6.2 Example 1: “Light and Life” Project – Germany

In Germany, schools participating in the MINT-EC (STEM Excellence Center) network implemented a thematic unit called “Light and Life”, which integrated biology, physics, and medical science for students aged 14–18. Students learned about the human eye and diagnostic imaging techniques by experimenting with low-power lasers and lenses to simulate Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). They also studied how light penetrates biological tissue by creating gelatin phantoms embedded with various materials (to simulate tumors or blood vessels) and using red laser pointers to observe scattering and absorption.

The project culminated in student presentations where they proposed their own bio-inspired imaging tools, linking their optical understanding to real-world healthcare challenges. Some schools used CoSpaces Edu to let students simulate these devices in AR (MINT-EC, 2022).