the RfdU / RWU had produced a total of 876 films and delivered around 830,000 copies.

1945

In December, the Institute for Educational Film in Munich (IfdU) in the American Zone and the Hamburg Institute for Educational Film in the British Zone .
The main task of the zone institutes is initially, in accordance with the provisions of the Potsdam Agreement , to clear the media and the accompanying written material from “Nazi and military teachings”.

1950

On March 6, 1950, the founding charter for the Institute for Film and Image in Science and Education (FWU) is signed in Munich as a non-profit limited company based in Munich. The tasks of the institute are defined in the articles of association as follows:
“The use of film, photographs and sound carriers in science and as teaching and learning aids for all schools to promote free popular education and youth care and thus to serve general education. For this purpose, the company can produce, procure and convey all optical and acoustic teaching and learning aids suitable for science and schools, education and training, in particular films, film copies, series of photographs, sound carriers, recording, presentation and playback devices and accessories promote such devices and participate in the development and procurement of such devices. "
On August 1, 1950, the FWU started operations with 84 employees.
In addition to the tried and tested media of 16 mm silent film (b / w), series of images and records , the product range is expanded to include sound film and tape .

1952

The first FWU production was the film "Quick, das Eichhörnchen" by Heinz Sielmann to be awarded the Federal Film Prize.

1956

The first 16 mm color film "Wiesensommer" is awarded as the best short cultural film at the Xth International Film Festival in Cannes .

1958

Bernhard Wicki produces for the FWU “ Why are you against us? “, A feature film to stimulate discussion on contemporary youth problems. The film receives u. a. the federal film prizes for the best director and the best camera.

One of the FWU's very early 16mm films: The Hedgehog

1960

Within the first ten years, the FWU delivers to the state, district and cityscape offices:
- 226,867 film copies (thereof 41,883 sound film copies and 3,000 in color)
- 228,103 rows of images (28,090 of them in color)
- 17,039 tapes
- 2,000 records

A film role of the FWU.

1968

The 8 mm film cassette comes onto the market.

1969

First recommendations for video recorders .

1970

First joint planning of teaching programs with the broadcasters.
Development of a special packaging of the institute's 8 mm films, which enables them to be played on cassette projectors as well as on conventional projectors.

1971

The main focus in the 1970s was on didactic theory.
As part of the “Commissioned Teaching System (APL)” project supported by the Federal-State Commission , lesson documentation (DU) tailored to teacher training is increasingly being produced.
The monthly magazine "Film Bild Ton" appears from July 1971 under the name "AV-Praxis".

FWU slide series R77

1974

For the first time, video tapes ( VCR ) and 8 mm sound films are produced.
For the AV-Mobil project, a mobile media library based on a truck is being developed. The AV-Mobil is equipped with all common demonstration devices and can be used as a variable demonstration room for up to 30 people. It is used for teacher training and at trade fairs.

1975

Development of an AV media table with integrated 8 mm silent film projector, slide magazine projector, cassette tape recorder and illuminated opal plate for viewing work transparencies ( overhead )

1976

Delivery of the first rows of work banners.

A review of the FWU and IWF commissioned by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs leads to confirmation from both institutes, with the requirement to cooperate more closely and to coordinate the productions.

1977

Cooperation with the ZDF within the television series “Chemistry Study Program”.
The “Au micro” tape series for French lessons is being produced in collaboration with Radio France .

A look at the FWU archive.

1980

As a second video cassette system in addition to the VCR, the VHS system is recommended as being suitable for schools.
In the first 30 years of its existence, the FWU delivered AV media to the following extent:
- 950,000 16mm films
- 680,000 8mm films
- 880,000 slide rows
- 300,000 tapes
- 100,000 records
- 25,000 other AV media

Computer software in the FWU program.

1987

For the first time, standard software is offered within the FWU program.
Sales of 16 mm films are falling significantly, while sales of video cassettes have increased by 50 percent.
The production of 8 mm films is discontinued.

1989

Change of name to FWU Institute for Film and Image in Science and Education, non-profit company with limited liability

1990

FWU and Bildstellen support the development of an infrastructure for media education in the new federal states in various ways.
Delivery of the first didactic software programs ("Der See", "Control of stepper motors").

1992

Implementation of various regional and national projects in the new federal states ("Europe meets Saxony") on behalf of the European Community .
The film "The water - a raw material in danger" received the 1992 German Business Film Award .

1993

The new federal states have joined the company.

1994

Start of the “Comenius Project” in Berlin, which for the first time connects schools with one another on a broadband basis .

1995

BLK model test "School use of multimedia interactive systems" (SEMIS)

1996

Delivery of the first CD-ROM "Natural Disasters: Phenomena of the Earth".

1997

Establishment of the FWU homepage: www.fwu.de

1998

The DFN project "Use of broadband networks in the image network" is carried out together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and System Technology and five state image offices / media centers.
The production of slide series is stopped due to falling demand.

1999

As a pilot project, the first didactic DVD video “The Lake” is published.

2000

The Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) gives the FWU responsibility for the "School" area within the German Education Server (DBS). Here it works closely with the Humboldt University and the DIPF (formerly the German Institute for International Educational Research).
The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) has selected the FWU as a contact point for the OECD and the European school network.

2001

DBS (German Education Server): The FWU is developing a sub-portal for the school sector

2002

The CD-ROM “Kinderbrauser [ sic! ] - Introduction to the Internet for Grades 3 to 6 "receives the German Multimedia Award 2002

2004

AG MEDOK (Working Group on Media Documentation and Distribution). The FWU, as coordinator in cooperation with the state media education institutes, continues the development and maintenance of a standard for metadata of educational media used throughout Germany .

2005

The SODIS Content Pool is being developed as a further development of the metadata services for “classic” AV media (“Database Education Media”) and for education software (“SODIS”) as the largest database for media information on - often freely available - education-relevant media.

2011

The FWU media library goes live. With the opening ceremony by the then Bavarian State Secretary for Culture, Dr. Marcel Huber begins a new era.
The FWU-Mediathek is described by the Society for Education and Information eV as an “exemplary didactic multimedia product” and has been awarded the Comenius EduMedia medal.

2012

On behalf of the Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture, Science and Art (and in cooperation with the State Institute for School Quality and Educational Research (ISB) in Munich and the Academy for Teacher Training and Personnel Management (ALP) in Dillingen) the FWU develops and operates " mebis - State Media Center Bavaria ". “Mebis” promotes the use of digital media in teaching at Bavarian schools, it includes an information portal, a media library, an examination archive and a learning platform.

2016

On behalf of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , the FWU is creating the “BioBook”, a digital biology book for grades 5 and 6 at high school.
At the educational fair didacta 2016, the “BioBook” was awarded the German educational media prize “digita”

2018

With the “single license for teachers”, the FWU now also offers a solution for teachers. With the help of the FWU media player, educational films can be purchased and used offline in class. It is also possible to share the video using a QR code - schoolchildren have 7 days of access to the film.

reception

The older educational films of the FWU, which were delivered on Super8 and 16 mm film, arouse nostalgic feelings and memories of school days in many people . Over time, a collector's scene developed around these old FWU films.

literature

Joachim Paschen: AV media for education. An illustrated history of the Bildstellen and the Institute for Film and Image in Science and Education. Grünwald 1983.