Session Information
02 ONLINE 23 B, Competences and Didactics at the Workplace
Paper Session
MeetingID: 827 1194 4584 Code: f8XwVp
Contribution
The paper is based on the BMBF and ESF funded research project ‘Ageing-appropriate, process-oriented and interactive further training in SME (API-KMU)’ which is a collaboration between LSWI at the University of Potsdam, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT’s Institute of Vocational and General Pedagogy, the media design and VR-development company rooom as well as two SMEs to apply the learning environment. The project’s aim is to develop a digital training concept including learning modules and a tutor system for use in SMEs. The objective of the project is to support SMEs and their employees in coping with daily work tasks. Demographic change and digitization are key challenges for small companies. The manufacturing industry in particular is strongly affected by a shortage of skilled workers and a loss of experience and knowledge. Most SMEs rarely have the resources and concrete training approaches to address these problems independently. The API-KMU project recognizes the need for operational change and intends to enable age-appropriate, process-oriented and interactive further training in existing companies and the securing of experiential knowledge supported by a pedagogically designed Virtual Reality environment.
According to the state of research regarding age-appropriate continuing education, alternative approaches need to be created here. Work process-based learning offers the practical relevance that is important for employees by linking work and learning.
The paper looks at the research and design process of a pedagogically shaped Virtual Reality environment for learning. Criteria for shaping the virtual learning environment are applied: How is the virtual world to be modelled in order to apply the self-directed learning approach near the workplace? The enhancement of the learner’s ability to create and shape symbolic representations is a central feature in VR space addressing human intelligence and imagination. How can the environment support the learner to become an active part of the learning process?
The educational goal of the VR learning space is to facilitate new employees’ orientation in the company and work environment. The learner him-/herself is part of the surrounding, immersive learning space, navigating self-directed, including the added value of visual simulations (e.g. of different qualities of (physical) work materials and tools, rather than the learner being restricted to traditional text-based seminaristic learning. As one interacts with 3D objects, the exploration of the work place becomes an experience, rather than a theoretical perception of the work space. From the company’s perspective, the 3D learning environment helps to support the on-boarding processes and the reactivation of tacit knowledge and work experience.
The theoretical approach includes subject-oriented learning near the workplace with the transfer of implicit knowledge and work experience. The learner is active part of the learning process, including self-directed and explorative learning. The enhancement of the learner’s ability to interact with symbolic representations is a central feature in VR spaces addressing human intelligence and imagination.
In order to support the set of competences to support the individual vocational capacity of the employees, learning goals related to the tasks’ requirements were defined: The learner is supposed to deal with conflicts arising in the work process and able to actively approach colleagues and ask for help. The learner is able to appreciate his/her own performance and can appropriately assess the work assignments he/she has completed. Apart from those professional skills, personal competences are to be trained by the environment. How can the learner achieve method competence, social competence as well as self-competence in a learning environment near the workplace?
The paper scrutinizes the opportunities opening up and the added value for the learners by augmenting the training space with virtual 3D objects and tutorial videos.
Method
Firstly, the analysis of the operational work processes, in order to identify fields of action from typical work processes/tasks was done. It was based on video interviews with employees (at blue collar level) and followed by the identification of use cases through interviews at management and employee level. The design process was focused on two particular work tasks: 1st Miter bonding and 2nd polishing of natural stone slabs for window sills. In the next step, the work context was modelled in a 3D space, including typical objects and tools required for the tasks. For the learning environment, the work tasks were transformed into learning situations. As one interacts with 3D objects, the exploration of the simulated production hall becomes an experience, rather than a theoretical explanation of the work space to be perceived. From the company’s perspective, the 3D learning environment is aimed to facilitate the on-boarding processes and the transfer of tacit knowledge and work experience. Tacit knowledge is acquired through active action processes in a lived practice. The development from work experience to work process knowledge have been addressed in the context of computer-supported skilled work and vocational learning by Fischer (2000) among others. Part of the learning goals to be supported by the environment identified are professional expertise, methodological competence, social as well as self-competence. Those form the basis of what is called professional competence, a vocational capacity, defined as "the ability and willingness of people to act in professional situations appropriately and professionally, personally and with social responsibility, i.e. to independently solve upcoming problems in a goal-oriented manner on the basis of knowledge and experience as well as through their own ideas, to evaluate the solutions found and to further develop his/[her] ability to act.” by Bader (Bader, 2000). After the implementation the VR prototype will be evaluated through interviews with the users about their perception of the environment, the added value of the 3D objects for their learning and understanding, as well as the orientation to become familiar with the work context. Furthermore, the usability of the learning environment will be addressed. Video-based retrospective interviews seem to be a suitable instrument to adequately capture the employees' interpretative perspectives on their work activities. In conclusion, the paper identifies specific challenges, such as creating acceptance among employees, open questions, e.g., how a transfer or generalization of the results can succeed
Expected Outcomes
In conclusion the paper looks at lessons learned in the interim evaluation of the virtual learning environment prototype. The main outcome is the development of a subject- and work process-oriented further education concept with learning modules. Part of the learning environment is a 3D virtual space including animation and interactive tutorial videos. Today’s VR environments can offer sensory immersion, remote presence, and tele-operations (cp. Laurel, 1993,188). However, the educational goal to aspire to in the project is the Virtual Reality learning space to facilitate new employees’ orientation in the company and work environment. The learner him/herself is part of the surrounding, immersive learning space, navigating self-directed through the space, including the added value of visual simulations (e.g. of different qualities of physical work materials and tools, rather than being restricted to traditional text-based seminaristic learning arrangements). As one navigates around these imaginary spaces with different 3D objects, the exploration of the work place becomes an experience for the learner, rather than a theoretical perception of the work space. From the company’s perspective, the 3D learning environment helps to support the on-boarding processes and the reactivation of tacit knowledge transferable and work experience of staff. Last not least the support of change and innovation processes inside of the organization are facilitated. In conclusion, the paper identifies challenges in the context of the prototype concerning the users’ experiences and acceptance. How is a responsive learning environment to be designed? What kind of recommendations can be derived towards the transfer of knowledge to further SME as a result of the project’s outcome. Potentially less tech-savvy people benefit from an easy-to-learn handling of the devices, which enables their use in ageing-appropriate MMI design as well as process-related safeguarding of experiential knowledge. The latter has to be confirmed by the evaluation.
References
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