IT-Based Knowledge Management:

New Perspectives for Teachers and Trainers

- Executive Summary -

Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)

Robert Schuman Platz 3
D-53175 Bonn
C/o Michael Haertel
Section 3.2
“Quality Management, Quality Development/Distance Learning
- Training Personnel -
Phone: +49 (0) 228 107-1013
E Mail: haertel@bibb.de

Infos:
www.bibb.de
www.af-bibb.de
www.foraus.de
IT-Based Knowledge Management:
New Perspectives for Teachers and Trainers

The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB, www.bibb.de) is nationally
and internationally recognized as a center of expertise for research into and further develop-
ment of initial and continuing vocational education and training. The aims of the research and
development and advisory work it carries out therefore center on identifying future tasks of
vocational education and training, promoting innovation at a domestic and international level
and developing new practice related training proposals. The Federal Institute for Vocational
Education and Training is an integral element of Germany’s dual system of vocational educa-
tion and training. The BIBB cooperates with the other organizations responsible for voca-
tional education and training in Germany, namely employers’ federations, trade unions, the
Länder governments and the Federal Government, with a view to improving and updating
vocational training at national and international level.

Referring to the so called challenges of the “Information Society” one of the key roles of
BIBB’s work is to increase the efficiency and attractiveness of vocational education and train-
ing through such activities as supporting the development and more effective use of interac-
tive, multimedia based forms of teaching and learning.

Manyfolded Roles of Training Staff

Information
management

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Taking into account the impact of IT-based economies to the world of work it has to be ac-
cepted that speed is one of the most important factors for businesses to compete in a global
economy. This has direct affects to learning and training activities, to related methodological
and (web -) didactic approaches and the delivery of individualized, dynamic learning content
at the very moment the learner needs it. Therefore learning processes need to be fast, just in
time and on demand. But how can the use of digital media support employees in their adop-
tion of knowledge and expertise in the concrete working environment? How can employees
benefit from technology-enhanced learning in order to solve problems within complex situa-
tions in businesses? Recent training technology research and development conducted by
BIBB has very much been driven by this questions in order to try to find convincing solutions
for the use of digital media in vocational education and training and in the world of work. The
investigation of IT-based learning environments and teaching and learning processes and
the development and piloting of related learning and media concepts for continuing voca-
tional education and training are the main focus of the projects and programs that BIBB is
currently running, and of those now at the planning stage. Many of these projects and pro-
grams involve collaboration with external cooperation partners. For insight into application-
oriented practical examples relating to the use of digital media, please visit
http://www.ausbilderfoerderung.de/interaktives/infosystem.php3

IT-based information and learning environments enable necessary knowledge to be acquired

independently of time and place. It is an aspect of knowledge transfer and as such repre-
sents an essential component of knowledge management. Knowledge management is much
more than the mere establishment of technical terms of reference. It requires targeted organ-
izational development and the transmission of methodological skills, and it depends for its
lifeblood on the networking and level of involvement on the part of employees. In the re-
search and development projects it is conducting, BIBB has attempted to address the conse-
quences associated with these processes in terms of the organization of work and training.
Introducing digital media into vocational education and training changes the activity and job
profiles of training personnel and sets new standards for the qualification of the staff. This
has also prompted BIBB to draw up new forms of employee qualifications and develop alter-
natives to traditional qualifications provision by integrating modern IT based learning envi-
ronments.

To guarantee the long-term documentation and transfer of results and the ongoing concep-
tual development of project activities, BIBB can utilise the potential of its two services de-

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signed specifically to support trainers: ‘AF – Ausbilderförderung’ (www.af-bibb.de) and
‘Foraus.de’ (www.foraus.de).
AF is addressed primarily to company trainers, skilled workers acting as instructors, trainers
in initial and continuing vocational education and training, senior staff in vocational educa-
tion, staff with human resources and organisational development responsibilities, vocational
school teachers, and people interested in pedagogic processes and innovative developments
in vocational education. AF takes up the results of BIBB studies, research and support pro-
jects as well as findings from other innovative areas of vocational education, in order to de-
rive and develop concepts for the professional development of skilled staff with training re-
sponsibilities. The core target group are deemed to be company-based training staff, who are
responsible for the quality of initial and continuing vocational education and training and for
the effective implementation of innovations to improve the quality of initial vocational training,
and hence the quality of occupational skilled work in their companies.

AF – Ausbilderförderung (www.af-bibb.de)

In the very moment BIBB starts to launch research and development activities jointly with
partners in the industry with the aim to create, test and introduce a web didactic approach
which merges aspects of knowledge management strategies with e learning environments.
This shall lead to a smooth integration of learning processes into the common work patterns
of employees. Learning needs to be relevant to the semantic context of the businesses.
Learning content which is structured within a semantic net enables employees to find orienta-

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tion within very complex (technical) working situations. This semantic approach for improving
the potential of IT-based learning environments for the use in the daily work processes will
be presented and discussed in BIBB´s “Foraus.de” (www.foraus.de). It is a portal providing
current information relating to initial and continuing vocational education and training.

Foraus.de - Homepage

Foraus.de is a marketing and applications platform and forms an online community for train-
ers. Besides providing its visitors with up-to-date information on all aspects of training, it of-
fers a modern form of online professional development as well as the opportunity to ex-
change views with experts in initial vocational education and training. Members of Foraus.de
not only have a personalised communication platform but also many other functions for dis-
cussion, research and exchanging experience. For instance, there are regular online semi-
nars on concrete questions and problems that arise in connection with in-company training,
which are held as moderated events in the ‘virtual classroom’.

Foraus.de and the services it provides are addressed to the different information and com-
munication needs and professional development requests of in-company training staff. It
comprises the following specific features:

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Foraus.de Community
Provides its visitors with up-to-date information on all aspects of training, a modern form of
online professional development, and the opportunity to exchange views with experts in initial
vocational training. Members of Foraus.de not only have access to a personalised communi-
cation platform but also many other functions for discussion, research and exchanging ex-
perience.

Members Forums
The members’ forums permit members of foraus.de to participate in professional discussions
at any time and place of their choosing. The search function makes it possible to search by
topic for postings in over 20 forums. Users can subscribe to interesting discussion topics and
receive e-mail notifications of new forum postings.

Learning Centre
The Learning Centre is accessible to members and non-members alike. It now has 15 learn-
ing modules and documents relating to the Ordinance on Trainer Aptitude (Ausbilder-
Eignungsverordnung, AEVO) and free online professional development using a modular sys-
tem on task and process-oriented training (‘Handlungs- und Prozessorientierten Ausbilden’).

Resources Library
Link collections on publications, institutions and associations, e-learning and media data-
bases and useful addresses for online research on training issues can be found in the In-
fothek section.

Online Seminars
Free online seminars are offered for members of foraus.de on topical issues relating to train-
ing. The online-seminars are normally based on vividly packaged independent learning mate-
rials and two sessions in a ‘virtual classroom’ with audio-based and whiteboard support.
Members are kept informed of forthcoming seminars both in the learning centre and via the
foraus.de newsletter.

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 Online Seminar: „Motivation for Training“

Notice Board
This is the Foraus.de marketplace. Many visitors to Foraus.de check the new notice board
postings regularly, post their own questions and exchange views on day-to-day training is-
sues.

Notice Board: Exchange of Information and Discussion of Problems Related to Daily

Training in Companies and Vocational Schools

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Foraus.de Newsletters
At regular intervals, Foraus.de receive free information by e-mail on the latest news and de-
velopments in the field of initial vocational training and on forthcoming courses and online
seminars on foraus.de.

Thus, for BIBB, Foraus.de is a highly up-to-date information and communication medium for
matters relating to in-company training practice, which can help to identify the day-to-day
difficulties of training staff in companies. Then, making use of the AF infrastructure, targeted
materials can be developed and turned into products to address these problems (e.g. ‘able
and less able apprentices’, ‘use of digital media in initial vocational training’, ‘designing pro-
ject assignments’, ‘setting up cooperation between learning venues’, etc.). For staff involved
in initial vocational training, the potential of the Internet for information, teaching and learning
will be opened up by this services, and then made usable over the long term for company-
based initial vocational training processes (autonomous information-seeking, exploratory and
active). At the same time, by collaboratively developing and testing virtual learning assign-
ments, training staff will enhance their own skills in the handling of modern media tailored to
the communicative behaviour of young people. Both groups involved (education and training
staff and young people) benefit from these opportunities, which therefore produce a direct
increase in the attractiveness of company-based initial vocational training and thus help to
underpin its competitiveness.
BIBB, Bonn, January 2007