Work Based Induction Training and Support in Europe A STATE OF THE ART REPORT
Edited by Marie Bijnens and Mathy Vanbuel
for the learn@work Project
State of the Art
Work Based Induction Training and Support in
Europe
Collaborative research into supports for induction of new workers using ICTs and supports
for induction of worker-learners to e-learning
The Learn@Work Consortium
Main Editors:
Marie Bijnens
Mathy Vanbuel
Contributors:
Albert Jaszewski
Klaus Reich
Marianne Georgsen
Tom Nyvang
Clive Young
Anne Murphy
Kevin O’Rourke
This draft report aims to identify current European good practice in the use of ICT Work Based
Learning. It furthermore tries to determine the ‘state of the art’ with an emphasis on how the holistic
interaction of pedagogical, organisational, and technical elements aid student engagement,
interaction, and long-term learning. This State of the Art report gathers abstracts of recent literary
contributions and viewpoints of researchers in this field.
This publication is intended for researchers, practitioners, teachers, tutors, and trainers in
organisations and institutions involved in Work Based Learning and especially in the induction
aspects of learning in the workplace.
The learn@work consortium welcomes all comments and contributions: please send them to
learnatwork@atit.be
More information on the learn@work project is available at http://www.learnatwork.info/
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views
of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for its content or any use which may be
made of the information contained therein.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Learn@Work ____________________________________________________________ 8
1.1 Learning at Work: the Concept _____________________________________________________ 8
1.2 Learn@Work: the Project _________________________________________________________ 9
2.What is induction?___________________________________________________________________ 10
2.1 The Learn@Work Point of View ___________________________________________________
2.1.1 Defining ‘Induction’ ___________________________________________________________
2.1.2 Lifelong Learning_____________________________________________________________
2.1.3 Work Based Learning__________________________________________________________
10
10
10
11
2.2 History of Induction Training _____________________________________________________
2.2.1 Overview ___________________________________________________________________
2.2.2 Towards a “Learning Organisation”_______________________________________________
2.2.3 Work Based Learning and ICT___________________________________________________
2.2.4 Current Training Trends ________________________________________________________
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11
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2.3 The Stakeholders/Actors: Expectations and Interests __________________________________
2.3.1 The Learner _________________________________________________________________
2.3.2 The Trainer/Job Coach _________________________________________________________
2.3.3 The Organisation/Employer _____________________________________________________
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14
15
15
2.4 Advantages of Using Learning Technologies (LTs) ____________________________________ 16
2.5 Issues__________________________________________________________________________
2.5 1 Organisational________________________________________________________________
2.5.2 Legal_______________________________________________________________________
2.5.3 Economical __________________________________________________________________
2.5.4 Pedagogical__________________________________________________________________
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3.Current Status of Induction Training through e-Learning ___________________________________ 20
3.1 Europe ________________________________________________________________________
3.1.1 Employment _________________________________________________________________
3.1.2 ICT use in Europe: General _____________________________________________________
3.1.3 Education ___________________________________________________________________
3.1.4 Lifelong Learning_____________________________________________________________
3.1.5 e-Learning Applications for the Training of Employees _______________________________
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3.2 Belgium________________________________________________________________________
3.2.1 Socio-economical Context ______________________________________________________
3.2.2 Education Level – Employment Status_____________________________________________
3.2.3 Lifelong Learning_____________________________________________________________
3.2.4 Work Based Learning__________________________________________________________
3.2.5 Education and Training Systems _________________________________________________
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3.3 Ireland ________________________________________________________________________
3.3.1 Socio-economical Context ______________________________________________________
3.3.2 The Immigration Factor ________________________________________________________
3.3.3 Education and Training Systems _________________________________________________
3.3.4 Levels of Education at Entry to the Labour Market ___________________________________
3.3.5 Work-related Training and Learning ______________________________________________
3.3 6 Who Learns at Work?__________________________________________________________
3.3.7 The Use of e-Learning Technologies in Work Based Learning __________________________
3.3.8 E- Learning Issues for Work-related Learning _______________________________________
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3.4 UK____________________________________________________________________________
3.4.1 Population and employment _____________________________________________________
3.4.2 UK Qualifications Framework ___________________________________________________
3.4.3 Post-Compulsory Education and Training __________________________________________
3.4.4 Work Based Learning__________________________________________________________
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3.5 Denmark_______________________________________________________________________
3.5.1 Socio-economical Context ______________________________________________________
3.5.2 Education Level – Employment Status_____________________________________________
3.5 3 Lifelong Learning_____________________________________________________________
3.5.4 Education and Training Systems _________________________________________________
3.5.5 Work-related Education and Learning _____________________________________________
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3.6 Austria ________________________________________________________________________
3.6.1 Economic Development ________________________________________________________
3.6.2 Adult Education in General _____________________________________________________
3.6.3 Participation in Vocational Trainings ______________________________________________
3.6.4 Work Based Training __________________________________________________________
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4.Organisation of Induction Training _____________________________________________________ 40
4.1 Training Methods _______________________________________________________________ 40
4.2 Inducting New Employees_________________________________________________________
4.2.1 General Training______________________________________________________________
4.2.2 Mandatory Training ___________________________________________________________
4.2.3 Job Training _________________________________________________________________
4.2.4 Training Evaluation ___________________________________________________________
4.2.5 Checklist____________________________________________________________________
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4.3 Inducting Employees in General ___________________________________________________ 43
4.4 Induction Models ________________________________________________________________
4.4.1 Learning on Demand __________________________________________________________
4.4.2 Blended Learning _____________________________________________________________
4.4.3 Computer Based Training_______________________________________________________
4.4.4 Online Learning ______________________________________________________________
4.4.5 Apprenticeship _______________________________________________________________
4.4.6 Informal learning _____________________________________________________________
4.4.7 Job Coaching ________________________________________________________________
4.4.8 Classroom Training ___________________________________________________________
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46
5. The Learn@Work scaffolding: Collaborative e-Learning Design Method ______________________ 47
5.1 Focussing ______________________________________________________________________ 47
5.2 Pedagogy: Identifying the Principle Values __________________________________________ 47
5.3 Development Process of Concrete Induction Programmes ______________________________ 48
5.3.1 The Learn@Work Strategy______________________________________________________ 48
6. Learn@Work pilot projects ___________________________________________________________ 49
6.1 About the Pilot Projects __________________________________________________________ 49
6.2 To consider before getting started… ________________________________________________ 49
6.3 The Case Studies ________________________________________________________________ 49
6.4 The Fortis Coaching Game________________________________________________________ 51
6.5 Induction De Lijn _______________________________________________________________ 59
6.6: BA by Learning Contract - Theme: Learn@Work____________________________________ 65
6.7: MSc Innovation Management _____________________________________________________ 72
6.8: Social Software _________________________________________________________________ 78
6.9: ADVOCATE___________________________________________________________________ 83
6.10: LEARN@WORK DIT PILOTS __________________________________________________ 87
6.11: E-Learning Lab, Aalborg _______________________________________________________ 93
7.Sources and Resources ______________________________________________________________ 100
7.1 About Induction: _______________________________________________________________ 100
7.2 State of the Art: Europe _________________________________________________________ 100
7.3 State of the Art: Ireland _________________________________________________________ 101
7.4 State of the Art: Belgium ________________________________________________________ 102
7.5 State of the Art: Denmark _______________________________________________________ 103
7.6 State of the Art: Austria _________________________________________________________ 103
7.7 State of the Art: UK ____________________________________________________________ 104
8. Appendix _________________________________________________________________________ 105
1. Introduction: Learn@Work
1.1 Learning at Work: the Concept
In his “Work Based Coordination Manual/Guidelines” Terry Bergeson states that before the 20th
century, most learning was directly related to work. “Young people learned by watching their
parents or working alongside them, and through apprenticeships with experts”. According to
Bergeson, work changed and became separated from learning with industrialization. “This gap
between education and work continued to grow, and over time many of the concepts being taught
in the classroom were lacking a real-world context”.1
In a presentation at Online Educa 2005, Mia Verstraeten, director of IBM Learning, Europe,
mentions the findings of the US Department of Commerce. According to them, “at least 80% of
employee learning happens in the workplace”. A recent US Department of Labour study found that
“workplace learning is widespread across many employee interactions and serves to fulfil most
learning need, perhaps as much as 70%”. The learning is “ongoing, often unrecognised, and
involves knowledge and skills that are attainable and immediately applicable”. Whether the number
is 70%, 80% or 50%, it’s large enough for us to rethink how best to leverage the workplace to
enable employees to learn ever-changing, essential knowledge and skills.2
“New business and organisational models are thriving, invalidating long-term established
approaches. The result is innovation at all levels – in societies, economies and within
organisations. Change necessitates learning – we need to continuously acquire new skills,
knowledge and behaviours throughout our lifetimes”
- Richard Straub -3
The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is now regarded as one means of
enhancing both the learning opportunities and the effectiveness of learning for adults in the
workplace. It has been found that Work Based Learning, which may or may not be related to a
formal curriculum, can often be an isolated and unsupported activity for individuals, and that it is
often difficult for individual, isolated adult learners-at-work to keep up their momentum and
motivation. It is now considered useful for worker-learners to have support on-line from both peers
and ‘accompanying’ experts, so that their own isolation is reduced, and so that they have
opportunities to gain from collective learning opportunities to develop academic skills in ‘learning
how to learn’ and to develop skills in reflective practice.
ICTs can enable a richer combination of formal and informal learning, and can offer more options
for group and individual activity. They can provide more flexible approaches than formal, individual
learning packages that are paper-based or that are confined to CD-roms/tapes/videos.
Induction training is vital for new employees. According to the website businessballs.com - a free
ethical learning and development resource for people and organizations, run by Alan Chapman, in
Leicester, England - “Good induction training ensures new employees are retained, and then settle
in quickly and happily to a productive role. Induction training is more than skills training. It is about
the basics that seasoned employees take for granted: what the shifts are; where the notice board
is; the routine for holidays or sickness; where's the canteen; what is the dress code; where the
toilets are. New employees also need to understand the organisation's mission, goals and
philosophy; personnel practices; health and safety rules; and of course they need to know about
the job they're required to do, with clear methods, timescales and expectations.”4
1
Bergeson, T, et al. Work Based Learning Coordination Manual/Guidelines, 2004
Vanstraelen, M., ‘On Demand Learning at IBM’, Book of Abstracts, Online Educa Berlin 2005, p111
Straub, R., ‘Competing in a “flat world“ – the transformational power of e-Learning’, Book of abstracts, Online Educa Berlin
2005, p1
4
Businessballs.com, “Induction training and induction checklist” http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
2
3
learn@work State of the Art Report
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1.2 Learn@Work: the Project
Learn@Work is a European-funded project which aims to improve this process of learning at work,
and in particular induction training, by stimulating the use of technology-enhanced learning
methods, thereby making training more flexible and efficient. However, as this report makes
evident, there are different training models and methodologies for establishing such training. The
evolution of Work Based Learning methods and current trends are set out, with illustrations of the
structure and content of the training: several models and a checklist are provided, with all elements
that should be considered before starting an induction course for new employees. The concept of
Work Based Learning is considered with regard to the stakeholders and with regard to industry,
culture, legal matters, economy, context, technology, and pedagogy. The current status of Work
Based Learning in Europe and in particular in the respective countries of the Learn@Work project
partners (Denmark, Ireland, UK, Austria and Belgium) is outlined, with case studies of pilot projects
that will be carried out in the framework of the project. Future and global perspectives of these
models are reflected upon, and extensive resource material and literature are provided for further
reading. The aim is to be a state of the art report of the current status of learning at work models
and methods, with the main focus on induction training: reporting every Work Based Learning
model would be impossible.
The focus of Learn@Work is the use of ICT to enhance the induction and continuing support for
learners in the workplace. Learning in the workplace often implies a distance or semi-present mode
of learning, nowadays usually with a high ICT element. This is challenging for learners who may be
unfamiliar with formal educational practices and are outside the supportive environment of a
university or college. How can an individual ‘become a learner’ in this context and what is the role
of ICT in facilitating this process?
ICT-based induction and support techniques are well established in traditional (usually institutional)
e-learning contexts, but remain to be explored fully in Work Based Learning. The main features of
learning in the workplace are that is undertaken by mature learners and is often immediately put
into practice. This encourages a reflective and independent approach to learning.
Learn@Work regards induction (that is, the early supported experience of the educational process)
as being particularly critical, but recognises that induction may actually extend throughout the
programme. Induction may involve new employees, but may also include established members of
the workforce who have to acquire new skills due to job change or transfer. Learning in the
workplace implies a wide range of learning situations and learner groups, and consideration has to
be made to the different social, cultural, and material contexts in which online support and
development occurs.
Learn@Work brings together a group of experts in distance learning, e-learning, work based
learning and work place learning, using ICT creatively to develop and refine approaches in a
transnational and multi-cultural framework. It uses technology to build a community of practice and
provides practical guidance regarding design and implementation of e-supported learning at work.
Learn@Work has three distinct but overlapping phases: the establishment of an expert group to
generate a review of the current ‘state of the art’; the designing of a framework and support model
for the scaffolded induction and support of Work Based and workplace learners; and the
implementation, evaluation and dissemination of the framework materials developed.
Outputs from Learn@Work will allow organisations to make informed decisions on how they induct
and support learners engaged in workplace learning. The integration of this new framework will
undoubtedly impact upon the educational processes which institutions and private organisation
employ. It should be borne in mind that Work Based Learning is not an innovation in itself, and
many institutions have effectively implemented new educational processes (e.g. learning contracts,
accreditation of prior learning (APL), and quality procedures) to deliver accredited learning.
Learn@Work directly tackles the key issue of providing a framework for the induction and support
of Work Based Learning using ICT, allowing institutions to look in confidence to new educational
processes which include the delivery, communication, and assessment of Work Based Learning.
learn@work State of the Art Report
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2.What is induction?
2.1 The Learn@Work Point of View
2.1.1 Defining ‘Induction’
There are two ways of defining induction, one narrow and one extensive. In the narrow (and
commonly used) definition, induction training is regarded as the training provided to new
employees to acquaint them with the company structure, their specific job requirements and
practical/organisational issues. As part of the process of gaining knowledge and skills at work
(learning at work), the first phase an employee has to pass is the initial introduction to work.
Arriving at a new job, an employee is confronted with plenty of new information, not only jobspecific but also practical and legal issues for example. To facilitate the process of integrating the
new employee in his/her new working environment, it’s therefore of great importance to start in a
good way.
However, the Learn@Work consortium prefers to enlarge this definition and use it in its broad
sense, with an emphasis and ‘new’ related to any possible aspect of working. This can contain
several things:
First of all, the narrow definition: training for a new employee
Secondly, an employee, who is not necessarily new in the company, learning new skills
and competences or with the need to acquire new information in order to improve his/her
job performance. This can also apply to people transferring from one position to another
within a company, or simply to employees who need to be acquainted with a new computer
programme which will be used in the company.
As a result of these two aspects, Learn@Work decided to define induction as the transfer from a
‘non-learning’ situation to a ‘learning’ situation, regardless the current position or status of the
employee within the company and regardless the content of the training. Induction is a way of Work
Based Learning and, as Learn@Work defines it, also a way of lifelong learning, two key concepts
in current society.
Although this broad Learn@Work definition might not be the correct one in the exact sense of the
word, it seems more useful in relation to the main objectives of the project. This because of several
reasons:
It became clear quite quickly that there is not one possible induction model. Even if
induction, in the narrow sense of the word, is supposed to contain some specific aspects, it
was impossible to create one standard model for all induction. So already within the narrow
concept of induction, there was an wide range of differences between the several pilot
projects
It also became clear there’s not really an established market for induction trainings in the
narrow sense of the word. In most companies, there’s not really an induction package
except for some leaflets or brochure on the company. We noticed that most companies
focus mainly on job-specific training packages and other learning-on-the-job models. In
addition to this, as soon as the negotiations about the pilot projects with companies began,
it became obvious that they were not especially interested in pure induction, and to work
with them, we would have to change our approach.
The broad definition also offers more experimental possibilities for the project. The different
pilot projects are varied, and that provides us and other developers with much inspiration
and expertise.
2.1.2 Lifelong Learning
“A continuum of the learning process that takes place at all levels - formal, non-formal and informal
- utilizing various modalities such as distance learning and conventional learning.”5
5
National Training Agency – Trinidad and Tobago, Glossary of terms, http://www.ntatt.org/glossary.html
learn@work State of the Art Report
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Since the early 1990s, the concepts of lifelong learning and the constant acquisition of knowledge
and skills are very prevalent on the international forum. UNESCO, OECD and the European
Commission published reports almost simultaneously in which the concept of Lifelong learning was
the central theme. In Luxembourg in 1998, Lifelong learning and the heightening of usability
through education was put forward as a central theme on the national and international agendas.
The speed of development in the field of ICTs has played an important role in the development of a
knowledge society in general and the methods for independent learning in specific. The
developments in ICT not only force us to place the theme of lifelong learning at the foreground, but
offer at the same time several possibilities to develop more individualised learning programmes.
2.1.3 Work Based Learning
“All learning takes place in a workplace or location closely associated with it.”
As the definition of the British government above makes clear, work based learning means that the
process of learning is strongly related to the locality of the workplace. However, it does not always
means that the training happens in the workplace itself. The concept can also indicate the
execution of specific tasks, related to a real working situation, regardless of the location from which
these tasks are carried out. In the recent year some trends are evolving towards ‘virtual’ work
experiences.6
2.2 History of Induction Training
2.2.1 Overview
In his handbook “Adult Education at Work” Dent C. Davis makes the following historical distinction
in workplace learning, from the time of craftspeople, over an industrialised world towards a high
performance workplace. We quote the following from his handbook:
Craftspeople
Before 1820, craftspeople populated the workplace: farmers, artisans, millers and
merchants. Success depended on a high degree of technical skill and knowledge.
Craftspeople took pride in their work and adapted their products to meet local needs.
Quality was usually high, and those involved in work knew their craft and market
intimately.1 Craftspeople learned from each other—formally through apprenticeships and
informally as they showed each other what to do. Guilds regulated tools, wages, members’
hours, quality standards and most importantly, training. Guilds were forerunners of today’s
unions.
Industrialization
In the early twentieth century, the Industrial Revolution “revolutionized” the way work was
done. Industrialization required training for specific tasks. Work was not home-based but
took place in factories—large, impersonal organizations. Efficiency reduced the need for
craftspeople because they could not compete with the speed of the assembly line. Shops
gave way to factories where individual workers were responsible for one step in the
process that mass produced standardized goods. In the factory, a front-line worker needed
only a few skills. Management made decisions for the worker. Work was repetitive and
required as much obedience and endurance as it did skill. During this time, high
educational attainment was unnecessary for many assembly line jobs. Today, the use of
technology on the job is raising the educational expectations for workers. The technological
revolution and the new economy are overshadowing the industrial revolution.
High Performance Workplace
6
Being Mobile is a project funded by the European Commission which aims to promote the concept of Virtual Mobility.
Concrete cases can be found on their website www.being-mobile.net or in their publication which can be downloaded from
their website.
learn@work State of the Art Report
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Many authors today talk about an emerging “new economic order” that is reshaping the
way work is done. This economy is shaped by the way goods and services are delivered.
Rapid technology changes, the total quality movement, team-based manufacturing,
globalization, and new management styles are resulting in the emergence of a new type of
workplace. In the new workplace, individuals at all organizational levels must learn
continuously to increase both their skills and knowledge. Organizational restructuring has
eliminated many middle management positions. Front-line employees are asked to take
more initiative, ask questions, solve problems, be flexible, perform a wide variety of jobs,
and take more decision-making responsibility. These “basic skills” are very different than
those needed in “top-down” traditional assembly line workplaces. The workplace literature
describes three characteristics of a the new workplace—innovation, learning and
collaboration.
Innovation: Rapid innovation is a characteristic of the new economy. Innovation today is
often a result of technology, especially information technology. The computer, primarily the
microcomputer, is accelerating the rate of innovation in many areas. In accounting,
production, sales and marketing, maintaining inventory, scheduling work, and delivering
education and training, the computer has assumed an ever larger role.
Learning: Change requires learning. New work requirements necessitate an ability to
adapt quickly. Innovation in today's workplace is causing an unprecedented level of
learning. The term “learning organization” and “high-performance workplace” describes the
new workplace where learning occurs at all levels of the organization. Workplace learning
usually has a purpose and an impact on the work done. Learning in the workplace occurs
in a variety of ways to adapt to the changing needs of each situation.
Collaboration: Today’s levels of innovation and learning have also led to an increasing
emphasis on collaboration. Knowing everything necessary for effective work is no longer
possible for one employee, or one manager, or one organization in a rapidly changing
world. New workplaces are characterized by a more collaborative, participatory style of
management. Many organizations are moving from hierarchy and control to collaboration.
Networks of customers, suppliers and producers are commonplace. As workplaces
emphasize “high performance”, decision making occurs in a more distributed process
throughout the organization. This decision making process involves employee work teams
and other interdepartmental cooperation.
2.2.2 Towards a “Learning Organisation”
According to Jef Staes7 “the company culture evolved drastically and quickly over the past 20
years”. In the 1980s companies were rather ‘stable’, they just needed to function and there was not
too much competition with other companies. Companies worked on the principle “the faster we
work, the more profit we make”. Managers of this kind of companies were “technical managers”,
who oversee the production process and who were the brains behind the whole process. All the
responsibility laid in his hands and the system was hierarchical.
However, the complexity of the production process increased because of increasing competition.
Managers got support from extra recruited staff and work was being decentralised. A staff service
within the company was being invented, which was occupied with the administration of the other
staff and the general staff arrangements. In addition, a training/education service was invented
within companies to reshape the employees into the new structure.8
With the technical evolution, it became impossible to collect all possible information in the head of
the manager alone, competencies and skills were divided among all human resources available in
a company. Each employee almost had his/her speciality. Each employee became a source of
information and knowledge9
7
Staes, J., Het herexamen van een managementgeneratie, organisaties op zoek naar een nieuw evenwicht, Standaard
Uitgeverij, 1999
8
Staes, J., Het herexamen van een managementgeneratie, organisaties op zoek naar een nieuw evenwicht, Standaard
Uitgeverij, 1999
9
Staes, J., Het herexamen van een managementgeneratie, organisaties op zoek naar een nieuw evenwicht, Standaard
Uitgeverij, 1999
learn@work State of the Art Report
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Tasks and competences were divided and companies became ‘learning organisations’10 "A
Learning Organisation is one in which people at all levels, individuals and collectively, are
continually increasing their capacity to produce results they really care about."11 It’s “an
organisation that learns and encourages learning among its people. It promotes exchange of
information between employees hence creating a more knowledgeable workforce. This produces a
very flexible organisation where people will accept and adapt to new ideas and changes through a
shared vision”.12
2.2.3 Work Based Learning and ICT
According to Piet van der Zanden and Wim Veen, four successive stages of educational
technologies and practices can be identified. Starting from a simple computer-based training
(largely in the 1980s), over online-trainings (with the emerging of the Internet) and learning on
demand models, in which phase we currently are, to the “learning mall” model, which the two
authors expect to come soon.13
Computer
Training
Based
On-line learning
Learning
Demand
Learning Mall
Single user tools
Multi-user Virtual Learning
Environment
On
Online compound learning
systems
Distributed electronic virtual
knowledge centres
Computer made its entrance in education
and was brought into use for
mathematics, computer aided design,
simulation
programmes,
infinite
calculation
methods,
writing,
and
presentation skills
Communication tools, the World Wide
Web, streaming video and a virtual
learning environment for online courses.
Web based oriented virtual learning
environment where learning material,
which is broken up into specified learning
objects, is initially distributed online for
regular educational tracks.
Distributed electronic virtual knowledge
centres equipped with personalized
learning delivery robots. ‘Just in time’,
‘just enough’ and ‘just for you’ learning
objects.
Any desired or required learning object
can be found online
2.2.4 Current Training Trends
According to Susan Heathfield, “The agile, changing organizations that will succeed in the future
are thoughtfully developing their most important resource: the people they employ”14 From the six
current trends she mentions, we identified the following five as relevant for this state of the art
report. We quote the following from here paper:
Performance Consulting Strategy
The training function is no longer a catalogue of classes. Even the best of generic classes
is not positioned to meet the needs of various people and job functions. Interacting with the
10
Staes, J., Het herexamen van een managementgeneratie, organisaties op zoek naar een nieuw evenwicht, Standaard
Uitgeverij, 1999
11
Definition by Richard Karash, speaker facilitator and trainer on the theme “towards a learning organisation’.
12
Karash, R., Learning Organisations – Where the learning begins
http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/MENG/MEAB/lo_index.html?http://oldeee.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/MENG/MEAB/lo_index.ht
ml
13
Van der Zanden, P. and Veen, W., ‘Successive stages of educational technologies and practices’, Online Educa Berlin
2005 book of abstracts p. 23, 2004
14
Heathfield, S.M., Six training trends, Human resource guide,
http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm
learn@work State of the Art Report
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potential internal or external trainee to learn their needs and then to develop custom
content to help them achieve their desired outcome is the recommended approach. This
requires that the training professional can assess needs and make recommendations
about activities, reading, lessons, classes, work assignments and approaches that will help
the customers create their success15.
Measuring the results
Donald Kirkpatrick (1979) identifies four levels of training evaluation16. The first level
measures the learners' reaction to the training program. The second level measures the
learning that has occurred. Third level training evaluation measures the changes in
behaviour the participants exhibit on the job as a result of the training program. Level four
measures the results of the training program as these results affect the organization's
bottom line.17
Changing training delivery
Trainers are increasingly asked to impart training skills to people who are experts in
subject matter. Therefore, training others to train is a desired competency. With nontrainers training, the training professional needs to hone his skills in locating resources,
needs assessment, training design and development, and performance consulting.18
Focus on the Individual Employee
In addition to classes, individual employees will learn through cross-training, stretching
work assignments, lateral moves to different jobs, reading, facilitated sessions, and other
methods. Development plans are increasingly individualized which requires that the
objectives of any training experience are individualized. You'll see less department-wide
sessions and fewer company-wide classes offered.19
Just-in-time training
Immediately applying the new information learned in a training experience allows the
employee to practice new behaviours. Giving employees information months or even years
before they need it will ensure training failure.20
2.3 The Stakeholders/Actors: Expectations and Interests
In the process of work based learning, there are three main stakeholders involved: the learner, the
employer or organisation and the person/department supporting the learning process.
2.3.1 The Learner
What is expected from the learner?
The basic skills expected from the learner’s side are interdisciplinary competencies, which are
intersecting qualifications for today’s world of work: from communication competencies to social
competencies for group-oriented work to project management and work techniques.
Many small and medium-sized enterprises in particular have difficulties in teaching such
interdisciplinary competencies. Due to time and cost reasons, it is often not possible for their
15
Heathfield, S.M., Six training trends, Human resource guide,
http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm
Kirkpatrick, D.L. (1979). ’Techniques for evaluating training programs’, Training and Development Journal 33(6), 78-92.
17
Heathfield, S.M., Six training trends, Human resource guide,
http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm
18
Heathfield, S.M., Six training trends, Human resource guide,
http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm
19
Heathfield, S.M., Six training trends, Human resource guide,
http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm
20
Heathfield, S.M., Six training trends, Human resource guide,
http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm
16
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employee to attend external seminars. The majority of external further training programmes are not
oriented towards the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises either, they are not very
compatible with company work processes and consequently do not promise much benefit to the
employees and the company. Concerning acquiring interdisciplinary competencies, it is also
particularly true that such action-related competencies cannot be acquired in a purely theoretically
manner while sitting at a desk. Rather, they can only be developed while performing actions
themselves and dealing with practical problems.
The learner’s interest
Obviously it’s in the learner’s interest to take part in the induction training that is offered to him/her.
He/she will be more quickly familiarised with his job and integrated in the company. Moreover, not
only ‘to feel good’ in his/her job but also to be able to carry out the job the way he or she’s
supposed to.
2.3.2 The Trainer/Job Coach
What is expected from the trainer?
According to Theresa Stroisch and Stephanie Creaturo a starter should expect “a training
experience that includes quality instruction from an effective trainer, documentation, hands-on
activities, and additional resources as needed. Trainers do not have to be experts, but they should
be capable of fielding questions and following up with further research. Documentation should be
clear and provide the information necessary for starters to use what they have learned when they
return to work. Additional resources about any given topic are inevitably needed, too. Resources
that provide more information for further research and training are an important part of the learning
process. As technology continues to change, starters need to know how to keep up with new
trends and distil what is important”.21
The trainer’s interest
It’s in the trainer’s interest to develop an effective training method. The new employee as well as
the employer needs to be satisfied with the work done by the trainer. In addition, the trainer may
personally find it interesting to develop the necessary skills and experience for his or her future
career.
2.3.3 The Organisation/Employer
What is expected from the organisation/employer?
It is the responsibility of the manager of the new employee to ensure that induction training is
properly planned. Even if the 'centre' handles induction training, he/she must make sure it's
planned and organised properly for the new starter. An induction training plan must be issued to
each new employee, before the new employee starts, and copied to everyone in the organization
who's involved in providing the training, so the new starter and everyone else involved can see
what's happening and that everything is included.
The employer’s interest
According to the website businessballs.com “creating and issuing a suitable induction plan for each
new starter will help them to do their job better and more quickly, and with less dependence on the
manager’s time in the future. Employees who are not properly inducted need much more attention
subsequently, and so failing to provide good induction training is utterly false economy”22. Second,
professionally organised and delivered induction training is your new employees' first proper
impression of the employer and organisation, so it's also an excellent opportunity to reinforce their
decision to come and work for you.23
21
Creatoru, S. and Stroisch, T., Essential Elements of effective classroom training, 2002 CompuMentor,
http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/training/page5113.cfm
Businessballs.com, “Induction training and induction checklist”
23
Businessballs.com, “Induction training and induction checklist”
http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
22
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2.4 Advantages of Using Learning Technologies (LTs)
According to a report written in 2000 by the conference board of Canada, these are the main
advantages of using learning technologies for work based trainings24, the following quote was
copied from this report:
Benefits for employers:
Cost saving: Significant savings come from reduced travel expenses related to moving
people to and from physical training locations (LTs are often accessible from employee
workstations) and from lower resource requirements The financial benefits may be
reduced, however, by the high costs of some technology, and by poor planning and
implementation of the technology.
Flexibility: One key benefit of LTs is flexibility. Design of content and delivery can be
customized and shaped to meet needs in the longer term, or immediately, as in the case of
just-in-time training.
Learning linked with work: LTs are an especially effective way of linking learning with
work. Employers can design training systems that use existing on-the-job equipment and
technologies that fit with organizational processes. In addition, learning technologies allow
employers to build a learning component into their employees’ work itself. Learning ‘in the
work’ is increasingly seen as an effective and valuable way of delivering ‘just-in-time’
learning.
Interaction and collaboration: LTs by their one-way or two-way and flexible nature,
encourage information sharing, collaboration, and increased opportunities for interaction.
For example, employees can email each other while participating in an online learning
program. Instructors, too, often find it easier to interact with employee-students when they
are using LTs.
Decentralized learning: LT solutions enable facilitators in one location to link to
participants in multiple locations simultaneously. Such decentralized training is valuable
especially where operations are spread out,
Alignment of training with specific job-related needs; Employers can enhance the
integration of individual learning with organizational needs by providing LT-delivered
training that gives employees the knowledge they need when they need it. Employees will
not have to learn entire course contents when instead they can receive the modules of
information that fit with their needs.
Motivate employees: Because they offer flexibility and are different from traditional
delivery methods, LTs can motivate employees to invest more time and energy in
workplace learning. The key is that the alternative and flexible learning environments
allowed by technology can reduce psychological obstacles as well as practical difficulties of
scheduling learning activities around work periods and work breaks. The result is more
personal commitment to learning.
Improve retention of learning: LTs can improve employees’ retention of learning, which
positively influences their job performance. Some employees find learning using LTs
particularly suits their personal learning style; they are more likely to retain their learning
over time. Other employees retain more because learning is built into the work itself and so
is obviously relevant to job performance. For them, seamless and timely learning ‘in the
work’ that is directly tied to job tasks and responsibilities stimulates them to retain more
than do traditional learning processes.
Benefits for employees:
24
The conference board of Canada, solutions for employers: effective strategies for using learning technologies in the
workplace, knowledge review report, 2000, http://www.conferenceboard.ca/education/pdf/solutions1.pdf
learn@work State of the Art Report
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Greater control over learning: LTs offer flexible solutions that provide employees with
autonomy over their professional development, learning and skills development. 21
Employees can fit their training into their work schedules, determine the pace of their
learning and spend time clarifying knowledge and skill areas without being bound to a
group.
Employees focus their learning: LTs provide focused and relevant training by allowing
employees to focus on the content and match it to their individual learning needs. Since
they have control over their learning focus they can identify the most appropriate content
and decide how much time to spend on each component of their learning.
Employees increase value to their employer: LTs can help employees gain skills that
can increase their value to their employer and productivity. These LT acquired skills can
also yield increases in pay. Research has confirmed “significant wage gains…in the order
of 10 per cent.
Improved employee self-confidence LTs may be a way of encouraging learning by
reducing exposure and embarrassment over the pace or success of learning, with the
ultimate reward of improved employee self-confidence. 23 Combined with the element of
autonomy and independence that LTs can provide to learners, private progress through an
LT training program can be an incentive to learning and a means of ensuring that those
who will not admit a lack of knowledge can acquire it in a discreet manner.
Job satisfaction: Employees that have LT-acquired skills to do their jobs will be more
satisfied with their performance on the job.
Improved job performance: Employees that have the skills to do their job properly will
improve their performance and ultimately their productivity. LTs are means of providing
these skills.
Recognition of achievement: Employees can track learning acquired through LTs. Within
an integrated IT, training and HR system, the recognition of successfully completed training
modules can be tracked and linked with performance reviews and provide an incentive for
employee training.
Safer work environments: For some employees LTs can result in a safer work
environment by providing critical information where and when employees need it,
especially in locations where traditional learning methods don’t work well.
Improved e-literacy: Learning using LTs, especially ‘in the work’, can heighten the
capacity of employees to use technologies for job tasks. In many cases, the employees
actually use the learning technologies in their work processes. As they become more
comfortable with using LTs they gain expertise and confidence in using technology. In
other words their e-literacy, their ability to understand and use information and
communications technologies, is improved.
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2.5 Issues
2.5 1 Organisational
It’s the organisation’s responsibility to develop a context in which the training can be organised.
Time needs to be made available and the necessary measures need to be taken. For example, the
organisation needs to engage a suitable trainer, develop or buy useful computer programmes and
equipment and finance the whole process of inducting the new employee.
If a external or internal trainer is appointed to do the specific task of inducting the new employee it’s
up to him/her to develop the actual training course. They need to find the right material for the
courses, create a framework, develop the content and do the training. The trainer has the actual
responsibility over the whole training course. In small companies however, the emphasis is more
on informal training, for example colleagues helping the new employee on his way into the new
company. Here it’s more the responsibility of the employer to make sure that the new employee is
integrating well in the company.
For the new employee it’s very important that the induction training is well organised and that
everything is clear to him/her from the start. A well trained new employee functions better in a
company which is at the same time and advantage for the company.
2.5.2 Legal
Proper induction training is increasingly a legal requirement. Employers have a formal duty to
provide new employees with all relevant information and training relating to health and safety
particularly25.
2.5.3 Economical
In the opinion of Tony O’Driscoll and Paula Briki “The current market economy places a premium
on innovation, new business models and new ways of organising work. Furthermore, it is facilitated
by an information-rich ecosystem that enables the majority of our daily work activities. In this
transparent and globally interconnected economy, organisations or individuals that cannot change
as fast as the economic environment within which they operate are destined to regress to a mean
of mediocrity”26
2.5.4 Pedagogical
Stephen Gance, PhD states, “Over the last four decades educational learning theory has evolved
from behaviourism through cognitive information processing to the current emphasis on
constructivism. An example of a pedagogical strategy arising from a behaviourist tradition is
including practice and repetition as a fundamental part of the learning process. Cognitive
information processing theories hold that there are fundamental principles guiding how people
learn and those principles can be derived from how they process information. For instance, a
familiar information processing principle holds that people cannot handle more than seven plus or
minus two items comfortably at any one time. Such a principle leads directly to a instructional
design strategy that suggests presenting from five to nine items at any one time to the learner. Both
the behaviourist and the information processing views typically consider that there are domains of
knowledge and the teacher’s (or instructional designer’s) job is to transmit the facts and concepts
of the domain to the learner through lectures, recitations, or planned instructional sequences.
Further, instruction should provide for review and practice until the learner has mastered these
facts and concepts.”
Vygotsky, the 20th Century Russian educational theorist, provided a foundation for socio-cultural
theories of learning that have become part of the constructivist tradition. Vygotsky considered that
cognitive development was “inherently integrated with social and emotional development”. Other
25
Businessballs.com, “Induction training and induction checklist”
Adapt or Die: The Strategic Role of Learning in the On-Demand Enterprise, By Tony O’Driscoll and Paula Briki,
http://www.learningcircuits.org/2004/may2004/odriscoll-briki.htm , Learning Circuits, 2004
26
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constructivist strains have grown out of Vygotsky’s ideas linked with anthropological and cognitive
theories. Anthropological research in the early 1990s on problem solving within cultural groups
outside of the institutions of school led to the notion of situated learning where cultural and
contextual clues supported the learner in the context of realistic activities.27
Stephen Gance provides the following summary of the main pedagogical components commonly
associated with constructivism:
A cognitively engaged learner who actively seeks to explore his or her environment for new
information.
A hands-on, dialogic interaction with the learning environment
A constructivist pedagogy often requires a learning context that creates a problem-solving
situation that is authentic in nature
A social component often interpreted as actual interaction with other learners and with
mentors in the actual context of learning.
According to Stephen Gance “It is important to point out that there are lots of ways that computer
based educational technology can be useful in education. But, if it is a constructivist learning
environment we seek it is still out of reach to provide one using technology alone”.28
According to Dori Digenti “organizations rapidly move their training focus to virtual environments,
resulting in a proliferation of methods to support formal learning has appeared: teleconferencing,
videoconferencing, e-meetings, and online courses (quadrant 2). The move to virtual delivery often
involves combining a body of knowledge with resource links, interactive segments, personalization
features, and other bells and whistles. Yet, even in the innovative uses that make the learning
experience more engaging and possibly more effective, the underpinnings are still those of formal
learning”.29
On a parallel track, however, Dori Digenti states, “there's a growing recognition that valuable
learning often takes place through informal learning. Informal learning is based in conversations,
social interactions, and team projects, in which learning is part of the interactions between people.
It has been acknowledged as one of the key reasons for forming communities of practice,
networks, and other forums that allow people to network and socialize. Informal learning isn't
limited to a predefined body of knowledge, but rather emerges from the interaction of people. At the
heart of it is the transfer of tacit knowledge - knowledge that's not articulated but is acquired by
individuals through experience”.30
27
Gance, S., Are constructivism and computer-based learning environments incompatible?, 2002, Journal of the association
of History and Computing, http://mcel.pacificu.edu/JAHC/JAHCV1/K-12/gance.html
Gance, S., Are constructivism and computer-based learning environments incompatible?, 2002, Journal of the association
of History and Computing http://mcel.pacificu.edu/JAHC/JAHCV1/K-12/gance.html
29
Digenti, D., Make Space for Informal Learning, 2002, Learning Circuits,
http://www.learningcircuits.org/2000/aug2000/digenti.html
30
Digenti, D., Make Space for Informal Learning, 2002, Learning Circuits,
http://www.learningcircuits.org/2000/aug2000/digenti.html
28
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3.Current Status of Induction Training through e-Learning
3.1 Europe
3.1.1 Employment
According reports from Eursostat31 in the EU (25 member states) 63,8% of the population was
employed in 2005 at the time that the survey took place. Employed population consists of those
persons who during the reference week did any work for pay or profit for at least one hour, or were
not working but had jobs from which they were temporarily absent. When we only consider the
former 15 member states, this rate is a little bit higher with 65,1%. Denmark, The Netherlands,
Sweden, United Kingdom and Norway are all above the 70 percent. Poland, Malta and Bulgaria
close down the list with an employment rate between 50 and 55 percent.
3.1.2 ICT use in Europe: General
To summarize a report from Eurostat32 in the EU25, in 2005, 37% of people aged between 16 and
74 had no basic computer skills. This percentage was slightly higher for women (39%) than for men
(34%). Among Member States for which data are available, the survey showed notable differences
between countries. Large differences also existed between age groups and between different
education levels.
In 200433, more than 89% of enterprises in the Member States had Internet access and were using
it. The countries with the highest proportion of enterprises with Internet access were Denmark and
Finland (97%), Belgium and Sweden (96%) and Germany (94%). The lowest rates were observed
in Lithuania (80%) and in Portugal and Hungary (77%). The latter two countries were 12
percentage points below the EU-25 average.
Denmark, Finland and Sweden are still the most advanced countries as far as Internet use is
concerned, and this applies to both enterprises and individuals.
In all member states for which data were available (except for Austria), Internet is mostly used for
searching for information and on-line services. Secondly it’s used for communication, i.e. the
sending and receiving of e-mails, participation in chats and forums followed close behind, Internet
is also used, but to a much lesser extent for ‘on-line ordering and selling of goods and services,
banking’. In seven of the 16 Member States, over 50% had used this functionality, whereas in
Greece and Cyprus, Internet users appeared to be particularly reluctant (under 20%).
Although highly dependent on the information supply side, interaction with public authorities (egovernment) has become quite common. e-Government is particularly well-developed in
Luxembourg and Finland: over 60% of Internet users declared that they had used the Internet for
that purpose.
Then finally, the use of the Internet for training and education purposes was particularly widespread
in Lithuania (67%) and Hungary (53%), but far less so in Denmark, Austria, Poland and Sweden. 34
As ‘information search and on-line services’ is the most widespread purpose among individuals, the
setting-up and maintenance of websites is becoming increasingly important. At EU- 25 level, 65%
of enterprises, regardless of size, had set up a website by 2004. Close to 90% of large enterprises
(250 and more persons employed) did so. In general, the percentages decrease with the size of the
enterprise. For small enterprises, the average was only 61%.
31
Eurostat “Total employment rate”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&screen=detailref&
language=en&product=STRIND_EMPLOI&root=STRIND_EMPLOI/emploi/em011
32
Eurostat: “internet activities in the European Union” report Eurostat, 2004,
http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/portal/page?_pageid=1090,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
33
At the time of writing this report, figures for the year 2005 were not yet available.
34
Eurostat: “internet activities in the European Union” report Eurostat, 2004
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3.1.3 Education
In Europe 77,3% of the young people have a secondary level degree. This indicator, which is called
"Youth education attainment level”, is defined as the percentage of young people aged 20-24 years
having attained at least upper secondary education attainment level.35
3.1.4 Lifelong Learning
Life-long learning refers to persons aged 25 to 64 who stated that they received education or
training in the four weeks preceding the survey (numerator). The information collected relates to all
education or training whether or not relevant to the respondent's current or possible future job. In
the 25 EU member states, 10.8 percent of the people states to be a “life long learner”, when we
only consider the EU-15 this percentage is 11.9%. Especially the Scandinavian countries (Sweden
34,7%, Denmark 27,6%, Finland 24,8%), United Kingdom (29,1%) and Iceland (26,6) and score
very high. The other EU-15 countries are all below 20 percent. Bulgaria (1,1%) and Romania
(1,6%) close down the list.36
3.1.5 e-Learning Applications for the Training of Employees
This table provides the percentage of enterprises using e-learning applications for the training and
education of employees.
Only the companies with internet access are taken into account for these statistics
The financial sector has not been counted in.
This first table shows the enormous difference between the year 2003 and 2004. In total the
number of enterprises (of the 15 EU core countries) that use e-learning applications for the training
and education of employees went up from 16 to 20 percent.
Total
EU - 25
EU - 15
Highest in 2003:
Greece
Finland
Highest in 2004:
Cyprus
Lithuania
Romania
Small enterprise
2003
16
2004
22
20
2003
14
2004
20
18
Medium
enterprise
2003
2004
29
23
26
36
31
41
33
34
28
39
31
43
37
59
59
58
59
58
57
48
37
57
61
58
Large enterprise
2003
35
2004
38
36
58
46
56
46
70
65
61
Eurostat, percentage of enterprises using e-Learning applications for training and education of employees. 2006
For 2003 Greece and Finland are followed by Spain, Malta, Ireland, Austria, Portugal and Sweden
(with an average above 20%). The Netherlands (10%), Denmark (8%) and Italy (4%) close the list.
For 2004 it’s very prevalent that there are only new member states at the top of the list, Cyprus,
Lithuania and Romania are followed by Latvia (435), Poland (42%), Greece and Bulgaria (both
41%), Slovakia, Finland, Slovenia and Spain (between 30% and 40%), The list is again closed by
the Netherlands (10%), Italy (9%) and Denmark (9%).
Secondly it also becomes clear that e-learning applications for the training of staff are more
common in large enterprises than in medium sized enterprises. In Cyprus in 2004 it was used by
70% of the large enterprises with Internet access.
35
Eurostat “Youth education attainment level”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&screen=detailref&
language=en&product=STRIND_INNORE&root=STRIND_INNORE/innore/ir091
36
Eurostat “Lifelong Learning”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&screen=detailref&
language=en&product=STRIND_EMPLOI&root=STRIND_EMPLOI/emploi/em051
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2005
Total
23
21
Small
enterprise
21
19
Medium
enterprise
30
29
Large
enterprise
42
41
EU - 25
EU - 15
Lithuania
Cyprus
Slovenia
Slovakia
Greece
55
50
42
42
40
53
49
40
40
38
59
53
45
48
50
68
77
50
53
65
Eurostat, percentage of enterprises using e-Learning applications for training and education of employees. 2006
Followed by Latvia, Spain and Finland (between 30 and 40 percent), Ireland, Estonia, Poland,
Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Malta, Germany, UK (between 20 and 30 percent), and at the
end of the list Hungary, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg (between 10
and 20 percent)
3.2 Belgium
3.2.1 Socio-economical Context
Belgium is a country with a population of approximately 10,3 million people37. The level of
education in Belgium is high, 80,3% of the population complete a second level education. The
employment rate is a 2,7 percent below the EU average with 61,1 percent of the Belgian population
working38.
3.2.2 Education Level – Employment Status
In 2005 80,3 percent of the Belgian population between the age of 20 and 24 had a secondary
level degree. This is a 3 percent above the European average.39
In 2004 23,1 percent of the Belgian population had a post-secondary degree (higher education
including university), 52.8 percent of the population only had a secondary degree and 24.1 percent
had only primary degree.40 At that time, 8.5 percent of the population was unemployed from which
80,4 percent were people without a higher education degree.
3.2.3 Lifelong Learning41
In the EU labour force survey of 2005 10 percent of the Belgian population age 25-64 answered
they have been participating in some kind of training or education course in the weeks proceeding
to the survey, whether it was related or unrelated to their current job was of no importance. This is
right below the European average of 10.8%.
3.2.4 Work Based Learning
In total 22 percent of the Belgian companies offered a work based training. There is a huge
difference between the large companies and the small ones. Almost all large companies offer
trainings, while in small companies it is much less common. However, in comparison with the year
2002 and 2003 the number of small companies that offer trainings, doubled.
Total
Small companies
Middle
companies
size
Large
companies
37
The CIA factbook. Population rate of July 2006
Employed population consists of those persons who during the reference week did any work for pay or profit for at least
one hour, or were not working but had jobs from which they were temporarily absent
39
Eurostat: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Youth education attainment level
40
In “population” people older than 15 year old are counted in. www.statbel.fgob.be
41
Life-long learning refers to persons aged 25 to 64 who stated that they received education or training in the four weeks
preceding the survey
38
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2002
2003
2004
10.6%
10,9%
22.0%
5.7%
5.9%
12.2%
55.1%
55.6%
54.6%
85.6%
86.7%
85.5%
Trainings in Companies according to size of company, Belgian national agency for statistics
40,7 percent of the employees took a training in the year 2004. In comparison to the former two
years that stays more or less the same (39.8% in 2002 and 39.9% in 2003). Again it’s clear that
mostly people working in large companies take trainings with 58.8%, while there is one third of the
people in middle sized companies and only 7.6% of the people in small companies. In small
companies trainings take only 0.14% of the working hours, while in medium size companies this is
0.66% and in large companies 1.21%
There’s not only the difference between the large and the small companies but also the sector in
which the company is active. Almost two third of the people (63.2%) working in the energy and
water sector had a training in 2004. This sector is followed by the finance, banking and insurance
sector in which 61.1% of the employees had a training. On the third place there is the health sector
in which 50% of the people had a training. On the other hand, in the catering sector, there were
only 9% of the employees that received a training in 2004.
The average cost of the training is 1.25% of the total staff costs of a company. In the financial
sector this is however a bit more with 2.37% of the staff costs.42
3.2.5 Education and Training Systems
In Belgium there is for each region a centralised governmental service which offers training courses
directly related to real working skills.
Region
Flanders
Brussels
Wallonia
Employment and formation office
VDAB (Vlaamse dienst voor arbeidsbemiddeling)
BGDA (Brusselse gewestelijke dienst voor arbeidsbemiddeling) –
ORBEM (Office regional Bruxellois de l’emploi)
Forem (Service Emploi-Formation de la region Wallonne)
Apart from being a centralised employment agency, presenting job offers and assisting
unemployed people in finding a job, they offer a wide range of class-based and online courses. The
class based courses are rather practical courses, related to technology, mechanics, secretariat etc.
while the online courses are more theoretical for example management, administration or courses
to teach specific ICT skills. Courses are partially or completely funded by the government,
depending on the current employment status of the trainee. People can enrol for courses on their
personal initiative and out of personal interest or on demand of their company who offers them
specialised courses.
3.3 Ireland
3.3.1 Socio-economical Context
The population of the Republic of Ireland is circa 4.2m
It is estimated that the software industry employs 30,000 people in Ireland with 18,000 of them in
indigenous companies. E-learning companies are significant in the Irish economy with over 39
companies located here employing 700-800 people in both the corporate and educational sectors
(Forfás 2005a). Employment in the software and e-learning sectors, however, is unstable, with
companies such as Skillsoft/SmartfForce and RiverDeep cutting their workforces in recent years.
Government power is highly centralised with departments of government regulating most matters of
the public sphere. Local government is elected by the PR system but its powers are limited by the
42
These numbers come from the national Belgian agency for statistics. It was counted on a total of 38 530 companies with a
total of 1.331.229 employees. Statistics for the year 2005 were not yet available.
learn@work State of the Art Report
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fact that all finances are centrally allocated by government departments. Local area development
organisations (NGOs) work in partnership with local authorities on matters related to local
economic development and local adult education needs.
Overall, the economy is moving from dependency on agriculture, manufacturing and tourism,
towards one that is a knowledge-based, with an emphasis on product development and
internationally-traded service provision.
Opportunities for economic growth are generally regarded as being in internationally traded
services with emphasis on niche knowledge-based and high-value technological innovatory
products. Research, innovation and development are therefore central to Ireland’s future economic
growth, including research in the sciences, and in IT-based technologies and learning tools.
Ireland’s competitive advantages include a highly educated workforce, a favourable taxation
regime, expertise in markets, a favourable exchange rate in the Eurozone, investment in science
and technology, and growth in human capital.
3.3.2 The Immigration Factor
Immigration to Ireland is a new phenomenon. In 2004 it was estimated that non-nationals made up
5% of the population, which is above the EU migrant workforce average estimated by the OECD.
The majority (74%) of work permits issued in 2005 are for work in the relatively unskilled services
sectors (catering, caring and farming sectors) where these workers represent 9% of the total
employment.
3.3.3 Education and Training Systems
From the perspective of the Learn@Work project, it is useful to note that responsibility for
education and training is divided between two government departments, namely:
1. The Department of Education and Science
2. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Further and adult education systems (FE and VET) also involves linkages with other services
beyond these two government departments, such as links with area development partnerships,
community-based education, trade unions, voluntary organisations, youth programmes, social
welfare provision and private providers of training.
A framework of qualifications has been developed to identify the levels of all education and training
awards in the state, with an associated set of learning outcomes for each level.
Figure 1: Framework of Qualifications (See Appendix A)
learn@work State of the Art Report
24
3.3.4 Levels of Education at Entry to the Labour Market
Data for education and training output (2003) in relation to levels of education at entry to the labour
market show that the number of postgraduates with either a masters or doctorate qualification is
relatively low compared to the numbers of participants in higher education. This shortage of
doctoral level research is now being address by the government’s policy for a 4th level education
system.
Level 3-4
Junior Certificate (57,000)
Leaving Certificate Applied (3,500)
Fas IVS Certificate (4,000)
NCVA F
d ti
t (900)
Level 6-7
Level 8
Apprenticeship (4,000)
Institutes of Technology
(16,000)
Institutes of
technology
(7,000)
University
Level 5
Leaving Cert. (55,500)
PLC (8,600)
Fás (33,400)
Fáilte Ireland (2,800)
Teagasc (1,500)
Level 9 – 10
Institutes of Technology
(1,000)
LABOUR MARKET
Figure 2: 2003 education and training output
Participation rates in higher education in Ireland by second-level school leavers have moved form
elite (below 20%) to mass (up to 45%) to universal (over 50%) in the past 30 years.
1980
20%
1986
25%
1998
45%
2003
54%
Numbers of school leavers going to higher education
When the numbers of school leavers who went to further education or apprentice training (FE and
VET) are added to the numbers going to higher education, the numbers of learners progressing
beyond second level education is above 70% of the cohort.
3.3.5 Work-related Training and Learning
Training for workers in Ireland is provided by state agencies, non-statutory organisations and
private companies. From the perspective of the Learn@Work project the significant ‘experts’,
and/or training providers, are as follows:
Organisations with interest induction to
E-Learning at Work
Fás
Fás eCollege
Function
The national training authority with responsibility for
apprentice training, training for industry, and training
for the unemployed
Responsible for the development and delivery of
learn@work State of the Art Report
25
Further and Higher Education providers
Skillnets
Trainers’ Network
Enterprise Ireland
Enable Ireland
National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)
The Digital Hub
training on-line at FE level
Partners with Fás in apprentice training and provide
courses in e-learning
Provides training supports for small and medium
sized companies
A professional network for trainers in Ireland
A state agency providing training and consultancy
supports for businesses and enterprises
The training and support agency for adults with
disabilities
The national agency for literacy support at local level
in partnerships with local vocational education
committees, and provider of resources at a national
level
Planned as an expert resource to provide technology
advice for start-up businesses (now less important)
Key ‘Expert’ Groups
3.3 6 Who Learns at Work?
In relation to who learns at work, an analytical and policy-oriented report for the Economic and
Social Research Institute, November 2005, In-Employment Education and Training in Ireland,
found the following results based on 2003 data:
over two thirds of training funds for workers was spent on apprentice training
E270 million of public money was spent in 2003 on training for unemployed individuals
90% of part-time students are also in employment
employers spend in the region of 1billion Euro per year on training: this figure includes
tuition fees, the cost of trainers and workers’ time-off
The following features of WORK BASED LEARNING were considered important:
new entrants to the workforce are likely to receive more training than older workers
more man than women receive training
the age for most training is between 35 and 44
the higher the previous educational attainment the more participation in training
just 1% of workers with lower education attainments received training in 2003
less than 5% of workers with second level education received training in 2003
training is more common in the public rather than the private sector
self-employed persons with employees have high levels of participation in non-formal
education
the construction industry and health services lead the sectors in providing formal training,
followed by the financial sector, public administration and defence.
Workers in primary production show the lowest rates of participation in non-formal and
formal education
Full-time workers receive more training than part-time workers
Permanent worker receive more training than temporary workers
Union members are substantially more likely to participate in training than non-members
Employees in large organisations are more likely to participate than workers in small
organisations
Training provided in work was not found to be sustainable, or good value for money, from the
organisation’s perspective.
‘The evidence for Ireland, as in many other countries, indicates that most employersponsored training is general rather than firm-specific in nature, and is therefore
transferable to other jobs and employers. This suggests that the market-failure rationale for
state intervention in the training of employed workers may be weaker than is often
assumed.’
learn@work State of the Art Report
26
3.3.7 The Use of e-Learning Technologies in Work Based Learning
Calculating an accurate estimate of the use of e-learning technologies in workplaces in Ireland is a
little problematic since a number of definitions of precisely what constitutes e-learning are used in
data gathering and data analysis. The Chartered Institute for Personnel Development 2003 survey
of e-learning in Irish organisations used the following definition:
‘Learning that is delivered, enabled or mediated by electronic technologies for the explicit purpose
of training in organisations. It does not include stand-alone technology such as the use of CDROMs.’
However, in Forfás reports, e-learning is defined as follows:
‘the delivery of educational-related content via all electronic media, including on-line platforms (the
internet, intranets, extranets LAN/WAN), broadcast (digital analogue and interactive TV), and
package based media (audio/video, CD-ROM and DVD0ROM etc.’
and
‘It includes a wide set of applications and processes, including computer-based learning webbased learning, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration’
Keeping the ambiguity of definition in mind, the findings of the CIPD 2003 survey include the
following data:
44% of organisations reported using e-learning for employees
face-to-face, on the job, and coaching/mentoring methods and formal training remain the
most favoured training methods
43% use the internet in training, only 50% use intranet and 20% use extranet
e-learning increases with organisation size
US subsidiaries (almost 60%) are higher users than Irish owned organisations (40%)
state and semi-state organisation make significant use of e-learning
40% of ‘private’ organisations use e-learning
in terms of training time, e-learning is used ‘a little’
manual workers rarely have opportunities to use e-learning
e-learning is used most for IT training and for technical training
e-learning is used little for team-building and for management training
less than half use e-learning content specific to their organisation
10–25% of training budgets go on e-learning, with the higher spenders being US-owned
companies
blended learning and specific customised e-solutions are preferred to
generic packages
e-learning was not regarded as a replacement for class-based learning
there was general agreement that a new learning culture is required for successful elearning in organisations
3.3.8 E- Learning Issues for Work-related Learning
The Report of the Forfas Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (2005a: 87–90) identified a number
of weakness and gaps in current provision of e-learning courses in Ireland as follows:
third level courses on e-learning do not always include theories of instructional design and
pedagogical methods as they should
there are insufficient partnerships between the third-level sector and industry regarding
what e-learning graduates need to know when they go to work in the software or e-learning
industries
additional conversion courses, or top-up training, should be provided for content authors so
that they can respond to the changing needs of industry.
technical courses for existing content writers and editors should be provided
there are insufficient e-learning packages at management and entrepreneurial levels with
content suitable for an Irish context
more research partnerships between academia, (the Digital Hub) and industry are
necessary to find out precisely what is required by industry
learn@work State of the Art Report
27
The CIPD report November 2003 and the Skillnets survey identified the following issues as
important for the successful development of e-learning in Ireland:
better infrastructure and connectivity
more bandwidth available nationwide
remote/wireless access
availability of competent IT staff with a range of skills
worker motivation and reward for participation in on-line learning
a change in workplace culture to encourage e-learning
In 2004 an e-learning research and development roadmap for Ireland was developed by the
National College of Ireland (NCI) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). The roadmap
recommended a policy direction located within Ireland’s potential to create a knowledge economy
and within a lifelong learning agenda. It did not disconnect e-learning from the wider education and
economic policy issues, and accepted that the ‘techno-economic paradigm’ is likely to influence
how e-learning is developed in the future.
Academic staff who have tried out and evaluated e-learning research projects have concluded that
the original enchantment and optimism about the potential of ICTs in education have not been
sustained in reality. They conclude that e-learning needs to be used with face-to-face contact, or
with paper-based materials and guides, especially where workers may be isolated from other
learner-workers. They emphasise that each workplace context and culture is unique to itself, with
its own situated learning culture. This makes the development of generic e-learning programmes
difficult, if the individual needs of all learners are to be met. They conclude that there needs to be a
greater understanding of the learner-technology interface in the workplace, and that all e-learning
packages should be underpinned by a deep understanding of situated learning theories and
theories of learner motivation.
3.4 UK
3.4.1 Population and employment
The United Kingdom (UK) consists of 4 countries: England, Wales, Scotland (Great Britain) and
Northern Ireland. While the general statistics is available for the whole UK, some data can cover
one country only. It holds true especially for England, where 84% of the UK population lives.
Therefore, when giving the figures, the name of the country will be mentioned if necessary.
According to Eurostat (2006), the population of the UK has exceeded 60 million in 2005. This
means a 19% increase from its population of 50.3 million in 1951, and a 3.3% increase over the
last decade (1994 to 2004). Between 2001 and 2004, almost two thirds of the increase in
population in England and the UK was due to net in-migration, with great impact on economy. This
is illustrated on the diagram below:
learn@work State of the Art Report
28
Natural increase and net migration as components of population change,
1991-2004, UK, (National Statistics, 2006)
Working age population in the UK at spring 2004 was 36.3 million, of which 23.5 million were
employees, 3.3 million were self employed, 1.3 million were unemployed and 7.9 million were
economically inactive (DES, 2004). Unemployment rate in 2005 remained at the same level of
4.7%. Employment rate was high: 71.7%.
The new data will be available at the beginning of year 2007.
3.4.2 UK Qualifications Framework
Different system of qualifications framework is used in Scotland than in England, Wales and
Northern Ireland (UKNRP 2006):
National Qualifications Framework England
Original levels
Revised levels
(Before 1 Sep 2004)
(After 1 Sep 2004)
5
Level 5 NVQ
Level 5 Diploma
4
Level 4 NVQ
Level 4 Diploma
Level 4 BTEC Higher National
Diploma Level 4 Certificate
3
2
1
8
Specialist awards
7
Level 7 Diploma
6
Level 6 Diploma
5
Level 5 BTEC Higher
National Diploma
4
Level 4 Certificate
(Level 3 Certificate, Level 3 NVQ, A levels )
(Level 2 Diploma, Level 2 NVQ,
GCSEs Grades A-C )
(Level 1 Certificate, Level 1 NVQ
GCSEs Grades D-G)
Framework for Higher Education Qualification
levels (FHEQ)
D (doctoral)
doctorates
M (masters)
masters degrees, postgraduate certificates and
diplomas
H (honours)
bachelors degrees, graduate certificates and
diplomas
I (intermediate)
diplomas of higher education and further
education, foundation degrees, higher national
diplomas
C (certificate)
certificates of higher education
Entry (Entry Level Certificate in Adult Literacy)
learn@work State of the Art Report
29
SCQF THE SCOTTISH CREDIT
level SQA National Units, Courses and
Group Awards
12
11
10
9
8
7
Advanced Higher
6
Higher
Intermediate 2
Credit Standard Grade
5
4
3
2
1
AND QUALIFICATIONS
Higher Education
Doctorates
Masters
Honours degree
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
Ordinary degree
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
Higher National Diploma
Diploma in H. Ed
Higher National Certificate
Certificate in H. Ed
FRAMEWORK
SVQ
SVQ 5
SVQ 4
SVQ 3
SVQ 2
Intermediate 1
General Standard Grade
SVQ 1
Access 3
Foundation Standard Grade
Access 2
Access 1
3.4.3 Post-Compulsory Education and Training
Department of Education and Skills prepares annual reports on statistics for education and training.
Below there are some figures from the previous year report (DES 2004).
General statistics
There were 4.7 million further education students in the UK during the academic year 2002/03 (the
figure for 1990/91 was 2.2 million). 80% of these students were part time, a similar proportion as in
1990/91.
72% of 16 year olds and 58% of 17 year olds participated in post-compulsory education in 2001/02,
either at school or in full-time further education.
In spring 2004, 14% of working age people had received job-related training in the last four weeks.
More employees were trained than the self-employed, the unemployed or the economically
inactive.
Higher Education
There were 89 universities, 60 other higher education institutions and 465 further education
colleges in the UK in the academic year 2003/04. There were 2.4 million higher education students
in 2002/03 (the figure for 1990/91 was 1.1 million), including 212,500 overseas students. There
were 988,200 part-time and 502,500 postgraduate students. 1.1 million students were on first
degree and 760,300 were on other undergraduate courses.
511,500 higher education qualifications were awarded in higher education institutions in 2002/03,
including 94,400 sub-degree qualifications, 273,400 first degrees, 11,800 PhD or equivalents and
131,900 at Masters or other postgraduate level. Of all these qualifications, 57% were awarded to
women.
Average expenditure of US$ 10,753 per higher education student in 2001 was 7% above the
OECD average (US$ 10,052). Over twice the amount per higher education student was spent in
the US when compared with the UK.
learn@work State of the Art Report
30
Vocational Qualifications and Working towards a Qualifications
45% of working age people had received NVQ level 3 equivalent or above in spring 2004, whereas
26% had received NVQ level 4 equivalent or above and 15% had no qualification.
There were 214,200 LSC (Learning and Skills Council) work-based learning provision programme
leavers in England in 2002/03. Of these, 40% were qualified for Modern Apprenticeship
Framework or NVQ.
18% of all working age people were studying towards a qualification in spring 2004. More young
people aged 16-24 were working towards a qualification than in any other age group.
Advanced Modern Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships (FMAs)
schemes
(AMAs)
and
Foundation
Modern
47,300 people started Advanced Modern Apprenticeship schemes in England in 2002/03. The
average number of learners was 108,300, almost 40% of all learners on work-based learning for
young people.
115,700 people started Foundation Modern Apprenticeships in England same year. People with
high levels of qualifications had received job-related training much more often than those with low
or no qualifications.
3.4.4 Work Based Learning
Being a Learner – general statistics for England
According to LSC report (2005), 519,000 people participated in work-based learning during
2004/05. The average number of those in learning was 300,000 (2.3% more than in 2003/04),
including 154,000 in learning on apprenticeships (7.6% more than previous year). The trend to step
from NVQ learning towards apprenticeships has continued.
The average number of those in learning on Entry to Employment (E2E) programmes was 26,000
(less than in 2003/04). The most popular area of learning remained Engineering, Technology and
Manufacturing (20%). There was also a small increase in the number of learners without a specific
area of learning.
915,000 learners participated in Adult and Community Learning programmes in 2004/05 (0.8% less
than previous year). The most popular areas of learning remained Visual and Performing Arts and
Media (28%) and Hospitality, Sports, Leisure and Travel (22%).
Being an Employer – a view from Scotland
Scottish Executive Central Research Unit has conducted a survey of 270 Scottish employers and
over 500 employees, investigating the extent, nature and perceived value of work-based learning.
A report with some interesting findings has been prepared on delivering the work-based learning in
Scotland (SECRU 2002).
The Incidence of Work Based Learning
More than 70% of larger employers have increased the volume of work-based learning in recent
years. 78% of employees were in work-based learning in the previous 12 months. Employees of
larger organisations had received training more than twice often than employees of smaller
organisations.
Value of Work-based Learning
Only 11% of employers recognised work-based learning ability to improve their image with
customers, and only 1% indicated it as main benefit. However, training in the workplace proves to
be very popular, especially among the smaller employers. 97 % of employees who had received
training considered it useful in their current job, in terms of adding more quality and increasing self
learn@work State of the Art Report
31
confidence. 37% of employees thought training could help in getting promoted; at the same time
47% thought it could help them get a better job in another company.
Constraints on Work Based Learning
Almost 20 % of employers felt they provided the sufficient level of training for their organisation.
Pressures on staff time and resources are very often considered as obstacles for providing workbased learning, whereas employees complain of employer reluctance to award time off the job for
work-based learning. Only 44% of employees have been asked by their employers about what kind
training would be useful to increase effectiveness in their jobs.
Threats in the work based sector
Unfortunately there are some serious problems within certain areas of work-based learning
environment. The Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) has been conducting research
into the reasons for the deterioration in the grades awarded to work-based learning provision from
Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) inspections compared with Training Standards Council (TSC)
inspections (LSDA 2002). Some inspections revealed a number of significant problems in the
quality of work-based learning. More poor grades had been awarded in the last year of operation of
the TSC. The situation became even worse under the supervision of ALI inspectors. There is a
general improvement of success rates in work-based learning; however these rates are still low
and this is reflected in the large number of low grades awarded. Some concerns are expressed
over dissonance between success rates in work-based learning for young people and its labour
market context. There is not enough staff with proper qualifications in the work-based sector and
staff development remains on unsatisfactory level. If more productive learning and assessment are
needed, more support and development options for tutors should be provided:
The work-based sector needs to be supported to take a strategic view of its own development
through better self-assessment and quality improvement (LSDA 2002)
Work Based Learning in Higher Education
The study conducted by The Higher Education Academy (HEA 2006) and also other previous
studies prove that higher education institutions (HEIs) are providing work-based learning solutions.
There are varied methods of learning, inspired by the institutional mission or sometimes by product.
The range of material delivered includes foundation degrees, undergraduate programmes, taught
and research postgraduate programmes as well as short courses.
Although some still consider work-based learning only as an activity falling under more vocationally
oriented institutions, the new student-centred approach is being developed, and the emphasis is
put on bringing together learning, teaching, research and other elements. What is also important,
the workplace is treated more often as a place providing an opportunity for putting knowledge and
skills into practice through action or problem-based projects.
The HEA report (2006) indicates the key issues for expansion of a modern work-based learning
offer:
Overcoming the language barrier (by establishing a shared understanding of work-based
learning area, regardless of terms used)
Raising demand or expanding provision (the new approach in motivating employers and
employees to seek the new higher skill must be developed)
Encouraging good pedagogic practice (although HEIs are developing working pedagogical
approach, a good understanding of practice is required)
Engaging effectively with employers (by building long term and close relationship between
HEIs and employers)
Transforming accreditation and quality assurance (research shows that there is a need to
develop a trans-regional system for a higher level of learning)
Meeting the costs of design and delivery (as work-based learning can be very resourcesintensive, the new cost-effective solutions are needed).
learn@work State of the Art Report
32
3.5 Denmark
3.5.1 Socio-economical Context
Denmark is a country with a population of almost 5,5 million people43. The level of education in
Denmark is quite high, 76,0% of the population complete a second level education. The
employment rate is 12,1% above the EU average with 75,9 percent of the Danish population
working44.
3.5.2 Education Level – Employment Status
In 2005 76,0 percent of the Danish population between the age of 20 and 24 had a secondary level
degree. This is a 1,3 percent below the European average.45
Danish institutions of higher education had a student intake of almost 47,100 students in 2001. Of
these, around 4,000 were visiting students from abroad.
Higher education is divided into short-cycle (18 %), medium-cycle (39 %) and long-cycle (43 %)
higher education programmes; 44 % of an age group attends the programmes.46
In Denmark we have 42 vocational colleges offering short-cycle education programmes and 61% of
these provide one or two short-cycle education programmes and 39% provide more than 3 different
short-cycle education programmes. In 2004 the average activity was around 220 student full-year
equivalent per institutions in the ordinary education system.47
3.5 3 Lifelong Learning48
In the EU labour force survey of 2005 27,6 percent of the Danish population age 25-64 answered
they have been participating in some kind of training or education course in the weeks proceeding
to the survey, whether it was related or unrelated to their current job was of no importance. This is
way above the European average of 10.8%.
43
The CIA factbook. Population rate of July 2006
Employed population consists of those persons who during the reference week did any work for pay or profit for at least
one hour, or were not working but had jobs from which they were temporarily absent
45
Eurostat: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/ Youth education attainment level
46
Danish Ministry of Education - www.uvm.dk
47
Danish Ministry of Education (2006): “Fremtidssikring af de proffisionsbaserede videregaaende uddannelser”,
48
Life-long learning refers to persons aged 25 to 64 who stated that they received education or training in the four weeks
preceding the survey
44
learn@work State of the Art Report
33
3.5.4 Education and Training Systems
Looking at the Higher Education System, you will find institutions are grouped into two different
sectors:
The college sector, i.e. the professionally oriented higher education sector and
The university sector.
The college sector comprises more than 150 specialised institutions of higher education, about
one-third offering short-cycle and two-thirds offering medium-cycle professionally oriented
programmes. Increasingly, colleges are merging into larger and more diverse units. The institutions
that have specialized in short cycle higher education are merging to Business Colleges (in Danish:
Erhvervsakademier) and institutions that have specialized in medium cycle educations have formed
a number of Centres for Higher Education (Danish acronym: CVU). Colleges often cooperate
closely with each other or with universities. It is mandatory for the CVU's to cooperate with the
university sector. All CVU study programmes are research-affiliated.
The university sector includes 11 universities, 5 of which are multi-faculty universities. The other 6
specialise in fields such as engineering, education, veterinary science, agriculture, pharmacy or
business studies. In addition, there are a number of specialist university-level institutions in
architecture, art, music, etc. All university study programmes are research-based, and degrees are
awarded at undergraduate and postgraduate level including doctoral degrees.
College programmes are defined as professionally oriented higher education, and the referring to
the three higher education programmes (short-cycle, medium-cycle and higher-cycle), there are
different qualifications.
Short-cycle professional qualifications:
Diplomas are awarded after a 2-year vocational academy programme building upon either relevant
vocational education and training or general upper secondary education. Most programmes give
access to further studies within the same field e.g. bachelor programmes.
learn@work State of the Art Report
34
These programmes qualify the student for performing practical tasks on an analytical basis. Apart
from theoretical subjects, programmes are usually completed with a project. The fields of study are
for example: agriculture, textile and design, food industry, construction, hotel and tourism,
computer science, industrial production, laboratory technician, IT and communication and
international marketing.
Medium-cycle professional qualifications
Diplomas are awarded after a 3- to 4-year programme at a level corresponding to a university
Bachelor programme, but the medium cycle programmes usually prepare students for a profession.
Examples are: Teacher training programmes, programmes in social work, journalism, nursing,
engineering etc. These programmes provide students with theoretical knowledge as well as
knowledge of application of theory to professions and industry. All programmes include periods of
practical studies and require the submission of a project/project paper.
Most programmes give access to further studies in the same field, i.e. a Master programme or, on
certain conditions, a specific candidate programme. Professional Bachelor degrees are awarded on
completion of programmes that meet a number of criteria, such as links to research and
development. Related to the college programmes, study programmes in the university sector are
research-based, analytical and theoretical. They should provide a broad academic foundation as
well as specialised knowledge.
Medium-cycle research-based qualifications:
The Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.Sc.) is awarded after an undergraduate programme of 3 years of
study, normally concentrated on one or two subjects. Programmes are self-contained and qualify
both for occupational functions and for studies for the candidate degree.
Long-cycle research-based qualifications:
The candidate degree (cand. + field of study) is awarded after a total of 5 years of study, normally a
B.A./B.Sc. + 2 years of study.
The programmes qualify students for occupational functions and scientific work. Each candidate’s
programme must include one or two of the major fields of study of the Bachelor programme. It
includes the preparation of a thesis of ½ year's duration. Universities also offer international Master
programmes of 1-2 years' duration.
Some few degrees differentiate from this e.g. Mag. Art. (B.A. + 3 years) and Medicine (6½ year)
The Ph.D. degree is awarded after a total of approximately 8 years of higher education and
research, including the preparation and public defence of a thesis. Admission requirements are
normally a candidate degree and the programme itself lasts 3 years.
Alongside the ordinary higher education system, the adult education system offers Advanced Adult
Education comparable to the level of short-cycle higher education, it offers Diploma programmes
comparable to the level of medium-cycle higher education, and Master programmes (e.g. MBA)
comparable to a long-cycle higher education level. Most programmes consist of 2 years of parttime study, equivalent to 1 year of full-time study. Admission requirements are: Relevant
educational qualification and at least 2 years of work experience within a relevant profession.49
3.5.5 Work-related Education and Learning
Based on figures from 2005 51,7% of the employees had a vocational education as their basic
educational level.
49
Danish Ministry of Education - www.uvm.dk
learn@work State of the Art Report
35
2001
M en
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
y ears
y ears
y ears
y ears
y ears
y ears
2002
M en
W om en
1393
599
305
200
128
61
1453
591
481
426
354
210
2003
M en
W om en
1330
555
303
180
112
52
1394
489
438
397
313
154
1276
548
311
214
124
74
W om en
1196
466
405
346
299
147
In 2003 0,3% of employees between the age of 25-54 took an education. There are no statistics
whether the employees distribute within small, middle or large size companies, and further it’s
difficult to be more specific with the educational background for these people.
Nevertheless it notable that there is a tendency that employed women from the age of 35-54 is
educated more than men with the same age.50
3.6 Austria
3.6.1 Economic Development
Austria is a country with a population of just over 8 million. The level of education in Austria is high,
about 78 % of the population complete a second level education. The employment growth in 200151
was low and stagnated in 2003 and therefore, still lies below the EU- average. The unemployment
rate increased in 2003 to 4.3 %.
In 2005 EUROSTAT published a case study about the employment rate in Austria, which showed
positive development. With 68.8 % Austria is situated under the 5 best countries of the EU. The
employment rate of women in Austria is about 62 % and already is above the defined aim in
Lisbon. The employment rate of the workers increased since 2004 up to 75.4 %. Furthermore, a
rise of the employment of older people (55-64) can be seen.
In June 2002 the “labour-force-concept”52 counted a total number of 3.983.000 wage earners, of
which 3.482.000 are employees. Concerning the part-time workers it is relevant to say that only 4
% are men and around 36 % are women, who mainly work in the summer season. The age group
above 25 years shows an unemployment rate between 6.1 % and 6.7 %, while the 25-50 year olds
range around 6.9 % and people over 50 years show an unemployment rate between 7.7 and 11.9
%. In 2004 Austria represented an employment rate over the EU-average.
50
51
52
Based on Danish Statistics – www.statistikbanken.dk/VEU31
Wirtschaftsbericht 2002 BMWA, p24
Statistik Austria: Mikrozensus Erhebung:, Juni 2002
learn@work State of the Art Report
36
Employees 2004:
company size
company
(absolute)
company
(%)
employees
(absolute)
employees
(%)
smallest
sized
enterprise (1-9)
small
sized
enterprise (10-49)
medium
sized
enterprise
(50-
280 873
90,3
348 088
16,4
24 516
7,9
482 748
22,8
4 623
1,5
467 282
22,0
969
0,3
823 006
38,8
310 981
100,0
2 121 124
100,0
249)
large
concern
(250+)
total
reference: Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, Statistisches Jahrbuch, 2005.
The immigration in Austria has been increasing, and currently, over 9 % of the population are
composed of immigrants; which generates the need for more language programmes in adult
education. The population has been ageing, and there is real concern that Austria may be unable
to supply enough skilled labour, unless more young people are well-educated or the effective age
of retirement – now one of the lowest in Europe, at about 58 on average – is increased. Although
the population is concentrated on the cities, Austria has many rural areas, which are often isolated
and have relatively few programmes and services available.
3.6.2 Adult Education in General53
Adult education in Austria is not governed by the State under the constitution. The Länder (Federal
States) and municipalities have to fulfil this responsibility. They have to organise adult education
and find ways to finance the trainings. The Länder deal with other public training providers. By
contrast, schools (for working people or Fachhochschulen) and Universities are governed by the
Ministry of Education.
A number of ministries are responsible for the organisation of adult education. The Ministry of
Education, Science and Culture is responsible for schools for working people, Fachhochschulen
and Universities. The Bundesinstitut für Erwachsenenbildung St. Wolfgang is a partner of the
Ministry and organise in-company trainings and vocational trainings such as, labour-market-related
training from the Labour Market Service (AMS). Furthermore the different Ministries are responsible
for specialised trainings. For example: The Federal Ministry for Public Health, Generations and
Consumer Protection organise programmes for older and disabled people; the Ministry of Health
and Women is responsible for training and continuing training for healthcare professionals and so
on.
Financing
Between 1995 and 1999 the national government and Länder spent 214 million Euros to over 281
million Euros in adult education and vocational training. More than 50 % of spending was used for
schools for working people. The costs for vocational training can be paid by the individual,
company, AMS or public body. The financing depends on the type and purpose of the training. It is
a fact that Individuals pay around 40 % of the fees in adult education by their own. The AMS
spends more than 350 million Euros per year (2001) on vocational training.
The spending on vocational training increased in 2003 a lot and OECD annotated that 89 % of all
wage earners participated in vocational programmes. Well educated people are more interested in
continuing education than people with a lower level of education.
53
Development of Education, bm:bwk AUSTRIA
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Institutions of education
Most of the vocational training is offered by non-profit institutions and special forms of public
schools. The most traditional institution of adult education in Austria is called Volkshochschule, it is
more than 100 years old. Overall there are 293 adult education centres in Austria. Adult education
has traditionally taken place in the evening or in blocks at weekends. Training courses for working
people are generally designed to be part-time.
Finding information
Training information and advice for adults is offered by public institutions, the social partners or
related adult education institutions and the Labour Market Service (AMS) as well as by the
individual Länder. The bm:bwk has developed a number of IT-based systems to search for
competent providers by region and by topic. The “Bildungsberater im Netz” is a platform, created
by the bm:bwk, to promote networking by using the Internet. (www.bib-infonet.at) AMS offers
advice, information services and financial support for job seekers and companies. AMS Austria
provides a vocational training database on its website, with a lot of information on training institutes
and their training activities. (www.ams.or.at)
3.6.3 Participation in Vocational Trainings
It is a fact that with the age of the employees the participation in vocational trainings drops from
more than 10 % (30 year olds) to 5 % (50 year olds). Except the youngest and the oldest group of
employed Austrians, the participation in vocational trainings is above EU-average. The rate of
participation of men is above EU-average, as the rate of the 35-44 year old women, but the rate of
female participation over 45 years lies below EU-average. Focusing on the technical and industrial
jobs, such as jobs in agriculture and forestry, Austria shows a high participation in vocational
training.
According to a case study from Mikrozensus54, 24 % of 3.5 million working Austrians participated in
occupational trainings and courses in the last 12 months.
More than 40 % of the vocational trainings were organised by the companies.
A case study of Statistik Austria shows that since 1999, 71 % of all Austrian companies have
regularly organised vocational trainings for their employees.
Line of business
In the same case study the production-industry showed less interest in the education of their
workers than for example the service sector did. The financing and insurance-sector declared that
every second worker did participate in a training programme since 1999. In the automobile trade as
well as in the communications engineering the participation is above 40 %. Within the production
sector the vehicle construction showed the highest participation in vocational trainings.
Size of company
Companies with less than 20 employees show a low vocational training rate in Austria.
In general large firms provide considerably more training than small and medium-sized firms do.
Therefore, the participation rate is higher for individuals working in larger companies. Larger firms
provide a great deal of their own training, while smaller ones turn to WIFI (which is one of Austria’s
largest institution of adult education) and other training providers.
3.6.4 Work Based Training
Compared to other OECD55 countries, in Austria participation in Work Based Learning seems to be
high. In 2002, for example, the Eurostat Labour Force surveys show monthly participation rates in
adult training of about 7.5%. Besides reading specialized books and magazines on one’s own, the
most frequent form of continuing education in Austria is special training on job.
Participation rates tend to be higher for well educated individuals than for those with less
education. People in low-wage jobs and those working for small and marginal employers are less
likely to participate in adult education. (OECD) The problem is that most companies organise adult
education based on their own particular needs and not for the individual worker’s needs.
54 Statistik Austria: Mikrozensus Juni 2003, p40, p169
55 OECD, 2003
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Furthermore, it is a fact that distance learning and e-learning are not well-developed in Austria, with
a few important exceptions. According to a case study of Statistik Austria in 2003, ICT was the
most popular training-sector. About 59.6 % of the employees who frequently use the computer at
work participated in trainings that were provided by their companies.
According to a case study of the British magazine “The Economist” concerning e-Learning, Austria
is rated number 15 out of 60 countries.
learn@work State of the Art Report
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4.Organisation of Induction Training
The website businessballs.com - a free ethical learning and development resource for people and
organizations, run by Alan Chapman, in Leicester (England) provides an overview of training
methods and a checklist for standard induction training. The following three chapters are taken
from there.
4.1 Training Methods56
As with other types of training, the learning can and development can be achieved through many
different methods. It’s important to use as many as needed to and which suit both the individuals
and the group, but it’s also important to remember that induction training by its nature requires a lot
more hand-holding than other types of training. The new people need to be looked after properly
and not left on their own to work things out unless there is a very specific purpose for doing so, or if
the position is a senior one.
As an alternative for the classic “Chalk to talk” – classroom style method, there are several other
ways, methods and tasks that can be provided to the trainee to induct him/her into the new job.
on the job coaching
mentoring
delegated tasks and projects
reading assignments
presentation assignments
attending
internal
briefings
and
presentations, e.g. 'lunch and learn'
format
video
special responsibilities which require
obtaining new skills or knowledge or
exposure
internet and e-learning
customer and supplier visits
attachment to project or other teams
job-swap
shadowing
(shadowing
another
employee to see how they do it and
what's involved
The involvement of other staff adds an important extra value to the whole training process of the
new staff member. Having them creating and delivering sessions, doing demonstrations,
accompanying, and mentoring the new starters wherever possible can be helpful and even
enjoyable for the existing staff members too. Many find it rewarding and at the same time
developmental for themselves57
4.2 Inducting New Employees58
The website businessballs.com makes a distinction between three types of trainings, namely a
general training, a mandatory training and a job training.
4.2.1 General Training
This is the training about the organisation in general that an new employee needs to receive. It’s
general information about the organisational structure, the policy, the main tasks and occupations,
in brief: the profile of the company. Secondly it also contains all practical aspects related to the
employee and his/her job: legal issues, time issues, practical organisation regarding food, breaks,
holidays, salaries. In the chapter 3.3 a table is provided with an extensive list
4.2.2 Mandatory Training
This is a training that relates to health and safety and other essential legal issues. This is a
standard training for all employees of the same company.
56
induction training and induction checklist, http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
induction training and induction checklist, http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
58
induction training and induction checklist, http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
57
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4.2.3 Job Training
This training is specifically adapted to the new employee. It relates to the role that the starter will
perform within the company. To a certain extent it could be standardised for all starters with the
same job description, but because of the different profiles of every new employee, small
adaptations should be made in order to match the training as much as possible with the
employee’s personality
4.2.4 Training Evaluation
In order to optimize trainings for future purposes and to give the trainee the chance to give
feedback, it’s absolutely necessary that a training is being evaluated. The evaluation is a standard
part of the process. The trainee, as well as the trainer and the training itself need to be evaluated.
The first one because this way, it’s clear whether the training reached its objectives and the second
two in order to improve the training for the future.
4.2.5 Checklist
General organizational induction training checklist59
Essential 'visitor level' safety and
emergency procedures
Washrooms
Food and drink
Smoking areas and policy
Timings and induction training overview
Organizational history and background
overview
Ethics and philosophy
Mission statement(s)
Organization overview and structure
Local structure if applicable
Departmental structure and interfaces
Who's
who
(names,
roles,
responsibilities)
Site layout
Other sites and locations
Dress codes
Basic communications overview
Facilities and amenities
Pay
Absenteeism and lateness
Holidays
Sickness
Health insurance
Pension
Trades Unions
Rights and legal issues
Personnel systems and records overview
Access to personal data
Time and attendance system
Security
Transport and parking
Crèche and childcare
Grievance procedures
Discipline procedures
Career paths
Training and development
Appraisals
Mentoring
Awards and Incentives
Health and Safety, and hazard reporting
Physical examinations, eye test etc.
Emergency procedures, fire drill, first aid
Accident reporting
Personal Protective Equipment
Use, care, and issue of tools and
equipment
Other housekeeping issues
General administration
Restricted areas, access, passes
Job and departmental induction training checklist.
The induction training process also offers the best opportunity to help the new person more quickly
integrate into the work environment - particularly to become known among other staff members.
Hence the departmental tours and personal introductions are an absolutely vital part of induction.
Organizations depend on its people being able to work together, to liaise and cooperate - these
capabilities in turn depend on contacts and relationships. Well-planned induction training can
greatly accelerate the development of this crucial organizational capability.60
Local departmental amenities, catering,
59
60
Use of job specific equipment, tools, etc.
induction training and induction checklist, http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
induction training and induction checklist, http://www.businessballs.com/inductiontrainingchecklist.htm
learn@work State of the Art Report
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washrooms, etc.
Local security, time and attendance,
sickness, absenteeism, holidays, etc.
Local emergency procedures
Local departmental structure
Department tour
Departmental functions and aims
Team and management
People and personalities overview
(extremely helpful, but be careful to avoid
sensitive or judgemental issues)
Related departments and functions
How the department actually works and
relates to others
Politics, protocols, unwritten rules
(extremely helpful, but be careful to avoid
sensitive or judgemental issues)
The work-flow - what are we actually
here to do?
Customer service standards and service
flow
How the job role fits into the service or
production process
Reporting,
communications
and
management structures
Terminology, jargon, glossary, definitions
of local terms
Use and care of issued equipment
Work space or workstation
Local housekeeping
Stationery and supplies
Job description - duties, authority, scope,
area/coverage/territory
Expectations, standards, current priorities
Use of job specific materials, substances,
consumables
Handling and storage
Technical training - sub-categories as
appropriate
Product training - sub-categories as
appropriate
Services training - sub-categories as
appropriate
Job specific health and safety training
Job-specific administration, processing,
etc.
Performance reporting
Performance evaluation
Training needs analysis method and next
steps
Initial training plans after induction
Training support, assistance, mentor
support
Where to go, who to call, who to ask for
help and advice
Start of one-to-one coaching
Training review times and dates
Development of personal objectives and
goals
Opportunities for self-driven development
Virtual teams, groups, projects open to
job role
Social activities and clubs, etc.
Initial induction de-brief and feedback
Confirmation of next training actions
Wider site and amenities tour
Other induction training activities for managerial, executive, field-based or international
roles:
Here are some typical activities to include in the induction training plans for higher level people.
The aim is to give them exposure to a wide variety of experiences and contacts, before the
pressures of the job impact and limit their freedom. As with all roles, induction also serves the
purpose of integrating the new person into the work environment - getting them known. Induction
training is not restricted to simply training the person; induction is also about establishing the new
person among the existing staff as quickly as possible. This aspect of induction is particularly
important for technical personalities and job roles, who often are slower to develop relationships
and contacts within the organization.
Site tours and visits
Field accompaniment visits with similar
and related job roles
Customer visits
Supplier and manufacturer visits
Visits and tours of other relevant
locations, sites and partners
Attendance of meetings and project
groups
Shop-floor and 'hands-on' experiences
(especially for very senior people)
Attendance at interesting functions,
dinners, presentations, etc.
Exhibition visits and stand-manning
Overseas visits - customers, suppliers,
sister companies, etc
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4.3 Inducting Employees in General
As the broad definition of Learn@Work defines, this project does not focus specifically on the
training new employees, but on a larger target group of ‘learners at work’. However, the aspects of
the trainings for this latter group, can not be defined as precisely as the checklists mentioned here
above. Every employee, every company, every context has different needs and different
expectations for the training. Trainings can vary from learning communication skills to learning new
Informatics or new company policies. It’s clear that this field can not be limited to a certain checklist
with bullet points mentioning all aspects of induction trainings. A prove of this are the different pilot
projects in which Learn@Work was involved. Therefore, for specific content related issues, we
refer to the examples mentioned in chapter 6.
4.4 Induction Models
4.4.1 Learning on Demand
SRI Business Intelligence created the following definition: “Learning on Demand is the process of
using technology to enable and encourage workers, managers, and executives to learn and
acquire new skills while resolving the organization's problems—the learning process takes place in
context and on demand. The e-Learning systems that enable Learning on Demand deliver learning
material to individual users' desktops or portable computing devices on an as-needed or flexibly
scheduled basis.”61
According to Stephen Downes “learning on demand is best understood in contrast to the most
familiar sort of learning, scheduled or classroom based learning. While the latter leads learners
through a curriculum designed to prepare them for a wide variety of possible needs, learning on
demand is the application and deployment of just the right amount of training at just the right time
to those who need to possess the knowledge or learn the skill”.62
One of the main benefits is the flexibility of learning on demand. “Updates to multimedia modules
are easy to make and easy to deliver quickly so that employees can implement new policies and
procedures with little disruption to clients. This, of course, is a return to the idea of knowledge
management. Updates produced at the input end of a knowledge management system can
immediately become new learning opportunities at the output end”.63
Case study: IBM On demand Learning model 64
This model, presented by Mia Verstraeten at Online Educa 2005, is an On Demand Learning
model based on three modes of learning which all rely on the power of collaboration to support,
deepen and extend learning:
Work Apart Learning
This corresponds to the traditional way that employees learn new and improvable skills: by moving
out the work environment to a learning centre, classroom, workshop or to an e-learning course.
The Work Apart Learning offers reflection and safe practice, but is not the best model for all kinds
of learning
Work Embedded Learning
Work embedded learning happens when carefully targeted and measured guidance is delivered at
the exact moment of need, without interrupting the flow of work. This experience based approach
enhances knowledge and skill as its application occurs immediately and in context within the
workflow. However, work embedded learning alone may not allow for the reflection needed to
convert knowledge into understanding
Work Enabled Learning
61
SRI Consulting Business Intelligence, http://www.sric-bi.com/LoD/
Downes, S., From knowledge management to learning on demand, 2003
Downes, S., From knowledge management to learning on demand, 2003
64
Vanstraelen, M., On Demand Learning at IBM, Book of Abstracts, Online Educa Berlin 2005, p111
62
63
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Work enabled learning uses the workplace as a learning environment and provides both the
workplace context and the opportunity for deeper understanding and reflection. The workplace
becomes the “classroom” and the work tasks become the learning activities, as appropriate, that
enable experience and observation, and reflection and review.
4.4.2 Blended Learning
Blended learning is the combination of multiple approaches to learning. For example:- self-paced,
collaborative or inquiry-based study. Blended learning can be accomplished through the use of
'blended' virtual and physical resources. Examples include combinations of technology-based
materials, face-to-face sessions and print materials65.
In an everyday work situation it involves practical problem-solving. The company context of the
learners is systematically included in the learning process by combining theoretical learning with
practical working activities
Case study: “The Monkey Pilot Scheme” 66
This case presented by Reglin, T. and Sack, C is about knowledge acquisition in a Hybrid scenario.
This model connects work and learning to each other and systematically includes the learners’
working environments into the learning processes:
e-Learning modules that are called up close to the workplace impact knowledge in the
areas of project management, social competencies and modern work techniques in a
theoretical block.
Face-to-face days serve to practice and consolidate what has been learned.
In a long practical phase, the learners apply what they have learned to company project
tasks while working at their workplace.
A learning process supervision ensures that the participants are supervised during the
practical phase and supported in implementing their projects. This guarantees the theory
practice transfer as a result.
To link learning with company change processes, colleagues and superiors are also
included in the learning process at an early stage: Human resource managers are
integrated through their participation in joint meetings.
A disseminator model in which the participants direct at least one other employee at their
company ensures that they consolidate and disseminate what they have learned.
At the end of the practical phase, the entire learning process is evaluated in a joint final
workshop that includes the human resource managers.
4.4.3 Computer Based Training
Computer based training refers to the use of computers as a key component of the educational
environment. While this can refer to the use of computers in a classroom, the term more broadly
refers to a structured environment in which computers are used for teaching purposes67. The
concept is generally seen as being distinct from the use of computers in ways where learning is at
least a peripheral element of the experience (e.g. computer games and web browsing).
This training method targets single users using specific computer programmes to acquire skills and
knowledge. The programmes allow the user to act completely independent but there is also always
the possibility to approach this through in an “Instructor-led” model68, in this model there is an
instructor involved which is not necessary at the same location as the trainee (classroom method)
Educational CD-Rom
e-Learning applications
65
www.wikipedia.org
Reglin, T. and Sack, C., Blended Learning in company training: en route to integrating learning and work, Book of
Abstracts, Online Educa Berlin 2005, p88. “Monkey” was a pilot scheme that has been tested within several small
companies
67
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Based_Learning
68
Leach, K. and Walker, S. “Internet-Based Distance Education: Barriers, Models, and New Research”
http://www.itouch.net/~swalker/smec/internet_based_distance_education.pdf
66
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4.4.4 Online Learning
Online learning descends from Computer Based Training, interactive multimedia (dating from laser
disks and more recently, CDs with online learning) and integrated learning centres69. With the
Internet boom since the mid 80s, the concept of online learning has spread broadly.. It’s an
umbrella term to describe any education or training that occur online.
Interactive multimedia-based learning environments
Virtual classroom
Web-based courses
4.4.5 Apprenticeship
Work Based Learning does not necessarily only start as soon as a new employee is engaged for a
job. It can start a long time before that. An apprenticeship or internship in a certain sector is often a
very useful way to get students acquainted with a certain sector. These days, the gap between
knowledge acquired through education and the actual job skills is so big, that most people start
almost from zero when they start working. An apprenticeship teaches the learner concrete working
skills and working methods which later on makes his or her actual integration in the professional
world much easier.
4.4.6 Informal learning
Marcia L. Conner defines informal learning as follows: “Informal learning describes a lifelong
process whereby individuals acquire attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from daily experience
and the educative influences and resources in his or her environment, from family and neighbours,
from work and play, from the market place, the library and the mass media”.
According to Marcia L. Conner “Informal learning accounts for over 75% of the learning taking
place in organizations today. Often, the most valuable learning takes place serendipitously, by
random chance. Most companies, however, focus only on formal learning programs, losing
valuable opportunities and outcomes. To truly understand the learning in an organization the
company should recognize the informal learning already taking place and put in practices to
cultivate and capture more of what people learn. This includes strategies for improving learning
opportunities for everyone and tactics for managing and sharing what is known.”70
We learn at work through the following means:
71
Bob Mosher is convinced that “although more formal forms of instruction such as the classroom
and e-learning will be around for years, it’s becoming more and more important to watch and
harness the more informal methodologies that the starters are utilizing”. According to him most of
these methods have been around for years, but have gone unnoticed by the training community72.
69
http://www.dirpedia.com/online-learning.html
Connor, M.L.,Informal Learning, Ageless Learner, 1997-2005, http://agelesslearner.com/intros/informal.html
Capital Works, LLC
72
Mosher B., ‘The Power of Informal Learning”, July 2004, MediaTec Publishing Inc
70
71
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4.4.7 Job Coaching
A job coach offers the employer extra support for the induction of the new employee through which
he will be faster integrated in the company. Generally a job coach is not aiming to coach the starter
in his technical skills, but rather in the “soft skills” necessary for a certain job, for example the work
attitude, communication style, manners etc. As a temporary person of confidence and contact point
the job coach will offer the necessary assistance to the starter as well as the company director and
the future team members of the starter to develop a fluent interaction between all of them.
Furthermore it aims to heighten the motivation and performance of the starter as well as of the
team members.
The involvement and engagement of the employer are of crucial importance for the succeeding of
the whole coaching process. However the job coach tries to limit the time investment the employer
makes, to a minimum of a few conversations. As soon as the general planning and strategy has
been discussed, the job coach takes over many responsibilities regarding the starter to relief the
employer from these tasks.
In several countries job coaches are engaged by a central government supported agencies of
employment to offer free assistance to people, who have difficulties finding a job, and companies
who want to engage people who are disadvantaged in society (because of language issues,
physical disabilities, low educational background etc.)
4.4.8 Classroom Training
This is the classical system in which learners and trainers interact in a real physical classroom.
Classroom training provides the learner with an environment that includes a lab, an instructor, and
a structured approach to teaching.
According to Theresa Stroisch and Stephanie Creaturo effective classroom training should be
viewed as “a three-legged stool. If any one leg of the stool is weak or missing, it can make for
unsuccessful training. The three important components of trainer are: the trainer, classroom, and
content”.73
Theresa Stroisch and Stephanie Creaturo mention a number of potential drawbacks to classroom
training. “Personality differences between the trainer and the trainee, for example, can affect the
success of any training class. This problem can rarely be anticipated or avoided. Additionally,
fellow trainees can dictate the pace of the training, leaving some trainees behind, and others bored
with a pace that is too slow for them”.74
73
74
Creatoru, S. and Stroisch, T., Essential Elements of effective classroom training, 2002 CompuMentor
Creatoru, S. and Stroisch, T., Essential Elements of effective classroom training, 2002 CompuMentor
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5. The Learn@Work scaffolding: Collaborative e-Learning Design
Method
The collaborative e-learning design (CoED) method brings focus and structure to the early stages
of e-learning design. It aims to develop design specifications and/or early prototypes within few
hours of work. The CoEd method with its roots in the Scandinavian tradition for systems
development employs principles and practices from rapid prototyping, agile development and
traditional learning design to meet an aim that ambitious.
The CoED workshop described here is only one activity in the design process; the prototype
designed in the workshop will be used in a number of situations, and feedback from these will feed
into the final design recommendations (in case the design is not finalised within the scope of this
project).
A number of techniques is used in the design process, and the workshop has been influenced
especially by scenario based design and the future workshop-methodology. The workshop
progresses in three steps, which will be described below, each in relation to goals, tools, work form
and expected outcome.
The CoED method is developed partly in the Learn@Work project and partly in other projects by
researchers from e-learning lab – centre for user driven innovation, learning and design, Aalborg
University.
5.1 Focussing
The workshop coordinator or other expert presents foci that are already chosen or are possible
choices. Based on research, literature reviews and expert knowledge, a presentation is given to
introduce the participants to key issue sin pedagogical design of ICT-based learning and teaching.
The idea of the presentation is to focus attention on three issues related to identifying the
philosophy of the design:
the understanding of learning (and subsequently teaching)
the understanding of the domain for induction
the understanding of technology and the role it plays in both the design and the learning
processes
The formulation of values and orientation within these three issues is crucial to the design process.
The objective of giving this presentation, however, is not to ”sell” specific ideas or solutions, but to
bring these issues to the attention of the participant. A design philosophy (or set of values) is
something each partner needs to negotiate in relation to their cases; however, a general
philosophy is useful as a shared frame of reference for the project.
5.2 Pedagogy: Identifying the Principle Values
The workshop participants identify overarching values and principles by card sorting. Card sorting
is a method that forces the participants to prioritize different concepts related to ICT supported
workplace learning. The card sorting is done collaboratively starting in smaller groups end ends up
with the joint priority of the full group of workshop participants. In the case of the Learn@Work
workshop 8 participants were split into 4 pairs, and are given a number of cards to lay out in a
specific order to show which ones they find most important. After round one, the pairs meet in
groups of four and go through the process again, and the two groups of four merge into one large
group to achieve the final result.
Categories for sorting the cards:
The most important
The important
The less important
The un-important
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Round one (in pairs): All cards are placed within the four categories, with a max of 15 cards in one
category and a minimum of 5. After completion, cards from categories 1 and 2 are brought into
round two.
Round two (groups of four): All cards are placed on the board, with a maximum of 7 cards in
categories 1 and 2. The priorities of each group are displayed and cards from category 1 are
brought into round three.
Round three (one large group): All cards are placed on the board, with a maximum of 5 cards in
category 1. The cards can be prioritized with the most important at the top.
The output of this workshop is the creation of a value statement regarding ICT-based learning in
the work place. The Learn@Work team identified six basic values which are important for
developing useful Work Based Learning materials
Lifelong Learning
Workplace Learning (including Work Based Learning)
Motivation (included Self-motivated Learning)
Student centred (with learner support and personalised support)
Blended Learning (face to face, flexible learning, open learning, self-regulated learning,
learner independency, distance learning, resource based learning)
Professional development (learning in communities of practice, skill development)
Collaborative learning (and co-operation)
Individual assignments (task based learning, problem based learning, learning by doing)
5.3 Development Process of Concrete Induction Programmes
5.3.1 The Learn@Work Strategy
The specific design of induction modules is based on the output from step two (pedagogic values)
AND on the specific case the design is to be used in. Design of the specific induction module and
induction activities thus require knowledge of the cases that the design aims at.
For articulating the design, participants work with a set of cards illustrating factors relevant for
pedagogical, technical and domain-related issues.
Design takes place at two levels, the first level illustrates the timeline, goal, way of working,
materials and activities involved in the induction module. Cards can be used directly for describing
this level, and participants will construct a “story line” on a board using the cards provided (blank
cards are included). The expected output of the first phase is a story line constructed by the cards
provided, including a written commentary from the design team. The story line should be
comprehensible by others in the way it communicates the overall design.
Step 2 of the design is focused on illustrating the story line at “screen” (or material) level, in the
sense that it looks closer at details in the design and as such “enlarges” parts of the story line. The
groups work on boards with a template to be filled in with the following: Surroundings, approximate
time, how many learners, how do they work (this might or might not be clear from the story line)
AND a “screen” to be filled out in a way that illustrates the activity: video, text, dialogue, quiz, hands
on, book, practice, etc. etc.. Participants have cards/symbols to work with on the screen like in
phase 1. The expected output is a number of screen designs illustrating what the learner sees and
does, as (s)he works through the induction module.
Context and Goals:
Activity
Resource
Infrastructure
One module of the storyline. A storyline consists of several like these next to each other.
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6. Learn@Work pilot projects
6.1 About the Pilot Projects
On of the main goals of the Learn@Work project was to collect best-practices on the field of Work
Based Learning and to put these best-practices into practice ourselves by means of pilot
programmes. Every partner agreed on finding two companies for which they would create a useful
induction training model according to the wishes and the infrastructure of the companies
themselves. The evaluation of these ten pilot projects would then result in again a new resource for
best-practices in the field of technology enhanced Work Based Learning.
6.2 To consider before getting started…
Considering the country specific background aspects regarding the use of e-learning as a work
based training, these were some emergent Issues for the Learn@Work Induction package The
Learn@Work pilots of the induction package should take the following questions and answers into
account:
What sectors of workers are most likely to benefit?
The sectors which appear to need first-time access to e-learning support at work include low-skilled
workers and part-time workers. This does not, however, exclude older, educated workers who may
never have used learning technologies of any kind. In this context, the induction package needs to
consider how such workers are to be introduced to the e-learning system in a meaningful and nonthreatening way which allows for personal success in all cases. It may require computer
familiarisation sessions in advance of starting the induction package.
What levels of competence need to be considered?
The package should accept that not all workers have the same levels of literacy in reading and
writing in any language, even if they may be skilled in their work operations.
What access to computers is required?
Not all workers have access to computers at work or at home. In these cases, workers using online learning may need access to public libraries or training centres where they can have either
free, or low-cost, access. This will have implications for the duration of on-line sessions, for the
times of sessions, and for record keeping and tracking of on-line discussions.
Will Bandwidth Matter?
The induction package should recognise that broadband is not available to all workers who have
access to computers either at home or in work, and that traditional phone line connections can be
both inefficient and costly.
How will the package encourage a culture of on-line pedagogies?
Make provision for the existing culture of Work Based Learning which generally involves
considerable face-to-face contact and paper-based resources, as well as high support from
trainers/facilitators. It may be difficult for workers to move way from this culture without
considerable support.
Does the package make a direct link between work and academia?
Good two-way relationships between the college and the work-place are important for the
sustainable success of the induction package.
6.3 The Case Studies
The following seven case studies were carried out by the Learn@Work partners.
6.4:
6.5:
6.6:
6.7:
The Fortis Coaching Game
Induction De Lijn
BA by Learning Contract - Theme: Learn@Work
MSc Innovation Management
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6.8:
6.9:
6.10:
6.11:
Social Software
ADVOCATE
Learn@Work DIT Pilots
E-Learning Lab, Aalborg
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6.4 The Fortis Coaching Game
By Marie Bijnens and Mathy Vanbuel , ATIT, Belgium
Introduction
Partners in the case
The Fortis Coaching Game is a collaboration between FORTIS Bank (Departments: Retail Banking
Belgium, Sales Force Training and Talent Factory, supported by the Divisions eLearning and ICT)
and ATiT.
Objectives of the pilot
The training is aimed at helping job coaches to become better trainers and supporters for the new
employees. New bank employees are trained on the job in retail offices, following a detailed
training programme that lasts about 5 months. During this on the job training, the employees get a
job coach assigned in the retail office, most of the time the local bank manager or his deputy. This
training programme, the Fortis Coaching Game (FCG), is aimed precisely at these coaches. Until
now, these coaches do not receive any specific preparation or training to improve their coaching
and training job, except for a copy of the training manual. The FCG tries to encourage en helps the
coaches to improve their support and assistance for the new employees by providing some
structure and training tips. Because there are no specific incentives (or penalties) for more or less
effective training support, we proposed to add an element of competition to the training
programme, in order to encourage the coaches to try to better support the new trainees during their
induction in their new job. Because the target learners are highly skilled intellectual workers, there
is no real need for induction in lower level induction training.
How was the pilot organised
The FCG was designed by ATiT together with the Fortis Bank Training staff according to the very
strict specifications with regard to compatibility and security. The design took about 4 months and
numerous meetings. The application was then tested and validated in real office conditions for
compatibility and security by the FORTIS ICT department. In November 2006, a first group of 20
trainees participated in the first deployment of the game. This first pilot was a blind test for the
users, the participants were not aware that they participated in a pilot and in fact had the choice
between using the old (paper based) training material or the new (FCG-based) online materials. A
team of game monitors both from Fortis and from ATiT, observed the participants in their online
behaviour. After 6 weeks of activity, an informal evaluation survey was organised by Fortis to
capture the reactions of the participants. After that positive first evaluation, some enhancements
were implemented (more support documents available online, improved participant manual, French
version, improved management module) and a second, a third and a fourth contingency of
participants were added to the pilot. In total over 80 participants are new subscribed to the pilot
(coaches as well as trainees).
Organisational issues in the participating workplaces
The FCG did not require a new or changed organisation: the tandem coach – new employee
remains unchanged compared to the existing situation. The game reinforces and improves
potentially this existing relationship. The only addition to the existing training programme, is the
handout of the invitation and registration token to the trainees at the time when they leave their
initial training days at the Bank training centre, just before the start of their on the job training.
Use of e-learning and ICT in the pilot
The FCG is entirely online and based on a mixed use of email and web browsing (see figure
below). Because the workers involved in the game are all high-level intellectual workers, there is no
need for an additional training in the technology or in the use of the game. The participants (the
trainee as well as the coach) enter as soon as they are registered, each through a different
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interface (the game is based on the fact that coaches and coachees do not see each others
information, but work together to obtain the best possible results according to the tasks set forward
by the training programme). The scoring mechanism of the game is not revealed to neither trainees
nor coaches, and they do not know initially that it is in fact the quality of the coaching rather then
the quality of the trainees’ work that gains the highest scores, although that these elements are
obviously linked to each other (better coaching should normally result in better results for the
trainees.)
The FCG is constructed using Drupal, a free and open source software framework that is used in
this case as a content management framework. The application meets the IT security requirements
of the Bank rigorously: no JavaScript, no Java, or other applets, no Flash, pure HTML only. The
web application is light and runs on all platforms that are in use at present at the Bank’s offices.
The server itself runs for the time being on a server outside the Bank’s IT park (on the ATiT
servers) until the service will be adopted fully and integrated in the Bank’s IT.
Development strategy applied in the pilot
The development is based on a rigorous respect for the development requirements of the Bank’s
training department. These requirements are the following:
Technological: according to the IT requirements (see above) and to the existing design
specifications. (In order to monitor the compliance, an ICT expert from the Bank participated in
every meeting).
Pedagogical: the concept of game based learning is new in the Fortis Bank and this approach is
therefore closely monitored.
Operational: one of the main elements in this training programme is that there cannot be any
additional effort required from the training department, the coaches, or the trainees. The training
cannot add any additional costs to the existing training programme. There is no other motivational
aspect than the game (competition) aspect: the coaching remains a voluntary effort, the main
objective is to improve the coaches effort, but without giving the coaches some form compensation
other than the fun of participating in the competition. The participation is therefore not compulsory
(until now, this is however under discussion). Again, this is not different compared to the existing
training.
Significant challenges in the pilot and induction (methodological,
pedagogical, technological, etc.)
Biggest challenge is exactly the motivation of the participants: the training effort is completely
voluntary from the point of the coach, there is no incentive for coaches who put in a lot of effort,
there is no penalty for those who do not put any effort in. The game formula was chosen expressly
in order to try to encourage the coaches to put more and better effort in the training of their
trainees. It is clear that good coaches use the FCG to become even better coaches again; they
exploit the possibilities given by this service fully. Less good coaches who do not put any effort in
coaching, do not even put effort in exploring in how the system can improve their coaching, they do
not change their coaching behaviour unless they are challenged in a more stringent manner. For
that reason, the Fortis training department is considering to make the training game compulsory,
and even to explore if there can be some kind of reward to the game.
Issues of specific interest in the pilot
Focal points of the pilot
Our focus is in the first place in the exploration of game based learning on the work floor. What are
the elements for successful implementation, how do participants react to game based learning, do
they learn effectively? How does the training department react to the deployment of a game to
support their training? What are the crucial success factors in implementing a game? Our second
point of interest in the nature of training on the work floor: how does the training department of a
centralised institution such as this bank, coordinate and encourage good practise of training on the
work floor? What are the decisive factors in implementing learning on the work floor?
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Evaluation objectives
The evaluation focuses mainly on the elements that are important for the training department to
decide whether the training implementation is successful and worthwhile. This involves an
evaluation of the participants, in order to see how they react, whether they feel that they can learn,
can learn better, more efficient and more effective. This evaluation will then provide one of the
arguments for the training department to decide upon continuation and extension of the training
game. Additional evaluation information is collected about the cost and revenue of the
implementation: how much did the development cost, how much does the operation cost, what is
the cost of support ad further development for the Bank? Are their costs for the end users? Can the
training become more cost effective (by providing electronic documentation instead of paper based
documents)? Are their positive effects other than the immediate learning effects for the end users:
are their other effects on for example the management skills of the coaches? Furthermore, for ATiT
it will be of interest to evaluate also how the training department of a large corporate works with
eLearning, with game based learning and with induction or work based learning. For all these
reasons, ATiT and Fortis are evaluating not only the direct results of the pilot, but also the overall
implementation of the service.
Lessons learnt from the pilot?
The most important lessons from the pilot are the effectiveness of this particular game type
(competition with a very low level of transparency in the game rules and game development) for the
training of high-level intellectual workers.
Methodology: Data collection and analysis
Methods used (interviews, observation, reviews, document analysis,
questionnaire, etc.)
The evaluation took place at different stages during the implementation:
A first technological evaluation was carried out by the eLearning and ICT department of the Bank;
this validation was required in order to check the security, reliability, and compliance of the solution
according to the Bank’s standards.
An initial small-scale end user evaluation was carried out with participants of the first pilot
deployment after about 6 weeks into the pilot. This evaluation was done by means of (qualitative
telephone) interviews by a staff member of Fortis Talent Factory, and formed the basis to decide
whether the pilot would be extended with a larger number of users. Given that very positive
remarks were received during this evaluation, the pilot was then extended with additional groups of
participants, a French language version was also deployed.
After 5 months into the pilot a larger end user evaluation was carried out jointly designed by
FORTIS Talent Factory and ATiT. In this evaluation, more than 20 participants take place: both
from the trainees and from the coaches. This evaluation used a prepared set of questions (different
questions for each of the user groups) during an extensive telephone interview by a collaborator of
Fortis Talent Factory and an external evaluator involved by ATiT.
A final evaluation is carried out with the stakeholders of the service: the Fortis training department
and ATiT, the developers of the game. This evaluation has the form of a focus group meeting, and
assesses the effectiveness (are the coaches becoming better in their support of the trainees, and
does this result in better performance of the trainees?) and efficiency (is this service easier and
less costly than the traditional support of the coachees, is it worthwhile to implement this service?).
These telephone interviews are backed up with logging data from the participants: these data
provide information about the activity or inactivity of the coaches; the platform further records the
assessment and evaluation in assessment of the coach by each trainee. This too provides valuable
evidence of the usefulness of this training service.
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Participants in the evaluation (students, instructors, designers,
representatives from company, etc.)
Participants in the evaluations are one the hand the stakeholders (the company training
department and the training service developer) and on the other hand the end users (the trainees
as well as the coaches).
Analytic approach
Because the evaluation methods were qualitative rather than quantitative, and mainly aimed at
assessing the corporate acceptance of the service designed, the conclusions of the evaluation are
a result of a consensus understanding of the findings from the various evaluation exercises. The
most important result of the evaluation will be of course the acceptance of the service under
evaluation, by the corporate, as this will be a direct indicator of its relevance and quality.
Findings
The coaches75
From the first pilot group, the coaches were very enthusiastic. It offers a benefit to their coaching in
the training programme and most of them want this tool to replace the existing manual76. There
were a few drop outs because the new officer was replaced to another retail bank and so there was
no point in participating in the coaching game. The coaches that are involved at the moment, want
to keep using the coaching game to support future coaching tasks (when they will have another
new employee coming to their office). Some coaches suggest to expand the coaching game also
to support the other training programmes.
+
Structurally organised coaching
All information available in one place, very convenient
Motivating
Original way of setting up a training programme
Getting aware of the importance of coaching and feeling that the afford they
do is appreciated and rewarded.
-
No transparent feedback mechanism
Training programme is too slow, coaches might loose the moment77
The management team of the game:
Both sides, ATiT as well as Fortis, learned a lot from the development of this game and find it a
very valuable pilot for future training programmes.
Fortis:
+
Identification of coaches78
Easier to follow up on the coaching process79
The way to get feedback from coaches is more straightforward
Made them aware of the gaps in the current training programme
Coaches are doing a better coaching job and are more involved in the
training programme of the new employee
75
The coaches are the people undergoing the induction programme. The game is a “coaching support tool”, an induction to
better coaching performance for senior staff that has not received formal qualification to do this. On the other hand, the
people that are “coached” (the actual new employees) are the ones evaluating the performance of the coaches in their
coaching.
76
The manual that the coaches receive is a copy of the manual that the new employees receive in their training programme.
77
The coaching game follows the pace of the training programme set up for the new retail officers, the game narrative and
flow is defined by that programme.
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-
Development of the game was time consuming but once it ‘rolls’ it works
on its own
More things need to be done (translation for the French speaking part of
Belgium, method for analysing the feedback forms of the new officers
regarding the coaching skills of their coach, ...)
ATiT
+
The bank entourage as well as the coaches are very pleased with the
game
Learning more about game based learning as an instructional method
Learning more about pedagogy behind training programmes, incentives to
involve people in trainings, motivation of learners and learning managers.
-
Not everything can be foreseen, the technical adjustments that were
suggested after the game had been launched, were time consuming
Sudden restrictions in the bank regarding IP held up the game during the
whole month of February
The effectiveness of the game
During the regular follow up we do on the coaching game together with the training department of
the bank, we notice that the coaches, once they are enrolled in the game, are more involved with
the training programme of their new employee, they are more aware of the content of the
programme and know more about guiding the new employee through the process. They know who
to contact in case they have questions about coaching and know what the new employee needs to
know from him/her.
78
In the old training structure, the new retail officers would choose a coach within their office but this coach was not
necessarily known by the training department. The coaching was an internal activity within the retail bank, but there was no
formal recognition from the head office. Unless the coach contacted the training department of the head office for questions
or issues about his trainee, the coache would not be known to the central training department.
79
Even though the scoring mechanism is very intransparent and doesn’t reflect the real coaching skills of the coach
comprehensively, it does reflect the level of involvement of the coach.
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The scoreboard of the “drivenbypassion” session (the first pilot group, 16 participants)
Motivational issues in workplace learning
Until now, the support of the coaches in the on the job training programme for the new employee,
was voluntary and only supported by a manual, and there was no real incentive for investing in
more intensive support except for the improved performance of the trainee. Because of its
distributed nature, it is very difficult to structurally support the coaches: they are often appointed ad
hoc in each of the retail banks, they do the coaching as an addition to their day-to-day job.
Therefore, we looked for another way to encourage a structured support and found this in the form
of competition between the coaches. The FCG allows the cohorts of coaches to compare the
performance of their trainees (and thus also of their own coaching) with each other. A continuous
scoreboard allows the coaches to compete also with colleagues from the past or from other
cohorts. The fact that all training support documentation is now also available directly online, is an
additional advantage for some of the coaches.
Self organisation in work and learning
The training is fully integrated in the day-to-day work of both coach and trainee: all activities are
normal job activities. The training programme offers help and tips for the coaches and trainees, but
leaves the initiative for a great deal to the individual in how to carry out the tasks. As such, this is
real and critical learning on the job.
Issues related to ICT-qualifications (support, basic training, etc.)
The end users are high-level intellectual workers, and ICT is an integrated part of their daily work
within the limits, conditions and constraints of the Bank’s ICT policy. There is no need to provide
additional ICT training as the tasks do not require additional skills other than the basic ICT skills
that are commonly understood to be present with this group of professionals (email, web browsing).
The FCG does not require any additional skills as it is fully integrated into the Bank’s daily activities
and relies fully on web browsing and email skills.
The relationship (interdependency) between induction and study
programme
The induction is an integral part of the study programme: the guidelines for participation are so
simple that the end users do not need additional explanation, the game is fully self explanatory and
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the learning content is integrated seamlessly into the service: it is “learning by playing at work”.
This integration is essential: the learners do not have to leave their usual professional environment,
they do not have to act differently to learn, the learning is an immediate part of the work, they do
not have to learn anything new (such as a learning environment or another software application) to
become learners. They can at any time, when they decide, and from where they decide, at home or
at the office, continue to learn.
Identification of various good practice-models for induction
The full integration of the learning in the professional environment is ideal: there is no additional
threshold that may act as an obstacle: the learning happens almost unnoticed. Furthermore is the
fact that the learning tasks are real life and critical job tasks, which relate directly to what is
requested from the professionals, essential for the uptake of the training by the learners and by the
training department, as this means that the possible investment in the training application is directly
related to revenue generating activities.
Use of standard tools vs. customisable software in induction
The FCG is a custom built application with secure and private content, which is specific to the
training programme within this corporate. The application is based on Drupal, a free modular
content management framework, content management system, web application framework and
blogging engine (Drupal is written in PHP). Because the application is bespoke and revolves
around a game scenario that is exclusive to this learning application, it cannot be transferred to
another working or learning environment without significant alteration and consequent time and
labour investment.
Tools for setting feasible targets and designing relevant evaluationtools of induction
There is no formal assessment instrument built into the FCG, as this was explicitly not the intention
of the training department. Formal assessment would require some form of recognition or reward in
the form of financial compensation, promotion or similar. The FCG does have various tools for the
participants to evaluate their own performance (in the form of the scoreboard and in the form of the
evaluation emails from the trainees). The training department has additional tools in the form of the
logs of the application where they can follow the activity (and for example response time) or
passivity of the coaches.
Conclusions
Macro level: Under which societal circumstances does the pilot and
induction develop and take place?
The training programme is an addition to the voluntary coaching support programme for new
employees. The FCG is provided still on a voluntary basis for the time being, as an alternative or
complement to the print based training support materials that coaches receive, and in addition to
that, the competition and gaming element acts as a motivational element. The provision of the
contents in electronic format is a cost saving factor and has as an additional advantage that
content can be dynamically and rapidly updated. The online character of the application allows the
training department to monitor the progress of the trainees closely and continuously.
Meso level: How does induction and workplace learning take place in
the specific pilot?
The FCG is fully integrated in the day-to-day activity of the learners: the activities are seamless
parts of their professional tasks. The carrying out of these work tasks under the supervision of their
coaches itself is the induction in their professional responsibility. There is a seamless integration of
induction, learning and working, within FCG all integrated in a game based environment.
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Micro level: What are the personal and organizational prerequisites for
success in workplace learning? When, why and how do breakdowns
take place in the induction/workplace learning process?
By the sheer seamless integration of the training in the work tasks, there is no need for the trainee
to make the transition between learning and working activities also because the environment is not
unfamiliar to them in their working environment: email and web. The main prerequisite for the
success of the training seems to be the incentive for the training effort. There is no major change in
that since the deployment of the coaching game: before it was difficult to motivate the coaches to
being more supportive in the coaching of their assigned trainees: the good coaches were
supportive and invested also without incentive in the training of their trainees. After the FCG
became available, the coaches had at their disposal a number of additional tools to improve their
support, and the FCG was designed in order to reward and motivate their input by means of the
game and competition elements. The main complaint that was received from participants was that
the coaches do not have enough time to do better coaching: the FCG does not change this. The
FCG helps the participants in different ways (providing good overview of where the trainee is in his
trajectory, electronic documentation), but where there is a lack of time to support the trainee, this
FCG does not bring a solution.
Most striking advantage of the FCG is its motivational character, most negative aspect is the lack of
transparency in the scoring mechanism. This was intentional in the design of the game, in order to
keep the competition fair and challenging, but this may have to be reviewed. The mystery aspect
does not contribute to a positive attitude towards the game, on the contrary. One of the most
striking conclusions that we can draw from the pilot so far, is that coaches that were proactive and
supportive in their coaching responsibility, remain good coaches and that they use whatever is
available (FCG or the print based materials) to their best outcome, and that less active coaches do
not change their attitude significantly. Further research and evaluation will have to proof if the FCG
does make a significant enough change in the group of indecisive or rather passive coaches to
make them better coaches and consequently result in better-trained new employees.
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6.5 Induction De Lijn
By Marie Bijnens and Mathy Vanbuel , ATIT, Belgium
Introduction
Partners in the case
This implementation of a system to manage and deploy induction for all new employees of De Lijn
is a result of the collaboration between De Lijn (Central Services: Department HR and
Development) and ATiT.
Objectives of the pilot
At present, there is no consistent and regular induction training programme at De Lijn, although
that the Department HR and Development acknowledged the need for this and the willingness to
start organising this. Induction trainings are now organised more or less ad hoc and in an irregular
manner without a clear defined structure. These induction trainings are given in a one day
presential session to which a number of new employees are invited, mostly this implies that there is
a mix of participants: participants are mixed in time that they are employed, mixed in job
responsibility or position within the company, and consequently also mixed in the specific needs for
induction. This situation is caused mainly by the lack of resources in the Department HR and
Development.
The pilot aims to develop a different approach to the induction training as a whole: it tries to
develop a “Just in Time, Just the Right Amount” approach in which the induction is an automated
process that is initiated as soon as the new employee is registered as newcomer. This triggers than
a piecemeal provision of small, personalised and timely induction modules over a period of about 2
months during which a blended induction programme is offered: face to face modules are
complemented with online modules. These modules are adapted to the level, needs, and
responsibility of the new employees, which are divided in a number of staff categories. This
process is automated and monitored by the Department HR and Development, which in turn gets
its personnel resources back for the development of further modules.
How was the pilot organised
The pilot was organised up to the conceptual level: from the needs analysis with the Department
HR and Development, via observation of current practise during a one day induction training day
with over twenty participants, to the design and evaluation of a new training concept and service,
built in pilot version and evaluated technically for usability, security, scalability and reliability. Real
end user evaluation is carried out with 24 participants of the face-to-face induction-training day.
Organisational issues in the participating workplaces
In order not to put new requirements on the new employees, the induction training service is
designed with maximal simplicity and compatibility in mind: the existing and new induction modules
for the various subjects are designed in the most appropriate accessible format (html, ppt, pdf,
flash) so that participants do not need to install new software. The access to the content is
furthermore designed pedagogically in such a way that the content is entirely self-explanatory, but
the Department HR and Development provides online, offline, and personal support for those users
that do need additional support or explanation.
The combination of online and presential learning (“Blended Learning”), face-to-face introduction
and “Peer learning” clearly has a number of advantages:
The induction programme is not entirely depending on the availability of all trainers/presenters on
the one day.
By spreading the content over a longer period, the content becomes easier to digest and more
relevant for the new employee.
The content can be adapted to the individual requirements of each employee.
The employee can choose him/herself when to follow the modules.
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The content can be adapted continuously and dynamically to changes as they happen.
The employee can revert at any moment in his/her further career to the content when it is
necessary or useful.
Use of e-learning and ICT in the pilot
The induction training service is database driven and managed through an interface that is
designed in Drupal, a free and open source software framework that is used in this case as a
content management framework. The database organises the different new employees in
categories according to their functions and the consequent induction training needs, the database
organises also the different induction training events, both the online and offline (or presential)
events. Once a new employee is registered in the system, this employee automatically receives
invitations to participate in the on- and off-line training events. This is done by email. The modules
are also stored in the database where possible and their use by the participants is monitored in
order for the Department HR and Development to follow the progress of the new employees. There
is no other formal assessment foreseen, other than the participation, but in the future there may be
a qualitative assessment for certain critical modules.
The following modules are initially considered for implementation in the Just In Time approach:
Welcome & Getting Acquainted
Mission & Core Activities
Organisation
Collaboration & Principles of Function (Level A)
Collaboration & Principles of Function (Level B)
Overview strategic projects
Practical information
Personnel Administration (Level A)
Personnel Administration (Level B)
VZW Lijnwerk
Development & Promotion Policies
Development strategy applied in the pilot
The development is based on the needs that were expressed by the new employees and the
objectives of the Department HR and Development.
Technological: the existing modules must be easily converted in online modules, the access to
the service must be user-friendly to the extent that no training is required in the use of the service
for the new employees or for the Department HR and Development staff to manage and monitor
the service.
Operational: one of the main elements in this training programme is that the effort required from
the training department and from the content providers should be minimal. The modular structure
should allow for easy and dynamic adaptation and modification by the Department HR and
Development. Furthermore, the service allows for follow up from the Department HR and
Development for the new employees: during a certain period after the induction training, it is
possible to continue the contact between the trainees and the trainers.
Significant challenges in the pilot and induction (methodological,
pedagogical, technological, etc.)
One of the greatest organisational challenges is to coordinate the various induction modules: these
are all delivered by different departments within De Lijn, and there is no systematic coordination so
far in the production of these modules. The composition of these modules is not a top priority for
these different departments and it is important to convince them that they should invest sufficient
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effort to make these modules valuable for the newcomers. Pedagogically, these modules must be
designed with sufficient instructional and flow quality to keep the attention of the learner going,
especially because there is no formal assessment involved and hence there is no real incentive to
complete the various modules. Technologically, the challenge is to convert these pedagogically
sound modules in content that is platform independent and that keeps the design qualities (e.g.
interactivity, multimedia assets).
Issues of specific interest in the pilot
Focal points of the pilot
Our focus in this pilot is in the research of the mechanism of induction training within a large
company with a very large variety of worker types (from low skilled technicians to high level
intellectual workers). It is very clear that the large variety and the many different requirements of
the new workers put the Department HR and Development under a heavy demand. ICT can clearly
offer a solution, but it is not clear if the resources to do so are easily made available. It is therefore
interesting to evaluate with the Department HR and Development if induction training is high
enough on the list of priorities for a large company such as De Lijn.
Evaluation objectives
The evaluation focuses mainly on the elements that are important for the training department to
decide whether the training implementation is successful and worthwhile. This can be measured
from the ease with which the Department HR and Development can manage and monitor the
various inputs and outputs of the Just In Time Induction Training Service. These are the
contributions from the various departments that provide the learning modules; the classification,
management and monitoring of the participants, their satisfaction with the individual induction
modules, the satisfaction of the various departments with the preparedness of the new employees,
and their possibility to feedback into the Department HR and Development to adapt or improve the
Just In Time Induction Training Service. The final objective of the pilot is to evaluate the
acceptance by the Department HR and Development of the Just In Time Induction Training Service
as it was designed jointly with ATiT.
Lessons learnt from the pilot?
The most important lessons from the pilot are the effectiveness of the Just In Time Induction
Training Service for all stakeholders: trainees (new employees), their immediate employers in the
different departments, and eventually the Department HR and Development.
Methodology: Data collection and analysis
Methods used (interviews, observation, reviews, document analysis,
questionnaire, etc.)
The evaluation used an evaluation form for the new employees; the evaluation with the Department
HR and Development used focus group meetings during which the implementation was discussed
in depth.
Participants in the evaluation (students, instructors, designers,
representatives from company, etc.)
Participants in the evaluations are one the hand the stakeholders (the Department HR and
Development and the various departments where the trainees are eventually employed) and on the
other hand the system designers (ATiT). The new employers also participate in an evaluation that
focuses specially on their vision on the customised induction training.
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Analytic approach
The evaluation methods were qualitative with regard to the acceptance of the solution, rather than
quantitative (this information was mainly used in order to support the new approach towards the
Department HR and Development). The result of the evaluation is a consensus understanding of
the validity of the proposed solution. The most important result of the evaluation will be of course
the acceptance of the service under evaluation, by the corporate, as this will be a direct indicator of
its relevance and quality.
Findings
New employees
We don’t have feedback from the new employees yet. We have however clearly identified their
needs and since the service is an immediate response to those, we’re assuming that the training
programme will be effective, further evaluation will need to take place to assess this fully.
Management of the programme
Up to now we can draw the following conclusions:
+
A previously non-existing programme is now formalised and
institutionalized
Content is structured and put in pedagogical sound formats, no longer left
to ad hoc teaching solutions (which were merely powerpoint presentations)
Goals of the different induction programmes are defined
Expected to improve the induction process
Induction course can be repeated/reused at leisure in the future,
independent of time and number of new staff.
-
Important investment cost: preparations are time consuming for both sides
and is done in addition to the usual daily activities. This slows down the
development process of the course.
Motivational issues in workplace learning
When newcomers come into the company, they are very interested in getting as much as possible
useful information that is relevant for them, but they are hesitant to receive too much information at
once and if the information has not been related clearly to their function or their career (for
example, on day 1 it is not necessary to immediately receive detailed information about retirement,
about holiday regulations etc.) There does not seem to be a lack of interest or motivation from their
side, apart from reluctance to an overload of information or to information that is irrelevant (for
example when it is addressed at other workers: e.g. bus drivers do not need to get detailed
information about where the printers are located in the headquarters building). It is therefore
important to apply rationing and proportioning to the induction information and to spread it over a
longer period as much as possible, in order to maximise its uptake by the trainees and in order not
to overload them. The additional advantage of the distribution of the content over time is that the
contents also can be made accessible beyond the induction period: the trainees will keep the
timeline content as their own induction e-portfolio. The increased effectiveness of the content
distribution in this way, is an encouragement and additional motivation for the Department HR and
Development and for the other content providing departments to re-consider the format and content
of their training modules and in that way contributes again to a better induction training programme.
Self organisation in work and learning
The online distribution of the induction training events (as electronic learning blocks or as calendar
events for the face to face training moments and for the community events) makes the learning
more flexible than ever: each individual trainee can decide to take up the content when he/she
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decides to (for example: at home, at the office, whenever within the preset window of availability
obviously) or can decide to participate in one of the face to face or community events whenever
that suits best. Again, the availability of the content as well as access to the community and to the
support services from the Department HR and Development add to the self-directed way of
learning for all new employees. The monitoring by the Department HR and Development allows for
corrective or motivational actions where the need for this becomes apparent.
Issues related to ICT-qualifications (support, basic training, etc.)
Basic ICT skills are understood to be present in the new employees. The learning modules are
made to be user-friendly in such a way that there should be no issues around ICT capabilities with
the new employees. This usability issue is monitored carefully during the production of the
induction modules: good instruction design is an absolute necessity at this stage.
The relationship (interdependency) between induction and study
programme
There is as such no direct relationship between the induction training programme and the study
programme for individual trainees, although that it becomes possible that the individual training
programme is connected to the induction ePortfolio. This however requires a considerable reorganisation of the training departments.
Identification of various good practice-models for induction
Best practise models are especially found in the just in time delivery of the relevant content at the
right moment on the one hand and the availability of the content also after the induction period, in
order for the employees to have access to the content whenever they need to.
Use of standard tools vs. customisable software in induction
The Just In Time service is some kind of “Learner and Content Management System (LCMS)” as it
relates the content to individual learners as and when they are submitted to the system. This LCMS
is a custom-built application based on Drupal, a free and open source software framework that is
used in this case as a content management framework. Access to the service for all involved
(mainly for management by the Department HR and Development) is easy and user-friendly
through a web browser. All content is made accessible through (but not necessarily from) the
LCMS in standard formats that are easily accessible by the new employees: doc, ppt, pdf and flash
formats. Where necessary, viewers are made available for the learners.
Tools for setting feasible targets and designing relevant evaluationtools of induction
There is monitoring but no evaluation of progress of the individual employees in the induction
training: there is no real need for assessment of the trainees felt by the Department HR and
Development: the selection of the employees has happened before the moment the employed
signed his contract and thus before the induction training and there is no need to repeat this in one
way or the other. The programme itself on the other hand is evaluated continuously by recording
the reactions and feedback of the participants, in order to improve the quality and relevance.
Conclusions
Macro level: Under which societal circumstances does the pilot and
induction develop and take place?
New employees of De Lijn are invited to participate as soon as they are firmly employed and
registered as new personnel, in the induction training programme that is flexibly organised so that
they can take up the training modules when they see best fit for them or when the Department HR
and Development suggests them to take them.
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Meso level: How does induction and workplace learning take place in
the specific pilot?
The new employees can access the content whenever they want to within the window of availability
that is set up for them by the Department HR and Development. New employees receive email
invitations to participate in the new modules when they become available for them at the right
moment, and they add the subject to their portfolio by accessing them successfully. Follow up is
done by the Department HR and Development when they feel this is necessary or when the new
employees express their need for this.
Micro level: What are the personal and organizational prerequisites for
success in workplace learning? When, why and how do breakdowns
take place in the induction/workplace learning process?
Possible obstacles are the lack of interest from the new employees, especially when the format of
the content is not sufficiently adapted to their expectations. This can be caused by the disinterest or
inertia of the content producers. It is therefore important that the content producers and the
trainees are in close contact by way of the community services so that issues are immediately
followed up.
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6.6: BA by Learning Contract - Theme: Learn@Work
By Albert Jaszewski, Glasgow Caledonian University
Presentation of the partners
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian (GCU) is a large Scottish university with a student population exceeding
14,000. There are over 90 undergraduate and 40 postgraduate programmes with a large number of
students involved in PhD research in various disciplines. More than 90 countries are represented
by international students. GCU collaborates with high-profile organisations such as Microsoft, Bovis
Lend Lease (Scotland), CISCO Systems and Scottish Enterprise in the development of
programmes and research capacity.
Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning
The Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning (SCWBL) designs and delivers a range of
vocationally relevant, work based learning opportunities. The Centre also acts as a focus for work
based developments and initiatives across the University, and seeks to offer a consistent and
coherent approach to new programme development in collaboration with staff in the University
Schools. In addition the Centre regularly undertakes the provision of the following services:
• research into work based learning issues and lifelong learning
• the provision of staff development for work based learning
• the delivery of specific work based learning consultancy services
The SCWBL is the premiere Centre of this kind in Scotland, and engages in a range of other
related activity including the running of the Trade Union Research Unit (TURU).
No external partners were involved in the pilot.
Presentation of the pilot
Subject domain
The programme BA by Learning Contract - Theme: Learn@Work developed at Glasgow
Caledonian University was selected as a subject domain for the pilot. It allows a HND holder (or
equivalent qualification) to complete a degree (un-named) in as little as 12 months, through linking
academic studies to the challenges of the workplace. This programme is currently unique to
Scotland in offering a work based learning route to achieving an undergraduate degree.
The programme is designed to provide the necessary skills and knowledge that can contribute to a
student’s personal and professional development at work. Throughout the programme, students
negotiate their own assessments based upon their work role. One of the final modules in the
programme requires the student to design and complete an Integrated Work Based Project which
draws on all the learning covered during the whole of the programme.
The benefits of this learning approach include:
•
•
•
Learning whilst continuing to earn.
Being able to “Learn@Work, for Work, through Work” – addresses the challenges of a
student’s job role whilst achieving his or her BA Degree.
Bridges the College – University divide.
The Personal and Professional Development through Work Based Learning module must
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•
•
•
be undertaken first by all students on the programme. It covers personal and professional
development planning, including the core skills necessary for Higher Education.
Job relevant development.
The Work Based Learning modules allow a student to design his or her own assessments
and integrated work based project, to make sure that the learning is relevant to the
student’s current job, thus meeting the professional skills’ needs and those of a student’s
current employer.
Develops problem solving at work skills.
The Work Based Integrated Project builds on the knowledge and skills developed in the
other 5 modules and requires students to identify and propose evidence based solutions to
a real work based problem or issue facing their organisations.
Supported study.
The programme uses blended learning including face-to-face tutorials, telephone, e-mail
and on-line support and discussion. In addition there are opportunities to network with
other students who are participating in work based learning.
The six modules, which comprise the programme, are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Personal and Professional Development through Work Based Learning
Learning and Development: Organisational issues in practice
Learning and Development: Change issues in practice
Learning and Development: People issues in practice
Learning and Development: Quality issues in practice
Learning and Development: Work Based Integrated Project.
Objectives
Induction and support level
Induction is a process of welcoming new students and preparing them to take part in the
programme. The following induction objectives were selected and monitored in the pilot:
•
•
•
•
•
Getting to know students and tutors.
Students had an opportunity to meet their colleagues and tutors during a one-day event.
Familiarising with campus facilities.
Students visited several places of interest that might support their learning, including the
library and the Effective Learning Services premises.
Participating in introductory workshops.
A range of workshops and presentations were offered to students, comprising introduction
to library, Blackboard (Virtual Learning Environment) and academic skills.
Disseminating induction materials.
Students received various materials, including the Learner’s Handbook, Programme
Handbook and CD-ROMS with additional resources. They were also provided with access
to Blackboard and to the Induction and Support Website.
Developing new skills and improving the existing ones.
Students had an opportunity to improve their e-literacy and academic skills, using the
materials provided and learning at their own pace.
Support is a vital element in the learning process. It helps students to solve technical problems and
overcome learning difficulties; it encourages them to seek answers and teaches them how to look
for information needed. It also tackles the isolation problem and helps to enhance student’s
motivation. The following support objectives were selected and monitored throughout the pilot:
•
•
Addressing technical issues.
Students were provided with technical support regarding using the Blackboard (Virtual
Learning Environment) and other resources, including websites.
Communicating with tutors.
Both automated (online resources) and personal support in relation to the programme was
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•
•
•
offered to students, including email and the telephone system, discussion board and faceto-face contact.
Providing additional resources.
A range of materials was available for students, in printed form as well as online, including
skills development materials and links to external resources.
Providing administration advice.
Various students’ needs in relation to the organisational issues of the programme were
addressed by the programme administrator.
Enhancing student’s motivation.
All elements of the continuous support system were designed to enhance students’
motivation, by offering them various solutions to break down their isolation, and by
providing them with a meaningful feedback.
Modes of teaching and delivery
Modules were delivered by a mixture of structured tutorials, workshops, supported study and work
based and online activities. The programme workshops were delivered one evening a week, two
modules at a time, changing every four months. Learning activities and organisational aspects of
the learning process comprised:
•
•
•
•
•
Work related formative and summative assignments
On-line materials and support
On-line dialogue
Seminars
Mentor support.
Programme Participants
There were 13 students at SCQF level 9 participating in the programme, all working adults holding
a HND (or equivalent qualification).
Organisational issues in the participating workplaces
All participants of the pilot were working adults and they brought their personal and work
experience into the programme. Students were able to design and undertake projects of relevance
to their current work roles. However, no external partners were involved in the pilot and
organisational issues in the workplaces did not have a direct impact on the programme. Therefore
the Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning was responsible for every stage of the programme,
and the learning material had to be flexible enough to suit the needs of students coming from
different organisations.
Design and development of the pilot material
Use of e-learning and ICT in the pilot
The programme was intensively supported by e-learning and ICT tools. A Virtual Learning
Environment (Blackboard) was used for a flexible delivery of the learning material, and as a support
platform and communication system. An Induction and Support Website was also offered to
students, as an online repository for the programme documents, skills development materials and
additional resources that might be of interest to students. Some learning materials were also
distributed on CD-ROMS and via email system.
Existing materials
The following existing resources were used as an induction and support materials in the pilot:
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•
•
Library introduction.
Students had an opportunity to be acquainted with the library facilities during the
introductory workshop. A short presentation was followed by a guided tour around the
Library premises, and a range of online materials was also presented to students, including
a practical advice on using the web-based library systems.
Learning Skills resources.
An introductory workshop was offered to students by the Effective Learning Services (ELS)
during a one-day induction event. A range of online resources was available throughout the
programme, comprising Academic Writing and tutorials on various topics. Students had
also an opportunity to meet a member of staff from the ELS and get a practical advice on
the skills development opportunities.
Developed materials
The following induction and support materials were designed and developed throughout the various
stages of the pilot:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Electronic introductory documents.
Documents in an electronic form aimed to cover various topics of the induction and support
process. Those files comprised Introduction to Computer Skills, Academic Skills and
Library. They were available in the Blackboard, on the website and on CD-ROMS.
Printed documents.
Printed documents were offered to students who preferred a paper version of material.
Single introductory documents were collected together in the Learner’s Handbook.
Learner’s Handbook.
This handbook has been designed as an induction and support guide for students
undertaking programmes offered by the Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning. The aim
of the handbook is to help students better prepare for studying and to encourage them to
further explore the induction and support materials. It consists of three parts:
o Computer Skills – short introductions to PC and Windows XP, Word, Internet (www
and email) and Blackboard
o Library – information about the Library services at Glasgow Caledonian University
o Academic Skills – several short texts on learning skills topics, prepared by the
Effective Learning Services.
Introduction to Blackboard (workshop).
An introductory workshop aimed to teach students some basic Blackboard skills: how to
log in into the system, read and post messages on the discussion board, open and save
files, utilise the learning materials available and use help system.
Online activities.
Early online activities prepared for students in Blackboard, such as posting basic personal
information and getting to know an e-learning platform.
Induction and Support Website.
The website has been designed as a central source of induction and support materials for
students. It also provides links to external resources. It comprises contact details, skills
development resources, information about the programme provider and about the
Learn@Work project.
Challenges
Aside the challenges associated with the whole programme, there were some issues regarding the
induction and support process that needed to be addressed.
The process of designing induction materials was time consuming and depended on the
technology available. The return rate of feedback provided by students was low; it made the design
process difficult, as the data upon which effectiveness of the materials could be evaluated were
insufficient. The solution was to use alternative evaluation methods, including observation.
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Continuous support is very time consuming and difficult to achieve, especially personal support
which involves considerable activity by the tutor. Therefore an automated mechanism was
introduced, based mainly on the website which comprises online materials and web based courses.
This aimed to provide an alternative form of support in areas where personal support was limited or
not available.
Issues of Partner’s specific interest in the pilot
A number of issues emerging from the practical implementation of the pilot were of interest to the
Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning (SCWBL).
Students’ motivation plays an important role in workplace learning, and the pilot was intended to
explore the potential of induction and continuous support to enhance motivation.
The pilot sought to examine the relationship between induction and study programme, and to what
extent induction might help students to better prepare for organised learning.
Students from different backgrounds may possess skills on different levels. The pilot explored the
role of induction in developing new learning skills and improving the existing ones, including eliteracy. The aim was to deliver the flexible material which could be used by learners with different
learning capabilities.
Support is essential for students throughout the programme. However, continuous support is very
time consuming and difficult to implement. The pilot aimed to introduce blended learning solutions
and examine their effectiveness.
Methodology
The participants of the pilot were students, tutors from the Scottish Centre for Work Based
Learning (SCWBL), developers, librarians and the members of staff from the Effective Learning
Services (ELS).
Various methods were used for data collection and analysis:
Questionnaires
The pilot participants used questionnaires to illustrate their experience in relation to the
programme. However, the return rate of questionnaires by students was rather low and other
methods for data collection were used instead.
Observation
The pilot was monitored throughout duration of the programme, including direct face-to-face
meetings (workshops), email and telephone contact, and communication tools implemented in the
Blackboard (discussion board).
Group discussion
Using Ishikawa’s cause and effect diagram the students tried to identify the key problems of the
course. The main issues seemed to be finding the time for study and in particular completing
assignments. Students felt that this issues needs to be given more time during induction, where
assignment writing techniques could be further explored and awareness about time demands made
more clear.
Findings
The pilot created an opportunity to test various tools, methods and approaches in relation to
induction and support.
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The existing induction solutions proved to be insufficient and a number of materials were
developed. The design and development process was time consuming and a constant effort was
needed in order to ensure the focused approach.
The general impression is that induction helps students to be better prepared for studying.
Students reported that induction materials help them to develop skills used throughout the
programme. However, students’ initial levels of skills varied significantly and a range of materials
covering needs of least- as well as most-able students had to be introduced.
The basic e-literacy level among students was satisfactory, although some computer skills
materials proved to be very useful, especially Introduction to Windows XP and Introduction to
Blackboard.
Involvement of e-learning and ICT solutions in the programme was evaluated positively by
students. Various communication tools were offered, including email system and discussion board.
However, some students still preferred face-to-face contact.
Most students appreciated the ability to download and print the learning materials and programme
documents. Paper versions of documents were presented where applicable.
Based on students, tutors and developers experience, a one-day induction event, followed by elearning resources and online activities, were recognised as an optimal solution for delivering
induction and support to students.
Continuous support proved to be crucial for students, although difficult to achieve. Students very
often contacted tutors via email system, in relation to the programme issues.
The Induction and Support website was well received as a first-step tool in searching for help, and
also as a source of additional programme resources. Especially the flexibility of web-based
applications was appreciated, and the ability to access the support system when personal support
was not available or limited.
A mix of blended materials (e-learning, printed documents and workshops) proved to be the most
effective choice of the programme delivery. Students appreciated the solutions offered, but
emphasised the need for negotiation on the time, pace and place of delivery and assessment.
The issues of time required to complete the course needs to be given a higher priority in the
induction process, both in terms of awareness and coping techniques in managing a heavy
workload and a learning programme.
Conclusions
The pilot proved to be successful, in terms of performance indicators drop-out rate shows how
successful the programme was: only one person failed to complete the programme, due to
personal reasons.
Various existing and developed induction materials were utilised throughout the pilot. It helped to
improve the resources available, and to prepare the solutions which were flexible enough to appeal
to students coming from different backgrounds. These solutions could be re-used for the purpose
of other programmes offered by the Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning.
The blended learning approach, combining e-learning and ICT with more traditional teaching
methods, proved to be the most functional one: it can address the needs of a larger group of
students than traditional modes of learning because it removes the necessity of attendance at a
certain place and time. It should be noted however, that students were overwhelmingly in favour of
some element of face to face contact with both tutors and peers.
The full potential of induction and support is yet to be realised. However, the pilot demonstrates
that induction is a very important element of the learning process, and that it can help students to
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become active participants of a programme. Continuous support, on the other hand, not only
enhances students’ motivation and increases their level of involvement and commitment, but also
bridges the ‘tutor – learner’ divide and helps to progress towards a learner-centred approach.
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6.7: MSc Innovation Management
By Albert Jaszewski, Glasgow Caledonian University
Presentation of the partners
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian (GCU) is a large Scottish university with a student population exceeding
14,000. There are over 90 undergraduate and 40 postgraduate programmes with a large number of
students involved in PhD research in various disciplines. More than 90 countries are represented
by international students. GCU collaborates with high-profile organisations such as Microsoft, Bovis
Lend Lease (Scotland), CISCO Systems and Scottish Enterprise in the development of
programmes and research capacity.
Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning
The Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning (SCWBL) designs and delivers a range of
vocationally relevant, work based learning opportunities. The Centre also acts as a focus for work
based developments and initiatives across the University, and seeks to offer a consistent and
coherent approach to new programme development in collaboration with staff in the University
Schools. In addition the Centre regularly undertakes the provision of the following services:
research into work based learning issues and lifelong learning
the provision of staff development for work based learning
the delivery of specific work based learning consultancy services
The SCWBL is the premiere Centre of this kind in Scotland, and engages in a range of other
related activity including the running of the Trade Union Research Unit (TURU).
Caledonian Family Business Centre
Caledonian Family Business Centre is part of the Caledonian Business School and it specialises in:
Excellence in Family Business Research
Learning and teaching through undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing personal development
programmes
In addition, importantly for you we operate ‘A Network for Family Businesses’.
The Centre is particularly keen to ensure the longevity of Family Owned Businesses including their
growth potential. Staff at the Centre is keen to use a solution focused approach during coaching
and mentoring projects with Owners.
Presentation of the pilot
Subject domain
The programme MSc Innovation Management was selected as a subject domain for the pilot. The
first module Reflective Practice was selected as an area for implementing and evaluating induction
and support solutions.
The MSc in Innovation Management addresses the particular challenges faced by female owners
and managers in family owned business (mostly 2nd/3rd generation companies); where female
owner/managers are tasked with ensuring that innovation is a central feature of their company’s
culture. This programme addresses five key areas of innovation common to Small to Medium Sized
Enterprises (SMEs-family owned) as follows; Leadership; People and Culture; Knowledge &
Information; Product and Process; and Total Quality and Continuous Improvement.
This programme builds on the participant’s prior knowledge, academic background and experience
to enable participants to undertake an advanced level of study. Of equal importance, it also
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addresses the real needs and challenges these owners are likely to face in the workplace and
market place if their organisations are to remain innovative across all areas of business practice.
Work based learning is not only likely to be more effective but also more suitable as a method of
learning for this group of owners, as it provides a platform which works in collaboration with their
business activity. In today’s rapidly changing market place family owned companies need to ensure
their business practice and company culture focuses on innovation, creativity and growth. In
addition, as active owners their time available to pursue external study is very limited however,
providing a flexible approach through a work based learning approach providing opportunity for
interaction with experts (external to their organisation); their peers and academics supported by
online literature and other resources ensure that these owners are exposed to external influence
often absent in family businesses. The programme comprises the following modules:
Reflective Practice
Research Methods
Exploring Innovation in the Family Enterprise
Implementation of Innovation in the Family Enterprise
Work Based Learning Project.
The Reflective Practice module supports students to develop a critical understanding of the main
theories of experiential and reflective learning. It also involves students in engaging in reflective
practice as a means of reviewing and improving their own learning in the workplace. Students are
required to produce a Learning Plan either for themselves or a group of staff. The module carries
20 credit points at SCQF Level 11 and is blocked into four sessions with a tutorial introduction to
each session offered on campus.
Objectives
Induction and support level
Induction is a process of welcoming new students and preparing them to take part in the
programme. The following induction objectives were selected and monitored in the pilot:
Getting to know students and tutors.
Students had an opportunity to meet their colleagues and tutors during a one-day event.
Familiarisation with campus facilities.
Students visited several places of interest that might support their learning, including the library and
the Effective Learning Services premises.
Participation in introductory workshops.
A range of workshops and presentations were offered to students, comprising introduction to
library, Blackboard (Virtual Learning Environment) and academic skills.
Dissemination of induction materials.
Students received various materials, including the Learner’s Handbook, Programme Handbook and
CD-ROMS with additional resources. They were also provided with access to Blackboard and to
the Induction and Support Website.
Development of new skills and improving existing ones.
Students had an opportunity to improve their e-literacy and academic skills, using the materials
provided and learning at their own pace.
Support is a vital element in the learning process. It helps students solve technical problems and
overcome difficulties; it encourages them to seek answers and teaches them how to look for
information needed. It also tackles the isolation problem and helps to enhance student’s motivation.
The following support objectives were selected and monitored throughout the pilot:
Addressing technical issues.
Students were provided with technical support regarding using the Blackboard (Virtual Learning
Environment) and other resources, including websites.
Communication with tutors.
Both automated (online resources) and personal support in relation to the programme was offered
to students, including email and the telephone system, discussion board and face-to-face contact.
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Provision of additional resources.
A range of materials was made available to students, in printed form as well as online, including
skills development materials and links to external resources.
Provision of administration advice.
Various students’ needs in relation to the organisational issues of the programme were addressed
by the programme administrator.
Enhancement of student’s motivation.
All elements of the continuous support system were designed to enhance students’ motivation, by
offering them various solutions to break down their isolation, and by providing them with meaningful
feedback.
Modes of teaching and delivery
The programme was supported through a combination of workshops, learning groups, best practice
visits and online learning through Blackboard.
The 20 credit Reflective Practice module took approximately 200 hours of learning to achieve it.
These 200 hours were broken down into different activities including:
attendance at workshops
directed reading
independent learning
learning at work
assignment preparation
e-tutorials.
Programme Participants
There were 12 students at SCQF level 11 (SHEM) participating in the programme, female owners
and managers in family owned business (mostly 2nd/3rd generation companies).
Organisational issues in the participating workplaces
All participants of the pilot were working adults and they brought their personal and work
experience into the programme. Students were able to design and undertake projects of relevance
to their current work roles. Since all of the participants were in senior positions inside their own
organisations they were at liberty to choose to pursue issues and areas of learning they deemed
important to them and their organisation.
The Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning was responsible for the development of the learning
contract developed by the participants in the programme. Learning material had to be flexible
enough to suit the needs of students coming from different organisations with different perspectives
and needs.
Design and development of the pilot material
Use of e-learning and ICT in the pilot
The programme was supported by e-learning and ICT tools. A Virtual Learning Environment
(Blackboard) was used for a flexible delivery of the learning material, and as a support platform and
communication system. An Induction and Support Website was also offered to students, as an
online repository for the programme documents, skills development materials and additional
resources that might be of interest to students. Some learning materials were also distributed via
email system.
Existing materials
The following existing resources were used as an induction and support materials in the pilot:
Library introduction.
Students had an opportunity to be acquainted with the library facilities during the introductory
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workshop. A short presentation was followed by a guided tour around the Library premises, and a
range of online materials was also presented to students, including a practical advice on using the
web-based library systems.
Learning Skills resources.
An introductory workshop was offered to students by the Effective Learning Services (ELS) during
a one-day induction event. A range of online resources was available throughout the programme,
comprising Academic Writing and tutorials on various topics. Students had also an opportunity to
meet a member of staff from the ELS and get a practical advice on the skills development
opportunities.
Developed materials
The following induction and support materials were designed and developed throughout the various
stages of the pilot:
Electronic introductory documents.
Documents in an electronic form aimed at covering various topics in the induction and support
process. Those files comprised Introduction to Computer Skills, Academic Skills and Library. They
were available on Blackboard, on the website and on CD-ROMS.
Printed documents.
Printed documents were offered to students who preferred a paper version of material. Introductory
documents were collected together in the Learner’s Handbook.
Learner’s Handbook.
This handbook has been designed as an induction and support guide for students undertaking
programmes offered by the Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning. The aim of the handbook is
to help students better prepare for studying and to encourage them to further explore the induction
and support materials. It consists of three parts:
Computer Skills – short introductions to PC and Windows XP, Word, Internet (www and email) and
Blackboard
Library – information about the Library services at Glasgow Caledonian University
Academic Skills – several short texts on learning skills topics, prepared by the Effective Learning
Services.
Introduction to Blackboard (workshop).
An introductory workshop aimed at teaching students some basic Blackboard skills: how to log in
into the system, read and post messages on the discussion board, open and save files, utilise the
learning materials available and use help system.
Online activities.
Early online activities prepared for students on Blackboard, such as posting basic personal
information and getting to know an e-learning platform.
Induction and Support Website.
The website has been designed as a central source of induction and support materials for students.
It also provides links to external resources. It comprises contact details, skills development
resources, information about the programme provider and about the Learn@Work project.
Challenges
There were some issues in relation to induction and the support process that were specific to this
kind of programme.
The process of designing induction materials was time consuming and depended on the
technology available. The return rate of feedback from students on the effectiveness of these
materials was low; it made the design process difficult, as the data upon which the usefulness of
the materials could be evaluated were insufficient. The solution was to use alternative evaluation
methods, including observation.
Continuous support is very time consuming and difficult to achieve, especially personal support
which involves considerable activity by the tutor. Therefore an automated mechanism was
introduced, based mainly on the website which comprises online materials and web based courses.
This aimed at providing an alternative form of support in areas where personal support was limited
or not available.
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Issues of Partner’s specific interest in the pilot
A number of issues emerging from the practical implementation of the pilot were of interest to the
Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning (SCWBL).
Students’ motivation plays an important role in workplace learning, and the pilot was intended to
explore the potential of induction and continuous support to enhance motivation.
The pilot sought to examine the relationship between induction and study programme, and to what
extent induction might help students to better prepare for organised learning.
Students from different backgrounds may possess skills on different levels. The pilot explored the
role of induction in developing new learning skills and improving the existing ones, including eliteracy. The aim was to deliver the flexible material which could be used by learners with different
learning capabilities.
Support is essential for students throughout the programme. However, continuous support is very
time consuming and difficult to implement. The pilot aimed to introduce blended learning solutions
and examine their effectiveness.
Methodology
The participants of the pilot were students, tutors from the Scottish Centre for Work Based
Learning (SCWBL) and the Caledonian Family Business Centre, developers, librarians and the
members of staff from the Effective Learning Services (ELS). Various methods were used for data
collection and analysis:
Questionnaires
The pilot participants used questionnaires to illustrate their experience in relation to the
programme. However, the return rate of questionnaires by students was rather low and other
methods for data collection were used instead.
Observation
The pilot was monitored throughout duration of the programme, including direct face-to-face
meetings (workshops), email and telephone contact, and communication tools implemented in the
Blackboard (discussion board).
Group discussion
Group discussion was the main source of information. These discussions were sometimes
timetabled during face to face tutorial meetings and at other times took place outside formal class
time. Students were very forthcoming at these meetings providing high quality, detailed information
on the induction pre cesses and materials.
Findings
The findings were similar to the other pilot. The pilot created an opportunity to test various tools,
methods and approaches in relation to induction and support.
The existing induction solutions need to be more closely tailored to the specific learning needs of
the group concerned. In this case a wide variety of educational backgrounds form almost no
qualifications to degree level. The other issue which needs to be factored in into materials is the
time constraints on the students who run businesses. These are intense.
The general impression, as in the other pilot is that induction helps students to be better prepared
for studying despite the difference in learning backgrounds.
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The basic e-literacy level among students was satisfactory although in very different areas
depending on the business they ran. Computer skills materials like the Introduction to Blackboard
were essential since no-one had used this VLE before.
Involvement of e-learning and ICT solutions in the programme received varied evaluations
positively by students. There was a strong preference for face to face as opposed electronic
communication. Various communication tools were offered, including email and discussion board.
Most students appreciated the ability to download and print the learning materials and programme
documents. Paper versions of documents were presented where applicable.
A one-day induction event, followed by e-learning resources and online activities, were recognised
as an optimal solution for delivering induction and support to students although a cohort of this sort
would benefit from being broken down into smaller groups based on educational backgrounds and
experience.
Continuous individual support proved to be crucial for students, although difficult to achieve
because students often broke appointments because of pressure of work.
The Induction and Support website was well received as a first-step tool in searching for help, and
also as a source of additional programme resources. Especially the flexibility of web-based
applications was appreciated, and the ability to access the support system when personal support
was not available or limited.
A mix of blended materials (e-learning, printed documents and workshops) proved to be the most
effective choice of the programme delivery as long as it contained a strong face to face element.
Students appreciated the solutions offered, but emphasised the need for negotiation on the time,
pace and place of delivery and assessment.
As indicated above, the issue of time required to complete the course needs to be given a higher
priority in the induction process, both in terms of awareness and coping techniques in managing a
heavy workload and a learning programme.
Conclusions
The pilot was reasonably successful although there were a number of students who dropped out.
The reasons cited by participants were the demand on time which running a business makes on
the owner-manager.
While existing and developed induction materials were utilised throughout the pilot these need to
be more closely tailored to the needs of the target group. Because of the tailoring these solutions
may only have limited re-use for the purpose of other programmes offered by the Scottish Centre
for Work Based Learning.
The blended learning approach, combining e-learning and ICT with more traditional teaching
methods, proved to be the most effective one: it removes the necessity of attendance at a certain
place and time and this is essential for this group. It should be noted however, that students were
overwhelmingly in favour of a significant element of face to face contact with peers and especially
tutors but preferably both.
The pilot demonstrates that induction is an important element of the learning process, and that it
can help students to become active participants of a programme. However, the need to find
support for learners in situations faced by this target group suggests that as part of the support
process induction has to be carefully tailored to address factors such as time available for learning;
different educational backgrounds; the need for face to face as well as virtual contact.
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6.8: Social Software
By Kristian Petter, Institute for Future Studies, Innsbruck
Introduction to case study
Presentation of partners in the case
The Web 2.0 seminar was organised by GLIA. GLIA is a small company that provides consulting
and project management in the field of workplace learning. Their main concerns are innovative
concepts in the field of vocational training with a focus on the establishment of new cultures of
learning.
Objective of the pilot
The main aim of this pilot course provided by GLIA is to introduce the concept of Social Software to
trainers in adult education as well as HR managers, and thus provide them with a more socially
oriented approach to e-learning. Within the 6 modules of this course inputs were given on how
Social Software tools can be used to support training (in the workplace). Each of these modules
focuses on one Social Software tool, i.e.: Wikis, Weblogs, E-Portfolios, Podcasts. Additionally an
introductory module as well as one on Open Source applications was offered. The modules were
delivered both, face-to-face as well as online. In order to get a more in-depth understanding of the
capabilities of each tool participants were also asked to produce their own materials (e.g.
Podcasts).
How was the pilot organised
The pilot was organised as a blended learning course incorporating six modules. All modules were
focused on Social Software tools and their application in an educational context. The course was
divided into the following modules:
Introduction to Web 2.0
Open-Source Software for educational purposes
Podcasts
Weblogs
E-Portfolios
Wikis
The face-to-face sessions at an external training centre mostly took place in the evenings or the
weekends over a period of nine weeks. Participants were free to choose the modules they wanted
to attend. Quite a number of participants though chose to attend all of them.
Use of e-learning and ICT in the pilot
The course was delivered both online as well as in face-to-face workshops. For the online part the
Open Source VLE Moodle was used. The platform served as a tool for communication as well as
an online repository for the developed learning materials.
Since Social Software and its application was the main area of interest of the different modules,
these software elements were also part of the teaching and learning process. Hands-on experience
was meant to help course participants find out how to best use tools for their individual purposes.
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Screenshot of Moodle course environment – Podcasting Module
Developing strategy in the pilot
Most of the concept for the course was developed by GLIA who was also responsible for carrying
out the course from an organisational point of view. Inputs on the course design as well as the
modules to be worked on were also provided by IFS. This input involved materials on best practice
as well as theoretical backgrounds on Social Software. Individual modules were then developed in
cooperation with the respective trainers. The Podcasting module was delivered by members of the
IFS team. In this case the whole course material as well as the course concept was developed by
IFS.
Significant challenges in the pilot and induction (methodological,
pedagogical, technological, etc.)
Parts of the modules are based on the principal of constructivism, which means that active
participation is absolutely vital for the individual modules. With guidance participants were
supposed to create their own materials and adapt them to their specific needs. In part, they
decided on the outcomes of the courses, whereas the trainers were rather to be seen as
moderators providing inputs on the potentials of Web 2.0 technologies.
From an organisational point of view, the modules had to be delivered during evenings and
weekends. Quite a lot of coordinative activity was needed to organise the modules so that all
participants could attend the face-to-face sessions and not too many overlaps occurred between
the modules. Because of the tight schedule quite a number of (online) activities had to be
completed in parallel by the course participants who chose to attend more than one module.
Issues of specific interest in the pilot
Focal points of the pilot
Our main interest was the application of Social Software tools in the context of learning and
training. A concrete question was how Social Software can support learning and training
processes. Furthermore, pedagogic implications of Social Software applications were to be
detected.
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Evaluation objectives
Evaluation of the pilot mainly focused on the following areas:
Do the pilots and materials enhance the work of participants?
What are the fields they could imagine using the new technologies?
Was the training approach and the material used appropriate for the target group?
Methodology: Data collection and analysis
Methods used (interviews, observation, reviews, document analysis,
questionnaire, etc.)
Data collection for the purpose of pilot evaluation involved focus groups and interviews with course
participants. Furthermore, focus groups and interviews were conducted with the trainers and
developers of the course materials.
Analytic approach
Evaluation data mainly consists of qualitative information. This data was analysed with respect to
the focus defined before the process of data collection.
Findings
Reducing barriers to the use of Web 2.0 applications
The course mainly focused on hands-on experiences with the introduced technology. Participants
were supposed to produce their own products. Theoretical and technological input, on the other
hand, was very limited in order to reduce the barriers for potential participants. Generally speaking
Web 2.0 applications are meant to be simple to handle and accessible to “non-technical” target
groups, which can also be seen as one of the major advantages of these applications.
Eventually, these courses turned out to be successful in providing an insight into Web 2.0
technologies mostly to people who would normally be discouraged by technology-oriented courses.
Women made up the large majority of course participants, although Web 2.0 users are generally
considered to be male and in their twenties. The non-technological approach – the main focus was
laid on collaborative learning aspects - emphasised in the course description as well as the choice
of trainers helped to reduce potential barriers.
Nevertheless, some participants would have preferred more technical inputs. Basically however,
the heterogeneity of the target group in terms of technical pre-knowledge did not have a major
negative impact on the course as a whole. In some cases it even helped to support the
collaborative learning process amongst course participants.
Applicability of Social Software at the work place
Feedback of course participants already made clear that they saw a potential for the introduced
tools in their daily work practice. Especially the collaborative aspect of these technologies was
emphasised, which makes them especially interesting for the knowledge-oriented work of trainers.
Some participants already integrated services like Google docs, Skype or Your tube in their work.
Generally speaking, the modules were seen as a starting point, gaining a better overview of what is
available and could be useful for the individual context.
Possible barriers for the usage of these tools, however, were detected for corporate surroundings.
Employees might not even be allowed to use these tools for their own work. Security aspects also
play a certain role when it comes to the usage of Open Source Web 2.0 products within
companies. Another aspect is that employees are often not willing to share their knowledge.
Besides this aspect, knowledge sharing might also be considered extra work on top of their regular
daily work.
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Course Environment/Course Material
For the online part of the course the VLE Moodle was used, which especially supports a
collaborative approach to learning online. Besides, Moodle served as a repository for the learning
material produced, which included presentations and links to further resources.
For the demonstration of the production of Podcasts screen capture videos (Screencasts) were
produced. These videos were regarded as especially helpful learning material because they do not
only show the application of software, but also include audio commentaries. Therefore, they
provide a practical demonstration of how to handle new software in a very efficient way.
Screenshot of Learning Material: Audacity Screencast
Generally speaking, participants were happy with the blended learning approach chosen for the
Social Software modules. Especially the availability of materials online was seen very positive. The
complementary online activities, however, were found to be more time consuming than envisaged.
This was also due to the problems faced in handling the Moodle VLE. The standard Moodle
installation already provides a great number of functionalities, which, however, were by some
participants seen as too complex and difficult to use. For these participants a more detailed
introduction into the usage of the course environment would have been needed.
Organisational issues
Overall, most participants considered the course program too tight. Most courses had to take place
at weekends and evenings. Furthermore, some participants felt a need for further practice, which
could not be provided within the regular course. The tight schedule of the course (6 modules within
9 weeks) also led to an obvious overlap of module activities, which for some participants meant
quite an extensive workload. When planning the course, it was not expected that such a high
number of participants decided to take part in most modules.
Conclusions
All in all the Social Software modules turned out to be successful in attracting target groups that
would not necessarily be interested in a technology-oriented course. They provided participants
with an insight into the capabilities of Web 2.0 applications and helped them to detect which tools
would be the most appropriate ones to support their daily work practice.
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Especially the collaborative nature of the introduced tools was seen very positive and promising for
knowledge-oriented tasks. Limitations of the tools were primarily seen for corporate surroundings
where aspects of security and a seamless integration into existing systems often play a very
prominent role. Besides, in order to successfully implement Web 2.0 applications, a new culture of
learning and knowledge sharing might be necessary. Employees are often simply not prepared
share their knowledge and look for possible solutions collaboratively.
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6.9: ADVOCATE
By Kristian Petter, Institute for Future Studies, Innsbruck
Introduction to case study
Objective of the pilot
The main objective of the pilot was the sensitisation for the possible establishment of a “(new)
learning culture” targeting low- and semi-skilled workers with little to no access to further education
in five SMEs in the Tyrol region. Overall about 330 men and women were involved in the pilots. In
order to achieve the goal of establishing a “new learning culture”, group dynamic processes, role
plays, workshops, etc. were initiated to trigger collaborative learning processes. An important part
of the trainings was activities that helped to unveil individual skills, strengths and weaknesses. Selfreflection processes were applied to scrutinize what had been learned. Individual training measures
tailored to the needs of the participants took place in the 5 companies. Especially designed onlinetools served as complementary means to boost self-confidence and to make individual skills
acquired both, privately and in the workplace, more transparent.
How was the pilot organised
This course itself was provided by amg-tirol, a private consulting institution, which led the train the
trainer courses based on research findings. The trainings then were conducted by especially
trained trainers in the 5 participating SMEs. Participants were offered short trainings of 2-3 hours
per module. Overall, they had the chance to participate in 3-4 modules.
Organisational issues in the participating workplaces
The organisation of the pilots in the participating workplaces proved to be quite a challenge since
trainings had to fit the tight working schedule of the targeted participants. Most enterprises involved
are characterised by shift work. Therefore, the trainings were required to be organised very flexibly.
Additionally, training sessions had to be quite short (usually 2-3 hours) and held during working
hours. One week in between the training sessions was found a sensible time for reflection on the
issues dealt with in the trainings. All trainings were in-house trainings, taking place in surroundings
participants were used to and did not require travelling to external training centres.
Use of e-learning and ICT in the pilot
The largest part of the trainings was delivered in face to face trainings. Although originally it was
intended that ICT should play a more prominent role in the trainings, it turned out that the target
group needed different training approaches. This was mainly because low- and semi-skilled
workers rarely apply ICT in their work and do not have access to ICT in the workplace on a general
basis. However, a software tool developed for the purpose of self-evaluating informally acquired
competences proved to be quite helpful, since it helped to raise the awareness of skills individuals
had acquired during their lifetimes.
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Flash tool used for self-evaluation of informally acquired competences
Developing strategy in the pilot
IFS gave input on “new learning cultures” within companies and possible tools that support the
establishment of such cultures in the form of research. This research oriented phase was followed
by an analysis of HR development and learning experiences of low- and semi-skilled workers in the
targeted companies carried out by a consulting firm. Trainers were then trained according to
research findings and materials, in order to be able to convey the idea of a “new learning culture”
and especially meet the needs of the target group. The trainings also incorporated the experiences
made in the respective SMEs and the needs detected in the company analyses. Training materials
were developed to meet the individual requirements of the involved companies.
Significant challenges in the pilot and induction (methodological,
pedagogical, technological, etc.)
The most significant challenge of the pilots was to convey the importance of lifelong learning in
general. Most participants of the trainings are low/semi-skilled workers who did not see any need
for further education or were not used to training measures in general. The central aim of the pilots
therefore was to create the awareness of the importance of lifelong learning in general and the
establishment of a “new learning culture” in the respective enterprises in particular.
The second important challenge turned out to be organisational issues within the companies.
Especially the fact that most companies organise their work in shifts led to difficulties regarding the
attendance of courses.
Issues of specific interest in the pilot
Focal points of the pilot
How can informal learning processes be supported in the workplace?
How can individual competences be revealed and recognised?
What are the measures needed to introduce a “new culture of learning” in enterprises
Evaluation objectives
The following evaluation criteria were defined before the analysis of the qualitative data collected:
General prerequisites for work-based learning as detected by the pilot courses
Roles of different stakeholders in trainings: Bottom-up vs. Top-down
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Influence of pilots on learning cultures in companies
What was different compared to other trainings?
What has changed in the companies after the pilots?
What role does cooperative learning play?
Methodology: Data collection and analysis
Methods used (interviews, observation, reviews, document analysis,
questionnaire, etc.)
Data collection for the purpose of pilot evaluation involved focus groups with HR managers of the
participating companies. Furthermore, focus groups and interviews were conducted with the
trainers as well as pilot participants.
Analytic approach
Evaluation data mainly consists of qualitative information. This data was analysed with respect to
the focus defined before the process of data collection.
Findings
The following issues were derived from the analysis of the data collected from the different
stakeholders and represent the central experiences made in the pilot courses.
General prerequisites for work-based learning
In order to provide the target group with trainings that meet their needs as well as the needs of the
companies some essential factors need to be taken into account. Considering that the target group
is not used to longer learning/training sessions, trainings need to be short and flexible. Two to three
hours of training take took into account individuals’ needs proved to be ideal.
What is important as well is that trainings need to be delivered in-house. Trainings offered by
external training providers were generally found to be too inflexible and time-consuming. This was
especially an issue for companies with shift work. Therefore, individual trainings were organised
during participants’ working hours. Although ICT was meant to play a more prominent role in the
trainings, it turned out that the target group needed a different approach to training and learning.
This was mainly because they generally had only limited access to ICT and ICT was not part of
their daily work practice. Therefore, the focus had to be on face to face interaction providing
settings for collaborative learning.
Stakeholders’ positions
A central concept behind the trainings was their focus on self-directed and cooperative learning.
This “bottom-up” approach to learning is challenged, however, by the specific needs defined by a
company. Restrictions to self-directed learning processes can therefore be found in the
requirements defined “top-down”.
In terms of hierarchies HR managers were mostly very much in favour of training measures also for
low-skilled workers. Trainings for this target group were also seen as part of quality insurance
processes. Floor managers as the direct superiors to the workers targeted, on the other hand, were
quite sceptical about the learning needs of the target group. The same applied to the majority of the
workers themselves. Reasons for that scepticism can be found in the fact that the target group is
generally not used to trainings and they do not actually see a need for trainings. A further reason
was the additional effort needed on top of their daily work as well as possible bad experiences
made in earlier trainings or at school.
Influence of pilots on the learning culture of companies
The primary focus of the pilots was the sensitisation for the need of a “culture of learning” within the
targeted enterprises. Because of the fact that mainly low- and semi-skilled workers are often not
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involved in company trainings, this group was especially targeted in order to create an awareness
of the importance of lifelong learning no matter what the qualifications of the group are.
Overall, the pilots managed to convey the idea of lifelong learning quite well. On a general basis
the pilots were seen as positive mainly because of their focus on cooperative and problem-based
learning. Through their cooperative character they managed to support the development of new
problem-solving strategies. The trainings helped to create an awareness of informal competences
acquired by participants and the need to share their competences and knowledge with their peers.
The activities applied in the trainings furthermore fostered team building processes and positively
influenced communication processes within departments.
Learning activity for quality management
Not only did the trainings positively influence communication processes within departments, they
also helped to foster communication and cooperation between different departments of the
companies and supported an understanding for work processes in the different departments.
Eventually, the trainings led to the recognition of the importance of training measures – also for
low- and semi-skilled workers – among different stakeholders.
Conclusions
The pilots can be seen as a first step in the direction of sensitising SMEs for the importance of
training within companies especially for the target group of low- and semi-skilled workers. Although
the overall objective of the training measures set was quite challenging, the pilots succeeded in the
raising of awareness for the relevance of cooperative and informal learning processes in the
targeted enterprises. Carrying out courses for companies organised around shift work proved to be
quite an effort, but on the other hand also provided an opportunity for the gradual establishment of
a “new learning culture”.
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6.10: LEARN@WORK DIT PILOTS
By Anne Murphy, Kevin O’Rourke and Pauline Rooney, Dublin Institute of Technology. July 2007
Introduction
The particular focus of the Dublin Learn@Work project was the development of a locally-informed
induction and support package for worker-learners with whom we currently work, including
apprentices, adult learners in their community, workers engaged in continuing professional
development, and part-time students, which would introduce them to the use of computers, to basic
ICTs, to eLearning, to academic study skills, to library searching skills and to reflective practice
skills required for sustainable participation in formal work-related training and education. A package
of materials was developed for this purpose which included a handbook, a CDRom and a module
on the WebCT system. The Learn@Work team invited a group of academic colleagues, trainers
and industry links colleagues to act as an outer circle of critical friends in the initial design concept
and in evaluating the first iteration of the materials.
Four groups of worker-learners were invited to pilot test the package of materials and to provide
evaluative feedback. The pilot groups included lecturers in an art college, private trainers, adult
learners with physical disabilities, and city park workers involved in an adult education programme.
Each pilot group had an E-Accompanier from the Learn@Work team as well as a local leader. The
E-Accompanier met the groups at the induction stage and provided support on-line thereafter. The
pilots were conducted over ten week in March and April 2007. Feedback on the pilots and advice
for the next version of the package of materials were presented by the pilot groups at a
dissemination event during the DIT E-Learning Summer School, 17 June 2007.
Learning Objectives and Content of the Pilot Package
It was intended that the package should enable users to:
become familiar with basic ICT components and equipment such as webcams, scanners, data
storage devices etc.
develop study skills for formal learning programmes
develop reflective practice skills
become familiar with the styles and conventions of academic writing, library research and reflective
learning.
The delivery platform used for the project was WebCT (http://www.webct.com) primarily because
of its immediate availability and accessibility. In addition, WebCT provided pilot participants and EAccompaniers with access to a range of tools which, it was envisaged, would be a useful addition
to the project. These include online communication tools such as chat rooms, email and
discussions boards. From the E-Accompanier’s perspective, administrative features of WebCT,
such as student tracking facilities, allowed the project team to monitor participants’ use of the online elements of the package.
The content of the package was as follows:
Part A: The computer, keyboard, screen, mouse and gadgets
Part B: eMail activities
Part C: Introduction to WebCT
Part D: Study skills, academic writing and using the library
Part E: Reflecting on your learning.
Instructional design approaches
In accordance with active, constructivist pedagogical strategies, contemporary instructional design
strategies aim to make content interactive, encouraging participants/learners to put into practice
key ideas presented in the content through “learning-by-doing” (Laurillard 2002). Thus activities are
interspersed throughout the induction package, allowing participants to link theory to practice, and
to reinforce concepts learned throughout the package, as illustrated in the examples below.
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Screen shot from Part A illustrates how text, video and audio are integrated
to create a multi-sensory learning experience.
The integration of activities at key junctures throughout each tutorial.
In order to enable participants make the link between theory, as presented in the content, and reallife practice, worked examples of key concepts are presented throughout. Again this conforms to
recommended instructional design strategies for effective learning (Chu 2005), Fig. 3. below which
shows how theory is linked to real-life practice through worked examples.
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A common practice in the design of eLearning materials is the streamlining of content into “core”
and “supplementary” materials. This strategy aims to allow all students to digest key content, while
providing opportunities for those interested to pursue further investigation or research. In order to
provide the same flexibility for Learn@Work participants, the induction package adopted a similar
instructional design strategy by providing “Tips” at various junctures. As illustrated in Figure 4
below, these “tips” provide extra information which supplements the core tutorial.
The provision of references and resources throughout each part of the package (as shown in
Figure 5 below), also allows participants to pursue further independent learning in areas of interest
to them. Such references include web-based references (e.g. websites, ejournal articles etc.) and
paper-based references (books, journals etc.)
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Pilot and Design Principles
The two major principles underpinning the selection and implementation of the pilot materials were
as follows:
Products should have a social good and have benefits for developing countries, migrant
populations and disenfranchised communities
All projects should be evaluated thoroughly in practical ways with real students and interested
educators, have a target audience of individual, family, and community, use creative and innovative
interaction styles, involve unstructured, creative, just-in-time learning, have no predefined learning
outcomes, ensure that learners will be responsible for their own learning and define their own
personal learning goal.
The principles underpinning the design of the package of materials for the pilots were as follows:
Principle 1: The design of the package should be informed by an understanding of both traditional
college-based learning and of emerging paradigms of learning through work
Principle 2: The pedagogical approach in delivery of the package should take account of
motivation, self-efficacy, affordances and supports in relation to the specific contexts of user
worker-learners
Principle 3: The design and delivery approach should be open-ended, loosely structured, adaptive,
responsive, experiential and authentic
Principle 4: The design should be un-inhibited by technologies of modularisation, credit systems,
assessment or certification
Principle 5: The package should be free from pre-determined learning outcomes pitched at
particular levels
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Principles 6: The language, style, images and general formatting of the package should take
account of best practice in literacy practice
Principle 7: The package should include paper-based materials, CD material, computer-based and
internet-based materials so as to minimise inequities of personal resources and work-place
affordances
Principle 8: Induction support should include face-to-face contact at a level appropriate to the
needs of the particular worker-learners
Principle 9: Activities within the package should be adaptable to the authentic context of the
worker-learner
Principle 10: The overall thrust of the package should be towards development of worker-learner
capabilities to direct their own sustainable and independent learning and to decide their future
learning careers.
Pilot 1: Training the Trainers’ Network
About the Trainers’ Network
The Trainers’ Network is a resource for independent trainers to develop professional standards, to
support each other and to enhance the professional profile of their sector.
Number of Pilot Participants
Five female members of the Network aged between forty and sixty participated in the Pilot.
Duration
The Pilot was conducted over ten weeks in March and April 2007.
Key Purpose
The key purpose for participating in the Pilot was the need of the private trainers to become
competent with the use of ICTs in their training and facilitation work.
The Pilot Process
The process involved initial face-to-face meetings and induction into the package. This was
followed by on-line activities with the E-Accompanier.
Feedback from Participants
The most useful elements were the on-line activities, chatrooms and the handbook. The least used
elements were the CD and the sections on academic study skills as these were known already by
the pilot participants. All recorded increased confidence in the use of ICTs for learning and training.
Recommendations included a glossary of terms in the handbook and a method of feedback on
completed activities, as well as more video material with voice.
Feedback from E-Accompanier/Developer
The E-Accompanier was sensitised to the need to start the package at the level of need of the
worker-learner and to the need for both paper-based and on-line materials. The structure of the
initial session was regarded as important in defining expectations and levels of support available.
The inclusion of netiquette procedures in the package was considered essential.
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Pilot 2: City Park Workers Going On-line
About the City Park Workers
This group of city park employees generally work outdoors with little need for ICTs. All were
participants on a structured on-the-job adult education programme organised by the City of Dublin
Vocational Education Committee and Dublin City Council.
Number of Participants
Twelve men were involved in this pilot. None had ICT skills at the start of the pilot.
Duration
The pilot of the Learn@work package was integrated into the structured sessions in April and May
2007.
Key Purpose
The purpose of piloting the materials with this group was that it would enable them to acquire ICT
skills that would assist them in their structured learning programme. It was also considered that it
might enable access for the participants to web resources and activities generally for lifelong
learning.
The Pilot Process
This pilot group was led by a competent IT trainer and adult educator who managed the induction
and support process with the assistance of an E-Accompanier from the Learn@Work team. The
leader facilitated access to computers both in the training centre and in Internet centres and
tracked the level of assistant required by participants.
Feedback from participants and Pilot Leader
The pilot leader suggested that ICT-based packages should take account of the initial
competences of users and of their expectations from using the package. It was also suggested that
the package should take account of literacy levels of users as well as their access to computers
with Internet connection. Additionally, the language used in the handbook and in the voice tools
should be informed by awareness of good literacy practice and of plain English and that a full
glossary of terms and clearly labelled visual images should be included in the handbook. The pilot
highlighted the need to stimulate motivation and to offer immediate, authentic and useful rewards
for user
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6.11: E-Learning Lab, Aalborg
By Marianne Georgsen and Tom Nyvang, eLL, Aalborg, Denmark
Introduction to case study
This report presents a number of pilots from the L@W-project, completed in Aalborg, Denmark, as
part of an experimental course for teachers in upper secondary school. The pilots reported on here
took place in three different schools in greater Aalborg, and a total of 10 teacher-learners were
involved in the course. A total of app. 100 students were also involved as secondary participants in
the pilots, as the teacher-learners carried out teaching experiments in their classes. Each teacher
(or small group of collaborating teachers) has developed, described, carried out and evaluated
experiments with virtual teaching modes, and for the purpose of the L@W-project, researchers
from eLL have also evaluated the course. Participation in the course was voluntary; each teacher
was allocated extra hours for participating in the course, which, however, gave no recognised
credits or diplomas for the participants. The overall goal of the course was threefold:
1. To support teachers in developing e-learning modules and implementing further use of
virtual teaching in their regular teaching practice.
2. To identify general constraints and affordances in the local organisations, when it comes to
implementing a reflective teaching practice.
3. To identify the needs for competencies, organisational support (in relation to ICT and
teaching practices), and other resources at the participating schools.
This short report presents the course, the specific way in which work based learning was designed
for, and the main outcomes of the course and the pilots. Further documentation of the course and
the pilots is available here http://www.ell.aau.dk/VUF.357.0.html (in Danish only, unfortunately).
Presentation of partners in the case
The pilots took place as part of a development project, funded by the Danish Ministry of Education,
and three upper secondary schools in Aalborg took part in the project. The course in question is the
first step in developing a three module-course within the domain. Also involved was researchers,
facilitators and e-learning experts from the research centre eLearning Lab (at Aalborg University),
and an editor of electronic text books from a text book publishing company was briefly involved for
expert input. A steering committee for the experimental course was formed, where members
served as supervisors and project leaders throughout the project.
The work places involved are three different schools in Aalborg, representing the three forms of
upper secondary schools found in Denmark: One is a general upper secondary school (app. 80
employees), one is a upper secondary education within the field of retail/trade and office work
(offers higher commercial examination; app. 100 employees), and one is technical college (app. 60
employees). E-learning, particularly in a blended learning-mode, is widely used in further education
for teachers already, and all schools make use of ICT-based infrastructure systems for material
delivery, teacher-student communication, administrative purposes, etc. Based on this knowledge,
the participants in the course were all expected to be familiar with e-learning and IT-supported
teaching, communication and collaboration.
All 10 participants in the course are experienced teachers, all have university degrees (master
degrees) and additional pedagogical training. This is required by law in Denmark in order to teach
at upper secondary schools.
The learners in this pilot were the teachers, and they will in this report be referred to as teacherlearners when they are identified as participants in the course. eLearning Lab was the course
provider; and the steering committee was the organisers of the experimental course, and also
responsible for documentation and evaluation of the project. Methods and materials in the course
were developed by eLL, who also facilitated the activities in the course.
Objectives of the pilot
The subject domain addressed in the course was:
o Using ICT in everyday teaching
o Developing materials for teaching and learning in virtual learning environments
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o Using ICT for collaboration among teachers
o Using ICT for communication between teachers and students
The objectives of the individual pilots differed, although they all addressed the overall issues
mentioned in the introduction section. Examples of specific objectives of the individual pilots were:
o Use of ICT to facilitate and support students’ use of portfolio in group based project work
o Enhancing students’ critical reflection skills through process oriented feedback on students’
problem definitions
o ICT used as a tool for collaborative feedback on written exercises (in foreign language
teaching)
o ICT used as a tool for constructing a shared repository of notes and papers to help
individual students to prepare for the final exam
Criteria for success
Criteria for success in the pilot were formulated by the steering committee, based on input from the
participating organisations/workplaces. The course is expected to:
o Provide the participating schools/work places with a number of good examples of ICT use
in teaching (to inspire colleagues, and to stimulate further development within the area).
o Enable knowledge sharing between schools, and different groups of teachers at the same
school.
o Create input for the development of a planned three-module course within the subject
domain.
The degree of success in the individual pilots is evaluated primarily by the participants themselves
(the teacher-learners and their students), as the teacher-learners are regarded as experts within
their own teaching domains, and the criteria for success in the local pilots were formulated by the
teacher-learners themselves. The success of the course was evaluated mainly by an external
evaluator, who would aim at collecting and describing the experiences of the participants (teacherlearners, students, school leaders) with the course. As the course was experimental, the main
focus in the evaluation was on lessons learned, more so than on measuring quality in relation to
externally formulated standards.
The course was successful in the sense that the participating teacher-learners all worked their way
through the entire design process, planned a local development project to be carried out within
their regular teaching jobs, and all got valuable experience with various design methods. Not all
teachers got to implement their designs, as a combination of organisational issues (change of
teaching tasks and cancellation of a planned field trip, respectively) and personal reasons (illness)
caused three teacher-learners to leave halfway through the course. However, as the pilots also
aimed at identifying general constraints and affordances in the local organisations, the lessons
learned from all pilots were valuable, both to the individual teacher-learners, and to their schools.
How was the pilot organised
The course is organised as a combination of interactive face-to-face workshops, held at the
premises of the course provider, alternating with work based self-regulated activities (SRW = Self
Regulated Work) in relation to further development of designs. In between workshops participants
were asked to submit small assignments, primarily intended to serve as a reflection and structuring
tool in the design process (see details in course layout in figure below). At the face-to-face
workshops participants would meet experts within the field, and based on exercises, presentations
(lectures), hand on-practice with design methods, and group discussions, the teacher-learners
were provided with tools and inspiration for their own design work. The main part of the work takes
place at the work place; the course runs for 6 months, with two workshops and three written
assignments distributed over the period as illustrated below. In the work places, teacher-learners
would work individually or in small teams. In the teams (3 or 4 people) the teacher-learner would
collaborate with colleagues who were not taking part in the course, but were members of the
teacher-learner’s regular teaching teams.
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The different phases in the course, and the different modes of working and learning in the phases.
Communication between participants took place through a web based learning management
system (Fronter), this was also used for handing in the written assignments. Due to the
experimental nature of the course, participants were asked to share their outcome from the course
with others by way of a small paper. These papers were submitted on a voluntary basis after the
course had ended. All papers are published in a report, together with an evaluation of the course
and reflections on other aspects of work based learning (the course model), as well as the
development of teaching and learning with ICT (the subject domain of the course). The publication
has been distributed to colleagues and leaders at the participating work places, and made available
on line for other interested parties to download or read on line. The collection is available here:
http://www.ell.aau.dk/VUF.357.0.html (Danish language version only).
The participants in the course designed and conducted six independent models for teaching and
learning with ICT. Due to the different organisational structures in each of the three workplaces
involved in the course, and the highly independent character of both process and products related
to each participant, in reality, we have been dealing with six different pilots during the course.
These specific conditions for the course are discussed a little further later on in this report. The
main focus of the case study, however, is to present and evaluate the specific model for facilitating
and supporting the activities of the teacher-learners, especially in the periods where the
participants work independently in the workplace with their designs.
Use of technology in the induction course and in the pilots
As mentioned above, interaction between participants in the course took place on face-to-face
workshops and through the use of the LMS Fronter. In addition to this, participants used a range of
different tools, include local learning management systems in their experiments, most of them
working with the LMS their workplace (school) provides, and other Internet resources. In one pilot,
the teacher-learner used on line chat for scheduled evening-sessions with her students; in another
pilot, specific tools for language training was used. In addition, standard office-tools were used by
the students in their work, for preparing assignments and giving presentations (word processing,
presenter tools, spread sheets, etc.).
Development strategy applied in the pilot
The design process is a collaborative one, where the schools (workplaces) have defined their own
needs for training in this specific area, and provided an LMS for collaboration and communication.
The participating workplaces provide technology and support for their own participants, and the
course providers has the role of experts in facilitating and supervising the practical part of the
course, and in evaluating the course and the pilots. A group of interested parties has designed the
course together, and has also applied for further funding together (in order to develop a more
comprehensive course/training package based on the experiences from the pilot). The project is
supported by the local workplaces (schools) in the sense that participants are given time off form
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their regular teaching to take part in the course. In addition to this, the teacher-learners are
expected to also put in some of their own time. Based on this, the general strategy for the course
can be described as a user driven one, as the motivation of the participants is the main driving
force behind developing the pilots, and the participants are rewarded no credits for completing the
course.
Support for the teacher-learners in their organisations
The work of the teacher-learners is supported in their local organisations in a number of ways.
Each of the participating schools has a local expert on use of ICT in teaching, and also more
technically oriented support staff. As the course is integrated with the regular work of the teacherlearners, they have full access to these resources.
Teachers in upper secondary schools all work in small teams (all the English teachers would make
up a team; all teachers connected to a specific class make up another team, etc.). Participants in
the course have discussed their ideas for design with the other team members, and by sharing
ideas and knowledge, the teacher-learner has gotten feedback and inspiration from colleagues.
However, this way of working means that the projects of the teacher-learners are quite dependent
on what is going on in the workplace altogether, and participation in the course was at time
threatened by the same structure which would otherwise support the learners. The illness of a
colleague effects the entire team, because lessons are moved forward to avoid holes in the
students’ schedules; periods with interdisciplinary, topic-related work means postponing the
“individual” projects related to the course; organisational changes such as the merge of three
classes into two means cancellation of lessons, etc. In conclusion, the drawbacks which are
already well-known within workplace learning, also applies to this specific case. On the other hand,
it should be noticed that the specific design for the course and the conduction of the pilots provided
both teacher-learners, their organisations, the course providers, and the Learn@Work-project with
valuable knowledge about the conditions for workplace learning at a number of specific
workplaces. In addition, the situated development strategy for the individual pilots has been tested
and reflected upon in these pilots.
Evaluation and knowledge sharing
As mentioned above, different people were involved in the evaluation of the work done in the
course and various pilots, and a number of techniques were used for this. In general, the teacherlearners would do what they usually did to get feedback from students on their teaching. Some use
questionnaires, some use verbal feedback at the end of the programme, some pick up feedback,
comments and suggestions from the students as the programme runs, etc. As illustrated in the
figure above, teacher-learners were asked to hand in their evaluation of the experiment (pilot) as a
written assignment. We found that not everyone was comfortable with sharing their self-evaluations
with others, and some of the reports we got back were either very condensed or simply very short.
In addition to this, teacher-learners have stated that by presenting the evaluations and discussing
them with other teacher-learners and the instructors on the last workshop of the course, they have
gotten ideas for adjustments or additional elements to try out in a new (revised) experiment. Some
participants chose to write a small reflective paper after the course had ended. These papers also
serve as part of the evaluation and, perhaps more importantly, the knowledge sharing around the
lessons learned from the course. The evaluations of the pilots will primarily be used as inspiration
for the design of a longer course, and by the teacher-learners themselves in their further work after
the course.
The course was evaluated by an external evaluator, and focus was on the impact the learning had
on primarily these aspects of the work of the teachers:
o The (changing?) role of the teacher
o Collaboration between teachers
o Use of ICT
o The (changing?) role of the student
o Organisational issues, specifically in relation to competency
A number of overall objectives of the pilot course were shared across the participating workplaces,
and these were of course also at the centre of attention, when the course was evaluated. They are
as follows:
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To develop a concept for documentation, evaluation and exchange of experience related to the
new ways of teaching-pilots;
To explore and describe existing work practices within teacher collaboration, collaborative
feedback and specifically use of ICT for the abovementioned;
To formulate models for collaboration and use of ICT in teaching practices.
These issues, however, are not in focus in the Learn@Work-project, and will not be elaborated any
further here. A number of reports have come out of the local project (in Danish only), where these
issues are reported on and discussed.
A design based approach
Summing up, the approach to the induction course for teachers can be described as inspired by
Design Based Research, a research and development strategy which combines concrete
development projects with the aim of developing theories on learning. According to the Design
Based Research-Collective, five characteristics are associated to good design-based research:
“1. The central goals of designing learning environments and developing theories or
”prototheories” of learning are intertwined.
2. Development and research take place through continuous cycles of design,
enactment, analysis, and redesign.
3. Research on designs must lead to sharable theories that help communicate
relevant implications to practitioners and other educational designers.
4. Research must account for how designs function in authentic settings. It must not
only document success or failure, but also focus on interactions that refine our
understanding of the learning issues involved.
5. The development of such accounts relies on methods that can document and
connect processes of enactment to outcomes of interest.”
(Collective, 2003), p. 5
There are a number of reasons why this course provides a good case for the Learn@Work-project:
1. It places the work of the participants directly at the workplace, as the experiments are integrated
into the regular work of the participants.
2. The course addresses an important issue for the participants – the law changed recently and
now use of ICT in teaching is compulsory in all schools.
3. The participating schools (and teacher-learners) differ in a number of ways (e.g. teaching and
learning culture; organisational structure; subject domains dealt with in the pilots, etc.), which will
give us an opportunity to study how different organisational conditions influence learning in the
workplace.
4. The participants have volunteered to participate. This is not unproblematic in a wider
perspective, however, strictly in relation to L@W, this is a good thing. The teachers are very
dedicated, and interested in the course. There is a high degree of motivation and self direction
among the teacher-learners.
5. After this pilot, some of the participating partners (schools, teachers and course-providers) aim
to develop a longer course which addresses the issues teachers face when they try to develop their
teaching practices in relation to use of technology. The pilots will give inspiration to the topics of the
course, which in due time will be available for teachers at all schools. So the results from this pilot
will be put into use immediately (by this time, Nov. 2007, funding for developing the course has
been obtained from the Ministry of Education, and work will commence Jan.2008).
In relation to understanding the process as design based research, the main characteristics of the
case is the user driven and explorative nature of the work, and also the fact that the overall aim of
both the Learn@Work-project, and the local project of which the experimental course is a part, is to
develop models for work based learning, and for innovative use of technology in teaching and
learning. Then intention of design-based research in education is further described as follows:
”The intention of design-based research in education is to inquire more broadly into
the nature of learning in a complex system and to refine generative or predictive
theories of learning. Models of successful innovation can be generated through such
work – models, rather than particular artefacts or programs, are the goal.”
(Collective, 2003), p. 7
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Induction in the course
This course and the pilots in it dealt with the issue of induction in a number of ways:
1. The first workshop introduces participant to tools and theories within the domain.
2. Hands on-experience with design tools is given at the face-to-face meeting, in order to
create a shared experience for the teacher-learners before their individual work in the
workplace begins.
3. Course providers supply supervision/on demand assistance to participants as they start
working with the practical part of the course. Due to the many differences at the schools, in
the group of participants, in the experiments they do, a number of issues are raised by the
various participants.
4. By organising the course with several participants from each school, and a local contact
person, peer-learning is supported. Participants also share knowledge among each other.
5. The practical part of the course is closely related to the everyday practice of the
participants, and is part of the many challenges teachers are facing due to the change in
the laws about the high school degree.
6. As the experiments in the pilots are integrated into the regular work of the participants, a
number of resources are readily available to the teacher-learners (support from ICT-staff,
the interest in the pilot taken by colleagues from teams, the supporting structure from the
administrative staff, etc..).
7. Communication and knowledge sharing between participants in the course is encouraged
by the organisers and supported by an LMS.
Findings and conclusions
As indicated above, both strengths and weaknesses were identified in relation to this model of
induction. Some of the weaknesses are perhaps related closer to the nature of workplace learning
than to the induction model itself, but as these are closely intertwined, it is relevant to include these
in an evaluation of the induction model. If we look at the content-related objectives of the course
(developing new teaching forms with ICT in the context of the workplace), we found the induction to
be successful for a number of reasons:
The participants all got started on developing their own pilots, and in that way they also broadened
both their teaching competencies and their potential for self regulated learning. The local pilots
were in most cases met with a number of challenges from the surrounding organisations, which
indicate to us that the participants are able to manage themselves and their learning process in a
dynamic and challenging context.
A number of organisational challenges appeared early on in the process, as described above. This,
together with the feedback and self-evaluations from the teacher-learners, indicates that the nature
of these pilots have forced the teacher-learners somehow to transcend the individuality embedded
in the course. Therefore, even if the participants signed up for the course for personal/individual
reasons, it seems to be very difficult to hold on to their individual learning plans as the guiding
principle for their participation. As a consequence of the organisational challenges the teacherlearners were subjected to, a few of them never completed the planned pilot. All parties agree that
nothing could have been done in terms of induction to prevent this from happening. As mentioned
earlier, this was caused by externally imposed changes in some fundamental conditions for the
teachers’ work (illness; the merger of two classes into one, leaving one teacher redundant; the
collapse of the collaboration about a visit to a school in another country), which meant that the
teacher-learners would have to plan new pilots at a very late stage in the course.
In conclusion, a number of findings related to the organisational issues are as follows:
o Workplace learning requires a readiness to allocate resources for the participants involved.
The resources needed are of many sorts, ranging from time to study/work with
assignments, supporting materials, tools & technologies, and IT support to incentives in
general.
o Sudden changes in the budgets and work tasks impede participants’ possibilities to engage
themselves in the needed process of learning and change.
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o The collaborative aspect is important – participants get vital support from colleagues and
peers if the daily work allows for collaboration on assignments (also with non-participants
in the workplace).
o Structuring and scaffolding of participants’ work is crucial; at the same time, so is the
individual freedom for the participants to pursue their personal interests in the course/pilot.
o Involving others in the workplace can be the key to success in terms of retaining
participants in the programme/course.
Based on our experiences from these pilots, induction in relation to organisational change involves
several levels and functions in the organisation, even if the focus is primarily on the work and
competencies of the teachers.
References
Collective, T. D.-B. R. (2003). Design-based research: An emerging paradigm for educational
inquiry. Educational Researcher, 32(1), 5-8.
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7.Sources and Resources
7.1 About Induction:
Bergeson, T, Lahmann, M., Fieldman, R., and Blansfield, C., Washington State Work Based
Learning Coordination Manual/Guidelines, 2004, available at
http://www.k12.wa.us/CareerTechEd/pubdocs/WBL-Manual-REVISED-June2004.pdf
Vanstraelen, M., On Demand Learning at IBM, Book of Abstracts, Online Educa Berlin 2005
Dr. Straub, R., Competing in a „flat world“ – the transformational power of e-Learning, Book of
abstracts, Online Educa Berlin 2005
Adapt or Die: The Strategic Role of Learning in the On-Demand Enterprise, By Tony O’Driscoll and
Paula Briki, http://www.learningcircuits.org/2004/may2004/odriscoll-briki.htm , Learning Circuits,
2004
Staes, J., Het herexamen van een managementgeneratie, organisaties op zoek naar een nieuw
evenwicht, 1999, Standaard Uitgeverij
Van der Zanden, P. and Veen, W., Successive stages of educational technologies and practices,
Online Educa Berlin 2005 book of abstracts, 2004
Heathfield, S.M., Six training trends, Human resource guide,
http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtrends/l/aatrain_trends.htm
Kirkpatrick, D.L. (1979). Techniques for evaluating training programs. Training and Development
Journal, 33(6)
Creatoru, S. and Stroisch, T., Essential Elements of effective classroom training, 2002
CompuMentor
The conference board of Canada, solutions for employers: effective strategies for using learning
technologies in the workplace, knowledge review report, 2000,
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/education/pdf/solutions1.pdf
Gance, S., Are constructivism and computer-based learning environments incompatible?, 2002,
Journal of the association of History and Computing
Digenti, D., Make Space for Informal Learning, 2002, Learning Circuits
www.businessballs.com
Downes, S., From knowledge management to learning on demand, 2003
Reglin, T. and Sack, C., Blended Learning in company training: en route to integrating learning and
work, Book of Abstracts, Online Educa Berlin 2005
Connor, M.L.,Informal Learning, Ageless Learner, 1997-2005
Capital Works, LLC
OECD “Thematic review on adult learning”
http://www.oecd.org/document/3/0,2340,en_2649_34509_11997955_1_1_1_1,00.html
7.2 State of the Art: Europe
Eurostat: “internet activities in the European Union” report Eurostat, 2004,
http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/portal/page?_pageid=1090,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
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Eurostat “Youth education attainment level”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_INNORE&root=STRIND_INNORE/innore
/ir091
Eurostat “Lifelong Learning”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_EMPLOI&root=STRIND_EMPLOI/emploi
/em051
Eurostat “Total employment rate”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_EMPLOI&root=STRIND_EMPLOI/emploi
/em011
7.3 State of the Art: Ireland
Chartered Institute for Personnel Development in Ireland (CIPD) (2003a) e-Learning in Irish
Organisations: A study of e-Learning in the Republic of Ireland, Survey Report, November 2003,
CIPD, Dublin.
Chartered Institute for Personnel Development in Ireland (CIPD) (2003b) Who Learns at Work? A
study of Learners in the Republic of Ireland
Conference of Heads of Irish Universities (CHIU) and Irish Business and Employers Confederation
(IBEC) (2004) Actions for a Learning Society: a report from the joint committee on lifelong learning,
available online at http://www.iua.ie/working_industry/pdf/actions_learning.pdf
Coughlan, R. and O’Suilleabhain, G. (2004) ‘Getting learning to work: the facilitation and
assessment of authentic learning online’ report on Minerva project: BiTE: Bridging the gap between
the traditional and the e-learning environment
Employment Research Centre, Trinity College, Dublin (2002) Bibliography for Work package 1:
TSER project: INFOWORK
Enterprise Strategy Group (Forfas) (2004) Ahead of the Curve: Ireland’s Place in the Global
Economy, available online at http://www.forfas.ie/esg/
Equal-at-Work Project (2003) Equal at Work: Changing HR Practice and Policy – Challenges and
Successes, available online at http://www.dublinpact.ie/word/Equal-at-Work-HR-Policy.doc
Forfas Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, (2005a) Skills Requirements of the Digital Content
Industry in Ireland: Phase 1, a study by Fas in conjunction with STeM centre, DCU, for the Expert
Group on Future Skills Needs, available at
http://www.skillsireland.ie/press/relatedreports/pdf/egfsn0502_Digital_Content_Industry_Skills%20
Report.pdf
Forfas Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (2005b) Skills Needs of the Irish Economy: The Role
of Migration, available online at http://www.forfas.ie/publications/show/pub161.html
Forfas Expert Group on Future Skills Needs and Fas (2005c) National Skills Bulletin 2005,
available online at
http://www.fas.ie/information_and_publications/slmru/National_Skills_Bulletin_2005.pdf
Forfas Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, (2005d) In-Employment Education and Training in
Ireland, available online at
http://www.skillsireland.ie/press/reports/pdf/egfsn051206_inemployment_education_training_webo
pt.pdf
learn@work State of the Art Report
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Forfas Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (2004a) Submission to the OECD Review of Higher
Education in Ireland, available online at
http://www.forfas.ie/publications/forfas0402/webopt/forfas_0402_oecd_he_review_submission.pdf
Forfas (2004b) Survey of Research and Development in the Higher Education Sector 2004,
available online at
http://www.forfas.ie/publications/forfas060118/webopt/forfas060118_herd_report_webopt.pdf
Forum on the Workplace of the Future (2004) Working to our Advantage: a national workplace
strategy, available online at http://www.ncpp.ie/dynamic/docs/NationalWorkplaceStrategy.pdf
Government of Ireland (2002) Report of the Taskforce on Lifelong Learning, available online at
http://www.entemp.ie/publications/labour/2002/lifelonglearning.pdf
Government of Ireland (2005) A Brief Description of the Irish Education System, available online at
http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/dept_education_system04.pdf?language=EN
Higher Education Authority (HEA) (2005a) A Review of Higher Education Participation in 2003,
available online at http://www.hea.ie/uploads/pdf/HEA%20Educ%20Part.pdf
Higher Education Authority (HEA) (2005b) Who went to College in 2004? A National Survey of New
Entrants to Higher Education, available online at
http://www.hea.ie/uploads/pdf/HEA%20PART%20REP%20Updated%204%20WEB.pdf
Higher Education Authority (HEA) (2004a) Learning in a Digital Age Conference, Minerva
Conference papers, available online at http://www.newfuturesforlearning.ie/index.html
Higher Education Authority (HEA) (2004b) Review and Prioritisation of Capital Projects in the
Higher Education Sector, available online at
http://www.hea.ie/uploads/pdf/Capital%20Review%20Rep1.pdf
Higher Education Authority (HEA) (2000) Report on Symposium on Open and Distance Learning,
available online at http://www.hea.ie/uploads/pdf/OSCAILIN.PDF
Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) (2004) Education Policy Document July 2004:
Education for life – the challenge of the third millennium, available online at
http://www.mmf.ie/ibec/ibecdoclib3.nsf/5aac2fe1f2263b0880256f24004e972f/6db89d685cfe39d580
25706100387d1f/$FILE/IBEC%20Education%20Policy%20Document%20July%202004.pdf
Inter-departmental Committee on science, technology and Innovation (2004), Building Ireland’s
knowledge economy: The Irish Action Plan for promoting investment in R & D to 2010, available
online at http://www.iua.ie/working_industry/pdf/knowledge_economy.pdf
National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) (2002) Workplace Basic Education programmes in Ireland:
Approaches and models for implementation: a report, available through
http://www.nala.ie/publications/listing/20021004164453.html
O’Donoghue, J. and Maguire, T. (2005) ‘The individual learner, employability and the workplace: a
reappraisal of relationships and prophecies’, analytical paper on the programme for University
Industry Interface (PUII), available online at http://www.ul.ie/dllo/eucen/O%20Donoghue.doc
Science Foundation Ireland and National College of Ireland (2004) e-learning Research &
Development: Roadmap for Ireland, available online at
http://www.ncirl.ie/downloads/research_and_innovation/SFI_reportFINAL.pdf
7.4 State of the Art: Belgium
Belgian agency for statistics, a division of the Belgian Public Service Economy, SME’s, SelfEmployed and Energy http://www.statbel.fgov.be/
Eurostat: “internet activities in the European Union” report Eurostat, 2004
http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/portal/page?_pageid=1090,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
learn@work State of the Art Report
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Eurostat “Youth education attainment level”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_INNORE&root=STRIND_INNORE/innore
/ir091
Eurostat “Lifelong Learning”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_EMPLOI&root=STRIND_EMPLOI/emploi
/em051
Eurostat “Total employment rate”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_EMPLOI&root=STRIND_EMPLOI/emploi
/em011
7.5 State of the Art: Denmark
Eurostat: “internet activities in the European Union” report Eurostat, 2004
http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/portal/page?_pageid=1090,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Eurostat “Youth education attainment level”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_INNORE&root=STRIND_INNORE/innore
/ir091
Eurostat “Lifelong Learning”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_EMPLOI&root=STRIND_EMPLOI/emploi
/em051
Eurostat “Total employment rate”
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,39140985&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=detailref&language=en&product=STRIND_EMPLOI&root=STRIND_EMPLOI/emploi
/em011
The Higher Academy website: Work Based Learning: illuminating the higher education landscape
The Higher Education Academy Final Report http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/WBL.pdf
The CIA factbook. Population rate of July 2006
Danish Ministry of Education - www.uvm.dk
Danish Ministry of Education (2006): “Fremtidssikring af de proffisionsbaserede videregaaende
uddannelser”,
Danish Statistics – www.statistikbanken.dk/VEU31
7.6 State of the Art: Austria
Schneeberger Arthur, Mayr Thomas (2004): Berufliche Weiterbildung in Österreich und im
Europäischen Vergleich. Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Arbeit. Wien
http://www.bmwa.gv.at/BMWA/Presse/AktuelleMeldungen/20060516_01.htm (26.05.06)
AMS (2003): Arbeitsmarkt aktuell. Wien
Schlögl Peter, Schneeberger Arthur (2003): Erwachsenenbildung in Österreich; Länderhintergrund
zur Länderprüfung der OECD über Erwachsenenbildung. Bundesministerium für Bildung,
Wissenschaft und Kultur. Wien
http://www.lebenslangeslernen.at/downloads/OECDAdultLearningDEEndbericht18-06-04.pdf
(26.05.06)
learn@work State of the Art Report
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OECD (2003): Thematic review on adult learning in Austria.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/31/19/32303060.pdf (26.05.06)
Statistik Austria (2004): Lebenslanges Lernen- Mikrozensus. Wien www.erwachsenenbildung.at
(25.05.06)
Statistik Austria (2002): Weiterbildungsbeteiligung nach Lebensalter. Wien
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit (2002):Wirtschaftsbereicht. Wien
http://www.bmwa.gv.at/BMWA (25.05.06)
Lassnigg Lorenz (2000): Lifelong learning. Österreich im Kontext internationaler Strategien und
Forschung. Reihe Soziologie/45, Wien
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur (2004): Development of education. Wien
Archan Sabine, Mayr Thomas (2006): Berufsbildung in Österreich. Cedefop Panorama series; 124,
Luxemburg
7.7 State of the Art: UK
The Higher Academy website: Work Based Learning: illuminating the higher education landscape
The Higher Education Academy Final Report http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/WBL.pdf
Scottish Government website: Delivering Work Based Learning
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/06/14558/3244
Department for Education and Skills website: Education and Training Statistics for the UK
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000538/ed_train_final.pdf
Department for Education and Skills (DES) 2004, Education and Training Statistics for the United
Kingdom, DES & National Statistics, viewed June 2006,
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000538/ed_train_final.pdf
EUROSTAT (Statistical Office of the European Communities) 2006, Population and Social
Conditions, EUROSTAT, viewed June 2006,
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page?_pageid=1996,45323734&_dad=portal&_schema=PO
RTAL&screen=welcomeref&open=/&product=Yearlies_new_population&depth=3
Higher Education Academy (HEA) 2006, Work-based learning: illuminating the higher education
landscape, HEA, viewed June 2006, http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/research/WBL.pdf
Learning and Skills Council (LSC) 2005, Further Education, Work-based Learning for Young
People and Adult and Community Learning Learner - Numbers in England 2004/05, LSC &
National Statistics, viewed June 2006,
http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/2005/learningdata/statistics/further-education-and-work-basedlearning-for-young-people-ilr-sfr08.pdf
Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) 2002, Making the Grade: a Report on Standards
in Work-based Learning for Young People, LSDA, viewed June 2006,
http://www.lsda.org.uk/files/PDF/R1318.pdf
National Statistics 2006, People & Migration: Population, National Statistics, viewed June 2006,
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=1305&Pos=&ColRank=2&Rank=80 (Crown
copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO)
Scottish Executive Central Research Unit (SECRU) 2002, Delivering Work-based Learning,
Scottish Executive, viewed June 2006,
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/46729/0030635.pdf
UK National Reference Point for Vocational Qualifications (UKNRP) 2006, UKNRP, viewed June
2006, http://www.uknrp.org.uk/Pages/UK_Voc_Quals/UK_Voc_Quals_Index.asp
learn@work State of the Art Report
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8. Appendix
Qualifications framework of Ireland
LEVEL 6
LEVEL 7
LEVEL 8
LEVEL 9
LEVEL 10
Knowledge
Breadth
Specialised
Knowledge in a
broad area
Specialised
knowledge
across a variety
of areas
An
understanding of
theory, concepts
and
methods
pertaining to a
field (or fields) of
learning
A
systematic
understanding of
knowledge, at,
or informed by,
the forefront of a
field of learning
Knowledge
Kind
Some theoretical
concepts
and
abstract
thinking,
with
significant
underpinning
theory
Detailed
knowledge and
understanding in
one or more
specialized
areas, some of it
at the
current
boundaries
of
the filed(s)
A
critical
awareness
of
current problems
and/or
new
insights,
generally
informed by the
forefront of a
field of learning
Know-how
and Skill
Range
Demonstrate
comprehensive
range
of
specialize skills
and tools
Recognition of
limitations
of
current
knowledge and
familiarity
with
sources of new
knowledge;
integration
of
concepts across
a
variety
of
areas
Demonstrate
specialized
technical,
creative
or
conceptual skills
and tools across
an area of study
A
systematic
acquisition and
understanding of
a
substantial
body
of
knowledge
which is at the
forefront of a
field of learning
The creation and
interpretation of
new knowledge,
through original
research,
or
other
advanced
scholarship, of a
quality to satisfy
review by peers
Demonstrate
mastery of a
complex
and
specialized area
of study kills and
tools; use and
modify
advanced skills
and tools to
conduct closely
guided research,
professional or
advanced
technical activity
Demonstrate a
range
of
standard
and
specialized
research
or
equivalent tools
and techniques
of enquiry
Know-how
and Skill
Selectivity
Formulate
responses
to
well
defined
abstract
problems
Exercise
appropriate
judgement
in
planning,
design, technical
and/or
supervisory
functions related
to
products,
services,
operations
or
processes
Select
from
complex
and
advanced skills
across a field of
learning;
develop
new
skills to a high
level, including
novel
and
emerging
techniques
Competence
Context
Act in a range of
varied
and
specific contexts
involving
creative and non
routine activities;
transfer and/or
technical
or
creative skills to
a
range
of
contexts
Utilise diagnostic
and
creative
skills in a range
of functions in a
wide variety of
contexts
Exercise
appropriate
judgement in a
number
of
complex
planning,
design, technical
and/or
management
functions related
to
products,
services
operations
or
processes,
including
resourcing
Use advanced
skills to conduct
research,
or
advanced
technical
or
professional
activity,
accepting
accountability for
all
related
decision making;
transfer
and
apply diagnostic
and
creative
skills in a range
of contexts
learn@work State of the Art Report
Act in a wide
and
often
unpredictable
variety
of
professional
levels and illdefined contexts
Demonstrate a
significant range
of the principal
skills,
techniques,
tools, practices
and/or materials
which
are
associated with
a
field
of
learning;
develop
new
skills,
techniques,
tools, practices
and/or materials
Respond
to
abstract
problems
that
expand
and
redefine existing
procedural
knowledge
Exercise
personal
responsibility
and
largely
autonomous
initiative
in
complex
and
unpredictable
situations,
in
professional or
equivalent
contexts
105
Competence
Role
Competence
Learning to
Learn
Competence
Insight
Exercise
substantial
personal
autonomy and
often
take
responsibility for
the
work
of
others and/or for
allocation
of
resources; form,
and
function
within
multiple
complex
and
heterogeneous
groups
Learn
to
evaluate
own
learning
and
identify
needs
within
a
structured
learning
environment;
assist others in
identifying
learning needs
Express
an
internalized,
personal world
view, reflecting
engagement
with others
Accept
accountability for
determining and
achieving
personal and/or
group outcomes;
take significant
or
supervisory
responsibility for
the
work
of
others in defined
areas of work
Act
effectively
under guidance
in
a
peer
relationship with
qualified
practitioners;
lead
multiple,
complex
and
heterogeneous
groups
Take significant
responsibility for
the
work
of
individuals and
groups; lead and
initiate activity
Communicate
results
of
research
and
innovation
to
peers; engage in
critical dialogue;
lead
and
originate
complex social
processes
Take initiative to
identify
and
address learning
needs
and
interact
effectively in a
learning group
Learn to act in
variable
and
unfamiliar
learning
contexts; learn
to
manage
learning
tasks
independently,
professionally
and ethically
Learn to selfevaluate
and
take
responsibility for
continuing
academic/profes
sional
development
Learn to critique
the
broader
implications of
applying
knowledge
to
particular
contexts
Express
an
internalized,
personal world
view,
manifesting
solidarity
with
others
Express
a
comprehensive,
internalized
personal
worldview,
manifesting
solidarity
with
others
Scrutinise and
reflect on social
norms
and
relationships
and
act
to
change them
Scrutinise and
reflect on social
norms
and
relationships
and lead action
to change them
learn@work State of the Art Report
106
This report aims at identifying current European good practice in the use of ICT
the Work Based Learning. This report furthermore tries to determine this ‘state
of the art’ with an emphasis on how the holistic interaction of pedagogical,
organisational and technical elements aid the learner’s engagement, interaction
and long-term learning.
This publication is intended for researchers, practitioners, teachers, tutors and
trainers in organisations and institutions involved in Work Based Learning and
especially in the induction aspects of learning on the workplace.
The learn@work consortium welcomes all comments and contributions, please
send them to learnatwork@atit.be
More information on the learn@work project on www.learnatwork.info