IT-Based

Knowledge Management

:New Perspectives for Teachers and Trainers

- Exe

utive Summary -

Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)Robert Schuman Platz 3D-53175 BonnC/o Michael HaertelSection 3.2“Quality Management, Quality Development/Distance Learning- Training Personnel -Phone: +49 (0) 228 107-1013E 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 Federa

Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB,www.bibb.de) is nationallyand 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 anddevelopment and advisory work it carries out therefore center on identifying future tasks of vocational education and training, promoting innovation at a domestic and international leveland developing new practice related training proposals. The Federal Institute for VocationalEducation 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, theLänder governments and the Federal Government, with a view to improving and updatingvocational 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.

Informationmanagement

Manyfolded Roles of Training Staff

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 globaleconomy. This has direct affects to learning and training activities, to related methodologicaland (web -) didactic approaches and the delivery of individualized, dynamic learning contentat the very moment the learner needs it. Therefore learning processes need to be fast, just intime 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 employeesbenefit from technology-enhanced learning in order to solve problems within complex situa-tions in businesses? Recent training technology research and development conducted byBIBB has very much been driven by this questions in order to try to find convincing solutionsfor the use of digital media in vocational education and training and in the world of work. Theinvestigation of IT-based learning environments and teaching and learning processes andthe 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 iscurrently 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 visithttp://www.ausbilderfoerderung.de/interaktives/infosystem.php3 IT-based information and learning environments enable necessary knowledge to be acquiredindependently 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 muchmore 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 itslifeblood 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 jobprofiles of training personnel and sets new standards for the qualification of the staff. Thishas 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-