ESPLAT 2025 conference: Scientific thinking in challenging times

The replication crisis has highlighted the need for new methodological competencies in psychological science. Accordingly, integrating open research practices into higher education is essential to prepare students for the demands of modern science. Despite the growing importance of these practices, psychology curricula often lack implementations that not only convey good research practices in principle, but also teach them in a hands-on manner.

To address this challenge, we developed the digital learning platform LIFOS (Local Infrastructure for Open Science). LIFOS emulates platforms like the OSF.io by allowing students to preregister empirical research projects, share data, analysis scripts, and reports. This is done in a safe environment, which is open to other students and lecturers within the institute, but closed to the public, ensuring university data protection standards. Supported by accompanying open educational resources (OERs), LIFOS provides a learning environment that aligns learning objectives and teaching methods with the requirements of modern scientific practice.

To evaluate the rollout of LIFOS, we surveyed 150 Bachelor students and 7 instructors at Goethe University Frankfurt during the winter semester 2023–24. Students used LIFOS within empirical courses to document their research projects, which they worked on in small groups. At the beginning and end of the semester, we assessed variables such as attitudes toward open science, platform usage and usability, self-efficacy, and trust in scientific psychology.

This contribution presents insights from our evaluation and teaching experiences with the platform. Beyond its implementation and practical impact, we reflect on a broader question: To what extent is hands-on integration of open science able to foster scientific thinking, encourage critical reflection, and shape students’ attitudes toward science? By addressing these questions, we contribute to the ongoing discourse on how to effectively teach psychology in ways that prepare students for the challenges of scientific inquiry in a complex world.