The Hacking Innovative Pedagogies (HIP) framework::- Rewilding the digital learning ecology

The HIP framework aims to guide higher education (HE) teachers and researchers to reconsider and reflect on how to rethink HE pedagogy in new and different ways. It builds on insights from the report Hacking Innovative Pedagogy: Innovation and Digitisation to Rewild Higher Education. A Commented Atlas (Beskorsa, et al., 2023) and incorporates the spirit of rewilding and hacking pedagogies to inspire new professional communities focused on innovating digital education. The framework considers and guides the development of teachers’ digital pedagogy competences through an inclusive bottom-up approach that gives space for individual teacher’s agency while also ensuring a collective teaching culture. The framework emphasizes how pedagogical approaches can address the different needs that HE teachers and student communities have that reflect disciplines cultures and/or the diversity of learners. Only a framework mindful of heterogeneity will be able to address questions of justice and fair access to education. Likewise, in the spirit of rewilding, the framework should not be considered a static “one size fits all” solution. We aim for an organic and dynamic framework that may be used to pause and reflect to then turn back to one’s own teaching community to consider (learn from, listen to and respond to the teaching and learning of different communities). Therefore we plan that this framework will be a living document throughout the HIP-project’s lifetime

Sustainable engineering education in research and practice

Sustainability and responsible use of the resources at our disposal are among the most important goals of our time. Employees are looking for next-generation employees with ever more skills. To ideally foster these in engineering and prepare them for future challenges, the integration of education for sustainable development (ESD) with a linkage of technical and sustainability-oriented issues in the curriculum is essential. This paper takes up two points: Firstly, an analysis of the research landscape in Engineering Education Research (EER) on the topic of "sustainability" is undertaken. For this purpose, more than 3500 conference papers of EDUCON and FIE of the years 2014 to 2018 as well as 2021 (EDUCON only) are evaluated. The methodology of the analysis as well as the set of main and sub categories (among them "sustainability") will be presented at SEFI 2022. The results of the analysis of the research landscape show that the topic of sustainability has so far played a negligible role in the conference contributions. Secondly, the focus is on the implementation process and the linking of technical and sustainability-oriented issues. The study programme concept of the Leuphana University offers two options for sustainable technical education by combining major and minor study programmes. The interdisciplinary combinations are presented and explained using module examples. In total, this paper provides a research-based contribution to sustainable engineering education in research and practice. Engineering students’ courses of action have been videorecorded in design projects and in electronics labs at two universities. It can bee seen that students’ use a wealth of bodily-material resources that are an integral and seamless part of students’ interactions. They use bodily resources, concrete materials, “low-tech” inscriptions as well as “high-tech” (“digital”) inscription devices. Our results challenge that by hand – by computer and analogue tools – digital tools should be seen as dichotomies. Our empirical evidence suggests that students should be trained to not only be trained to work with “digital” tools but with a multitude of tools and resources. We, thus, advocate that a postdigital perspective should be taken in education where the digital makes up part of an integrated totality

The New-Normal of Talent & Knowledge Management – A Framework towards Virtual Learning – Post- COVID-19

Indian economy since the pre and post-independence period has witnessed a drastic transformation from an agrarian economy to a knowledge-based economy thus creating a knowledge-based workforce and organisations. With the change of time, the learning became more complex and necessity thus creating havoc and high-pace change in the character of the job in an organisation even creating a situation where artificial intelligence is replacing human intelligence. Today’s employees are more competitive in terms of skills, pay-packages, and also work challenges. Amidst of all these changes, the present uncertainty and crisis hovering the entire world i.e .the Corona Virus pandemic which has forced almost all organizations to accept virtual learning and virtual knowledge sharing as a competitive edge and adapting virtual-cost-effective learning and communication system. It is prime time when the management of the organisation has to initiate a holistic approach towards virtual learning and knowledge sharing with a clear objective of up-skilling its workforce to new normals during and post-pandemic. The new normal norms will bring in new challenges of a new set of skills and competencies and operational processes to revive the broken economy and business setbacks. This paper further concentrates and focuses on applying and improving virtual knowledge management practices in organisation. It also focuses on effective talent up-gradation and management systems which most important in the present scenario to have a ‘Fact-Based Communication' And 'Virtual Connectivity'. Here, Descriptive Research is adopted for the study. Literature review of articles and research papers is analytically conducted to develop a significant process for crucial talent management systems that will aid in the up-skilling workforce through virtual mode to combat and resurgence the Post- COVID-19

THINK4JOBS TOOLKIT Ten work-based learning scenarios

The current report is the first Intellectual Output (Output 1) of the THINK4JOBS initiative, which aims at improving students’ CT skills and dispositions by promoting collaboration between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Labour Market Organizations (LMOs). This is the case since according to relevant research findings, LMOs seem to expect employees to acquire CT skills in order for them to successfully address the needs of their work positions. Under this rationale, partners of the two aforementioned fields have decided to redesign and ameliorate HEI curricula by blending both HEIs and LMOs’ experience, knowledge and recommendations, while instilling this evidence into students’ apprenticeships. Apprenticeships offering practice in professional skills can actively lead to students’ understanding of their working environment and simultaneously scaffold CT development with the employment of mentoring. For this reason, the THINK4JOBS initiative exploits apprenticeships as a means of CT exploration and learning through which bridging the gap between HEIs and LMOs can be attained. Therefore, it is considered that in this fashion, students will be acquainted with the concept of CT and also be in the position of transferring it into their work settings, when entering the workplace. It should be noted that partners of the THINK4JOBS project are representatives from five disciplines (teacher training, English as a foreign language – EFL, business economics, business informatics and veterinary medicine), who formed teams between HEI and LMOs for each of these disciplines in order for ideas to be pluralized and CT to be explored across a variety of domains. The current report has a twofold aim: · to trace and map the methods and/or techniques that CT is currently employed in HEIs and LMOs’ apprenticeships and apprenticeships focusing on any possible convergent or divergent points; · to thoroughly describe and suggest work-based, learning scenarios that could bridge the gap between HEIs and LMOs’ curricula and simultaneously attempt to safeguard the requirements for graduates’ CT development and improvement. Mapping the Gap Regarding the first aim of the report, three research methods (observation, focus groups and documentary analysis) were employed in combination with three instruments (observational matrix, focus group rubric and documentary analysis rubric). Each research instrument includes a set of variables, which are majorly organized in three categories: I. Pedagogical aspects of CT development (including class objectives, teaching strategies/methods, tools/materials and evaluation regarding CT) II. CT aspects (including the ways CT is nurtured, triggered and explicitly taught during instruction) III. Implementation of CT (including elements of CT presence in these disciplines) For each variable, a set of indicators, drawing on CT and pedagogical theory was also developed in order for the aforementioned research instruments to be constructed. Stakeholders (HEI students and instructors as well as LMO tutors, employers and employees) participated in the mapping process. Data were collected during the winter semester 2020-2021 and a total of 134 participants from all partner countries participated in the focus groups discussions. Regarding the other two research methods, observation was carried out in at least three apprenticeships or courses, with at least four observation sessions for each of them. As far as it concerns the documentary analysis, documents supporting the courses/apprenticeships, which were observed, were analyzed according to the relevant rubric. Findings from each research instrument were triangulated according to each discipline and are thoroughly described in the current report in separate sections. However, some general conclusions seem to derive from a holistic approach to data analysis. Initially, it was suggested that even though a definitive “gap” between HEIs and LMOs does not seem to exist, there is a different context in CT approach since universities usually employ different learning activities focusing more on career preparation with long-term goals while LMOs follow compact and short-term, learning and teaching strategies. Additionally, findings suggested that CT is a newly-added requirement for the workplace and that HEIs and LMOs do not opt for the same terminology when referring to the concept –meaning that HEIs usually select scientific terms. Another element, which is evident is that CT in HEIs is commonly expressed through a declarative manner, while in LMOs application to specific cases follows the procedural manner. Learning Scenarios Regarding the second aim of this report, each team of HEI and LMO constructed two learning scenarios according to the findings, the sets of recommendations and the already identified educational needs. From the ten work-based scenarios developed, one from every discipline was organized in a syllabus form so that it can be further utilized for the CT blended apprenticeship curricula. This information highlights the importance of the scenarios, since they will set the stage for introducing CT at programme and course levels by utilizing Intellectual Output 3 activities to design work-based curricula for each country and dynamically enhance collaboration between HEIs and LMOs. Under this rationale, this scenario includes descriptive information about the themes, concepts, aims and learning outcomes, the duration, the teaching approach, the learning environment and the evaluation regarding both domain specific and CT related elements. First Intellectual Output Impact The current report is of major importance for the continuation of the THINK4JOBS project since it sets the stage for a sequence of activities carried out during the Second and Third Intellectual Outputs aiming at the successful application of the blended apprenticeships curricula. Besides the report’s importance for the project continuation, it may also stand as a useful Toolkit for teachers, students and employers regarding the development of CT in the workplace. In general, according to research findings, HEIs and LMOs are differently goal-oriented regarding CT and the reason for this divergence lies in the very nature and general context of the two organizations. In other words, HEIs intend to prepare students for all jobs related to a domain, while LMOs aim at preparing an employee for a specific job in a specific organization. This conclusion seems to indicate a paradox: the two organizations work in parallel but they do not share common understanding. This is the reason why the First Intellectual Output may be an invaluable means in the exploration of CT through different perspectives; actively supporting HEI and LMO collaboration in the quest for common ground

Digital Transformation of Learning Organizations

This open access volume provides insight into how organizations change through the adoption of digital technologies. Opportunities and challenges for individuals as well as the organization are addressed. It features four major themes: 1. Current research exploring the theoretical underpinnings of digital transformation of organizations. 2. Insights into available digital technologies as well as organizational requirements for technology adoption. 3. Issues and challenges for designing and implementing digital transformation in learning organizations. 4. Case studies, empirical research findings, and examples from organizations which successfully adopted digital workplace learning

Gamification in factory management education : A case study with Lego Mindstorms

Research oriented teaching in universities provides opportunities to support the student's desire to explore. A student's learning success can benefit from gamified project work, especially when students face self-guided learning processes in demanding educational activities. Gamification is defined as the use of game elements in a non-game context. Games offer the chance to improve the motivation of students, support group work, train communication skills and introduce the capacity for experimenting in safe environments. Therefore the learning effect of prospective engineers can be increased through the integration of Gamification into educational activities. This leads to higher student participation in university courses and encourages the development of the student's social, personal and technical competences. In this paper a game concept for teaching in universities is introduced focusing on the impartment of the state of the art on manufacturing for value creation, e.g. production planning and control. The concept covers a level based storyline with rules and goals using physical artefacts of Lego Mindstorms. Due to the modular characteristic of Lego, which supports creativity by having a high number of possible combinations, a “free playing space” for students is established. In groups, the students work in a highly problem oriented way, e.g. finding cost savings for their factory due to a changing market condition. Feedback in the sense of the success of student's strategies is given directly through the designed Lego model and its functionality

Vocational Education and Training in the Age of Digitization

The increasing digitization of the world of work is associated with accelerated structural changes. These are connected with changed qualification profiles and thus new challenges for vocational education and training (VET). Companies, vocational schools and other educational institutions must respond appropriately. The volume focuses on the diverse demands placed on teachers, learners and educational institutions in vocational education and training and aims to provide up-to-date results on learning in the digital age

Perceptions of Employability Skills of Undergraduate Business Students in a Developing Country: An Exploratory Study

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relative importance of different employability skills for business graduates seeking initial employment. Method: Semi-structured survey questionnaires were administered to human resources representatives from industry, business lecturers, and graduating business students to determine gaps in perceptions between the three stakeholder groups. Results: There was some alignment and moderate discrepancies in perceptions of the relative importance of different employability skills between the three stakeholder groups. There were statistically significant differences in perceived importance of communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills between graduating students and employers. There is evidence that employers were satisfied with the level of academic skills possessed by business students at the time of graduation. However, there was significant difference in perception between employers and graduating students on the extent to which perseverance and initiative and risk-taking were fully developed among business graduates. Conclusions: By increasing their self-awareness and critical reflection on their learning experiences, graduating students can take proactive steps to enhance their positional advantage in the labour market. The various stakeholders, including academics, can lead a social dialogue towards a deliberate approach to developing graduate employability. Implications: Acquiring in-demand soft skills is one side of the employability coin; the other is developing dynamic psychological-social capital, such as self-awareness, self-directness, proactivity, adaptability, and resilience, that is underpinned by lifelong learning. Both are needed to navigate multiple job transitions and career challenges throughout one’s career span