The article discusses the explanatory power of conceptual change for research on workplace learning in digitalized workplaces. Interestingly, research on conceptual change is well-established within the area of science education but widely neglected within the broad area of workplace learning research. Digitalization of work establishes new quality of tasks and tools by integrating workers and machines into digital networks. Hence, conceptual change can be considered a core concept for identifying workers' successful adaption to digital transformation. Therefore, conceptual change research in the area of workplace learning in digitalized workplaces is highly relevant. The article reflects upon reasons, explores the potential of conceptual change for understanding workplace learning in digitalized workplaces, and illustrates the argumentation by exemplarily referring to digitalized farming. Finally, the article provides suggestions for future research.

Purpose: This study aims at investigating how digitalisation (in the sense of industry 4.0) has changed the work of farmers and how they experience the changes from more traditional work to digitalised agriculture. It also investigates what knowledge farmers require on digitalised farms and how they acquire it. Dairy farming was used as domain of investigation since it, unlike other industries, has strongly been affected by digitalisation throughout the last years.Method: Exploratory interviews with 10 livestock farmers working on digitalised dairy farms were analysed using qualitative content analysis. A deductive and inductive coding strategy was used. Findings: Farming work has changed from more manual tasks towards symbol manipulation and data processing. Farmers must be able to use computers and other digital devices to retrieve and analyse sensor data that allow them to monitor and control the processes on their farm. For this new kind of work, farmers require elaborated mental models that link traditional farming knowledge with knowledge about digital systems, including a strong understanding of production processes underlying their farm. Learning is mostly based on instructions offered by manufacturers of the new technology as well as informal and non-formal learning modes. Even younger farmers report that digital technology was not sufficiently covered in their (vocational) degrees. In general, farmers emphasises the positive effects of digitalisation both on their working as well as private life. Conclusions: Farmers should be aware of the opportunities as well as the potential drawbacks of the digitalisation of work processes in agriculture. Providers of agricultural education (like vocational schools or training institutes) need to incorporate the knowledge and skills required to work in digitalised environments (e.g., data literacy) in their syllabi. Further studies are required to assess how digitalisation changes farming practices and what knowledge as well as skills linked to these developments are required in the future.

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The digital transformation of organizations in the industrial sector is primarily driven by the opportunity to increase productivity while simultaneously reducing costs through integration into a cyber-physical system. One way to fully tap the potential of a cyber-physical system is the concept of the digital twin, i.e., the real-time digital representation of machines and resources involved – including human resources. The vision of representing humans by digital twins primarily aims at increasing economic benefits. The digital twin of a human, however, cannot be designed in a similar way to that of a machine. The human digital twin shall rather enable humans to act within the cyber-physical system. It therefore offers humans a power of control and the opportunity to provide feedback. The concept of the digital twin is still in its infancy and raises many questions in particular from an educational perspective. The contribution aims at answering the following questions and refers to the example of team learning: Which and how much data should and may the digital twin contain in order to support humans in their learning? To what extent will humans be able to control and design their own learning? How may skills, experiences, and social interactions of humans be represented in the digital twin; their growth and further development, respectively? With cyber-physical systems transcending corporate, national, and legal boundaries, what learning culture will be the frame of reference for the involved organizations?

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ZusammenfassungIn der Mehrheit der deutschen Bundesländer ist ein Langzeitpraktikum (Praxissemester) Bestandteil der Lehramtsstudiengänge. Es zielt insbesondere darauf, Theorie und Praxis miteinander in Beziehung zu setzen. Trotz der gewichtigen Rolle, die den Mentor*innen dabei zugeschrieben wird, ist deren Perspektive noch wenig untersucht. Die empirisch auffindbaren Unterschiede in der Betreuung Studierender könnten u. a. auf unterschiedliche Vorstellungen von der Beziehung zwischen Theorie und Praxis seitens der Mentor*innen zurückzuführen sein. Diese Vorstellungen interessieren in der im Folgenden dargestellten explorativen Interviewstudie, deren Daten einer strukturierenden Inhaltsanalyse unterzogen wurden. Nachstehenden Forschungsfragen wird nachgegangen:1) Sind die Mentor*innen auf die Aufgabe der Verknüpfung von Theorie und Praxis vorbereitet?2) Werden in den Erzählungen der Mentor*innen zu gelingenden und misslingenden Betreuungserfahrungen Theorie-Praxis-Relationierungsfiguren sichtbar, wenn ja, welche und zeigen sich Bemühungen der Verknüpfung von Theorie und Praxis?3) Werden in den Erzählungen der Mentor*innen zur eigenen Lerngeschichte Theorie-Praxis-Relationierungsfiguren sichtbar, wenn ja, welche und welche relative Rolle spielt das Ausbildungswissen aus Sicht der Mentor*innen für die Entwicklung ihres Könnens?4) Welches Wissensverständnis der Mentor*innen zeigt sich in den Transkripten und welche Relevanz wird Wissen im Vergleich zu Erfahrung, Reflexion von Erfahrung und Persönlichkeit zugeschrieben?Es zeigt sich, dass die Mentor*innen das Theorie-Praxis-Verhältnis in den Gesprächen selten thematisieren, die Begriffe „Wissen“ und „Können“ synonym verwenden und der Erfahrung für die Entwicklung von Können eine höhere Relevanz beimessen als dem didaktischen und pädagogischen Ausbildungswissen.

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