Learning with smartphones and laptops could make dual vocational training more attractive. It is currently supplemented by traditional media such as textbooks or written materials. (Photo: © everythingpossible/123RF.com)
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Digital media in vocational training - special topics
November 2016
Two recent studies show that digital media is currently being used rather hesitantly in schools and businesses. But the future belongs to Moodle, apps, and the like.
Opinions are divided on Pokémon Go . Some condemn the virtual monster hunt because young people seem to be glued to their smartphones or tablets all the time. On the other hand, the game forces them to get outside more often and meet up with their peers. In this way, the pleasant is combined with the useful.
This is what one would hope for with the use of digital media in vocational training. However, companies, vocational schools, and inter-company apprenticeship training providers are rather hesitant. The Bertelsmann Foundation sums it up perfectly in its study "Monitor Digital Education – Vocational Education in the Digital Age": What young people rarely use in their free time dominates their everyday school life. What they frequently use in their free time remains unaddressed in schools and workplaces.
The Bertelsmann Foundation study shows that the use of digital learning media primarily follows "old" didactic and methodological approaches: Internet research replaces consulting an encyclopedia , a YouTube video is shown instead of a DVD, and PowerPoint presentations replace overhead projectors . By contrast, vocational school teachers and trainers much less frequently allow trainees to create their own content, such as short instructional videos or blog posts.
Companies currently seem to rely more on traditional methods for their apprenticeship programs. This is shown in the study "Digital Media in Companies – Today and Tomorrow" by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). Textbooks , written materials, real group work, and in-person instruction at the workplace are considered particularly important . Only then do subject-specific software and online information resources come into play . Learning games, online courses, blogs, and podcasts play a rather subordinate role – according to the companies, this applies both now and in the near future.
Operations management
Operations management
Operations management
Over the next three years, web- and computer-based learning programs , online information resources, and specialized software will gain increasing importance alongside traditional media formats. Learning platforms, software for assessing learning progress, videos, simulations, and online courses are also expected to see slight growth . The conclusion: Technological innovations are only slowly reaching the dual training partners . The impending changes of "Industry 4.0" will likely require more momentum. Therefore, companies need to be made more aware of and more comprehensively informed about the use of digital media.
The BIBB study shows that companies are aware something needs to be done. Around two-thirds of the companies surveyed in the BIBB study believe that digital media should be used more extensively in vocational training. They also expect this to facilitate cooperation with vocational schools and inter-company training centers . However, cooperation between learning locations still has room for improvement, as the studies by the BIBB and the Bertelsmann Foundation demonstrate. For example, around one-third of the companies do not know which digital learning and media formats are used by vocational schools, and only about half of the vocational schools utilize the potential that digital media offer for better collaboration.
More and more high school graduates are drawn to universities. Innovative learning technologies could help make vocational training more attractive . "Modern trades must fundamentally promote apprenticeships using digital media," Eva Gatzky is convinced. The head of vocational training lists the following trades as pioneers in the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce district : automotive mechatronics technician , electronics technician , plumbing , heating, and air conditioning (PHVAC) technician , agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician , and carpenter . For example, automotive apprentices use an exam preparation app, and prospective office management assistants use an online portal with sample questions.
"At our business development center in Götz, the application and acquisition of the latest technology plays a major role," explains its managing director, Tilo Jänsch . Training courses are offered, for example, on the use of smart building technology , electromobility , and the remote maintenance of heating and air conditioning systems . Eva Gatzky believes that new digital learning methods can make learning more enjoyable and ensure the success of apprenticeships – however, they must not be an end in themselves. Providers and users need to network with each other and develop solutions that are practical and implementable.
According to the Bertelsmann Foundation, the use of digital media could lead to greater equality of opportunity . Internet research, learning games, apps, and creating their own content are particularly attractive to younger, male trainees with lower levels of education . Digital learning can be a good way to motivate this target group. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) finds this somewhat overly optimistic. "There are no truly reliable studies to support this claim. Unfortunately, the field of digital media is repeatedly used to make hasty assertions," says Prof. Dr. Michael Heister , Head of the Department of Vocational Teaching and Learning, Programs and Model Projects.
For Eva Gatzky, the use of digital media is heavily dependent on the resources available in training companies. "If we assume that 70 percent of companies in the leading professions possess the necessary know-how, then alternatives must be offered for the rest," explains the vocational training expert from the Potsdam Chamber of Skilled Crafts. Digital learning must be given a firm place in vocational training counseling.
At vocational schools, technology and software must be kept up-to-date. Regarding equipment, the Bertelsmann Foundation identifies a significant need for improvement in reliable Wi-Fi coverage . According to their study, the vast majority of vocational school teachers have no or only inadequate access to a wireless local area network.
To gradually introduce digital learning, vocational schools therefore need both the resources and support. The high time commitment is particularly stressful for training staff. The Bertelsmann Foundation notes that the additional work is usually not compensated, and appropriate regulations are lacking. Guidance for the confusing range of learning materials and applications also appears to be in short supply.
The federal states and municipalities are responsible for the material resources of vocational schools. Funding varies considerably, notes the Federal Association of Teachers at Vocational Schools (BLBS). Even if the federal government wanted to support the often cash-strapped states, it is not permitted to do so. The prohibition on cooperation between the federal and state governments prevents Berlin from doing so. "According to this prohibition, the federal government is not allowed to provide financial support to the federal states in the area of education – and thus also to vocational schools," explains the BLBS.
Only the state associations of the vocational school teachers' association could address the issue of better digital media equipment . "In some federal states, this approach has already led to very good results." Accordingly, the " Digital Media in Vocational Education " funding program launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research offers little benefit to vocational schools . This program focuses on in-company and inter-company training.
Most vocational school teachers and trainers are currently self-taught when it comes to the use of digital media . They acquire their knowledge primarily through self-study or informal exchange with colleagues. To systematically impart the necessary skills to teachers and trainers, sound and ongoing initial and continuing training is essential. The Bertelsmann Foundation proposes a " digital qualification initiative ." Furthermore, in their view, the potential of digital learning can be fully realized through more application-oriented research that translates participation and equal opportunities into concrete didactic settings and examines their reach and effectiveness, as well as through strategically well-designed school development concepts.
Even if all companies use PCs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets for training and all vocational schools teach with the latest media, one thing is crucial: the media literacy of young people . According to the BIBB study, 46 percent of companies rate their trainees' basic IT skills as merely adequate. Therefore, they need targeted training in the use of digital media in everyday work. This applies to both the extensive portfolio of existing media formats and industry-specific IT applications.
Eva Gatzky has had similar experiences. Companies shouldn't assume that young people will automatically acquire the necessary media literacy skills from their mainstream schools or parents. "Not everyone who looks for Pokémon on their smartphone is fit and ready for digital learning."
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