Wiebke Sophie Ost

M.A. English and American Culture and Business Studies, Universität Kassel, Kassel, Germany

B.A. Moderne Fremdsprachen, Kulturen und Wirtschaft, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Gießen, Germany

B.Sc. Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Gießen, Germany

DAAD-Scholarship, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

Erasmus+-Scholarship, Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts, Tel Aviv, Israel

Research Interests, Publications, Presentations/Talks

Research Interests

• Immersive Learning and Teaching (XR), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) in Language Learning and Teaching
• Language Awareness & Cultural Awareness
• Multilingualism
• Intercultural Communication
• Organizational Psychology
• Diversity Management

Publications

• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Schlaak, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2025). Virtual Reality in Language Learning and Teaching: An Explorative Study of Four VR Applications from a Student Perspective. Research in Subject-matter Teaching and Learning (RISTAL), 8(1), pp. 88-113. https://doi.org/10.2478/ristal-2025-0008
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Schlaak, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2024). 360-Degree Multilingual Learning Environments and Virtual Reality: A Pilot Study in Higher Education. Braselmann et al, Teacher Education in (Post-)Pandemic and (Post-)Digital Times: International Perspectives on Intercultural Learning, Diversity and Equity, Peter Lang. doi.org/10.3726/b21759
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Ost, Wiebke Sophie & Schlaak, Claudia (2024). Virtual reality in teacher education: An empirical study on attitudes of future foreign language teachers. Journal for Romance Languages and their Didactics, Issue 18.2, pp. 61-81, ISBN: 978-3-8382-1993-6.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Olson, Madeleine, Ost, Wiebke Sophie & Shonfeld, Miri. (2023). Language Awareness and Cultural Awareness Technology in an International Online Cooperation: A Mixed-Method Approach. Language Awareness. doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2023.2244882.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2019). International Digitization Project Education Initiative: Report and Results. Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Invited Talks and Workshops

• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Schlaak, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2026). Addressing Language Awareness and Cultural Awareness through Virtual Reality: An Exploratory Study in Multilingual Teacher Education. Paper presented at the 18th International Conference of the Association of Language Awareness (ALA), ALA 2026: Heritages, Languages, Ecologies, Monterey, CA, USA, June 22-25, 2026 (accepted).
• Ost, Wiebke Sophie & Karnstedt, Franziska (2025). "Digital university structures as a response to a heterogeneous student body", poster presentation, TURN Conference, Darmstadt, 30.09.2025.
• Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2025). "Zukunftswerkstatt Agora [Zukunft]", Higher Education Forum Digitalization, Berlin, 09.09.2025.
• Ost, Wiebke Sophie & Karnstedt, Franziska (2025). "Digitaler Fachbereich: Flexibilisierung der Hochschullehre", lecture at the University Future Festival, online, 14.05.2025
• Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2024). "Constructing Identities through Language Use: A Study of Attitudes towards Code-switching and Multilingualism in South Africa", presentation at the New Directions sub-Saharan Africa 2024, British Council, Nairobi, Kenya (accepted).
• Schlaak, Claudia, Finkbeiner, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2024). "Virtual Reality and Multilingualism in Language Teacher Education", presentation at the 17th International Conference of the Association of Language Awareness (ALA), ALA 2024: Language Awareness, Education & Power, PH Karlsruhe, 07.-10.07.2024.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Hesse, Yvonne, Ost, Wiebke Sophie, Shonfeld, Miri, Foerster, Marcel & Olson, Madeleine (2024). "International Cooperation in Virtual Worlds", presentation at the 17th International Conference of the Association of Language Awareness (ALA), ALA 2024: Language Awareness, Education & Power, PH Karlsruhe, 07.-10.07.2024.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Schlaak, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2023). "360-Degree-Media in Foreign Language Learning: A Pre-Post Survey Study", presentation at the conference Evidence-based foreign language learning - Multilingualism in education (EBFL), Ascona, Switzerland, 07.-10.06.2023.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2023). "International Online Cooperation in a Multilingual Context: A Pre-Post Survey Study", presentation at the conference Evidence-based foreign language learning - Multilingualism in education (EBFL), Ascona, Switzerland, 07.-10.06.2023.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Schlaak, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2023). "360° applications and multilingualism in higher education: An important step towards learning with virtual reality", lecture at LEARNTEC 2023, Messe Karlsruhe, 25.05.2023.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Schlaak, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2023). "Virtual Reality and Multilingualism in Higher Education", presentation at the International Conference on Teacher Education Passion and Professionalism in Teacher Education 2023, Tel Aviv, Israel (accepted).
• Schlaak, Claudia, Finkbeiner, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie. (2023). "360°- und Virtual Reality - Lernumgebungen im FSU sowie Mehrsprachiges und interkulturelles Lernen (MIL)", poster presentation at the PRONET final conference Digitalisierung in Schule und Lehrer:innenbildung - ein Blick in das Jahr 2040, Science Park, University of Kassel, 10.07.2023.
• Ost, Wiebke Sophie, Schlaak, Claudia & Finkbeiner, Claudia (2023). Workshop and Open Space as part of the project week "Digitale Lehre Neu Gestalten" Integrated Study Workshop - Languages, University of Kassel, 07.11.2023
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Schlaak, Claudia & Ost, Wiebke Sophie. (2023). "360-Grad- und Virtual Reality-Lernumgebungen im Fremdsprachenunterricht", Poster presentation at the 4th Networking Meeting & Digital Teaching Day of the University of Kassel, Gießhaus, University of Kassel, 17.11.2023.
• Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2022). "Student attitudes in an international online cooperation: a mixed-methods study", presentation at the 16th International Conference of the Association of Language Awareness (ALA), Language Awareness for the Next 30 Years, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Brazil, 07.07.2022.
• Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2021). "Student Attitudes in the CoGI Project: The Pre- and Post Survey", poster presentation at the conference International Education in an Age of Information and Disinformation, International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE), Tel Aviv, Israel.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Olson, Madeleine & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2020). "International Online Collaboration: Implementation and Research ", Presentation at the 70th Annual Conference of the Literacy Research Association (LRA), USA.
• Finkbeiner, Claudia, Olson, Madeleine & Ost, Wiebke Sophie (2020). "Digital Learning and the Role of Language Awareness in Language Teacher Education", Panel Session at the 15th International Conference of the Association for Language Awareness (ALA): Languaging and Language Awareness in the Global Age, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.

Professional Services/Reviews

• Association for Language Awareness (ALA)
• Appointments Committee, Faculty 02, University of Kassel
• Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN)
• Literacy Research Association (LRA)
• Study Commission, Department 02, University of Kassel
• Session Host, University:Future Festival