eLearning for Education and Training in China - An Opportunity for German Companies?

In November 2018, the second project trip took place as part of the KoLeArn project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The trip focused on the question of how digital teaching and learning methods can be used to counteract the shortage of skilled workers in China.

In the joint project KoLeArn, the departments of business informatics and business didactics at the University of Kassel, the Vocational Training Center BZ Kassel, Wirtschaftsförderung Region Kassel GmbH and Smartransfer GmbH are working together on the project to develop digital training and continuing education offerings for the Chinese market. The project will develop innovative learning services that are individually tailored to the learner. In addition to developing models, methods and e-learning tools, the project focuses on considering the context of the learners. "Every learner has a different background and therefore needs individual support in order to provide them with the best possible education and training," says Prof. Dr Jens Klusmeyer from the Department of Business Education.

The division of labor within the joint project is in accordance with the respective research and competence focuses of the project partners: The Department of Business Information Systems, headed by Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister, focuses on the development and conception of the individualized learning services and coordinates the project. The Department of Business Didactics, headed by Prof. Dr. Jens Klusmeyer, develops target group-specific didactic concepts for workplace-oriented training and continuing education programs based on the requirements. Dr. Ute Urbon and her team from Bildungszentrum Kassel GmbH contribute their many years of didactic-practical expertise as well as their industry experience in the field of vocational training. The Wirtschaftsförderung Region Kassel GmbH, represented by Managing Director Kai Lorenz Wittrock, and in particular the Hessen-China network based there, contribute their specialist expertise and open up access to China for the practical and network partners. The work of SmarTransfer GmbH, headed by Dr. René Wegener, focuses on technical implementation and platform development of the KoLeArn learning system.

"The individualized learning services and tools to be developed can ideally adapt to different learners and thus offer each learner individual, optimal learning content," says Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister. The sustainability of the research results obtained is ensured in the project by the development of innovative business models, which are already taken into account in the course of the development of the learning services.

From November 12 to 22, 2018, the second project trip of the joint project KoLeArn took place, which deals with innovative education and training concepts in China. The aim of the trip was to survey requirements and collect initial data from the participating project partners in China. Production facilities spread all over China were visited and analyzed. It turned out that the companies often have to take over the training of their employees themselves due to the dual training system, which is unknown in China. The training offered in vocational schools is often very theoretical and difficult to adapt to the individual background of the employees. The focus of the research project is on the needs of employees in training and further education. The aim is to develop systems that are individually tailored to employees so that they receive only the information that is relevant to them. This individualized consideration is intended to improve the learning experience of employees, thus ensuring better and faster absorption of information.

Among other things, this included a tour of B.Braun, a pharmaceutical and medical technology manufacturer based in northern Hesse, Germany, but with international operations. B.Braun, which has been active in China since 2005, employs around 550 people at its site. The close contact with the partner companies in China during the course of the three-year project is an important prerequisite for developing practical solutions. These solutions will be individually adapted to the respective application and should not only be efficient, but also more cost-effective than existing systems.

Contact:

Dr. Andreas Janson

University of Kassel

Department of Business Informatics

Phone: +49 561 804-6321

E-mail: andreas.janson@uni-kassel.de

Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister

University of Kassel

Department of Information Systems

Head of Department