The ‘Erfahrraum’: a pedagogical model for designing educational technologies in dual vocational systems

Abstract

Vocational education taking place in the dual contexts of workplace and school often lacks integration of concrete experiences with theoretical knowledge. The interplay between workplace and school contexts and their often antagonistic priorities call for a specific model that transforms these divergences into learning opportunities and connects different forms of knowledge into an integrated body of knowledge that contributes to developing vocational competence. This paper presents a multidimensional pedagogical model, called the 'Erfahrraum', for the design and implementation of educational technologies as a way to foster this integration in initial dual vocational education and training (VET). The 'Erfahrraum' model informs the design of shared spaces for capturing and reflecting on experiences made in different contexts in which VET takes place. The model particularly emphasises the importance of shared reflection processes to turn concrete experiences into relevant integrated knowledge. Examples of implementations in different professions using a range of different technologies illustrate the power of the 'Erfahrraum' model.

What makes an online learning journal powerful for VET? Distinguishing productive usage patterns and effective learning strategies

“…Schools might be more used to reflection-on-action than workplaces (Eraut 1995). We have proposed elsewhere a pedagogical model called 'Erfahrraum' featuring an iterative loop between workplace and school contexts to foster systematic reflection (Dillenbourg 2009;Dillenbourg and Jermann 2010;Schwendimann et al 2015). The model highlights that (unprocessed) experiences alone do not lead to knowledge (Herzog and von Felten 2001).…”

Exploring visual languages across vocational professions

“…VET is an essential part of the education system in Switzerland, but there are still some gaps to fill and some progress to be made in order to create cohesive and better integrated experiences for students who move across different learning environments such as schools, companies and branch-courses. For instance, the pedagogical model 'Erfahrraum' (Schwendimann, Cattaneo, Dehler, & Zufferey, 2015) can be used for designing activities aimed at the integration of knowledge and professional skills. Examples in this direction are the work of Cattaneo, Motta and Gurtner (2015) with chefs or studies such as the one from Caruso (2017) that identified how fundamental observational skills are for fashion designers and the potential of developing a training program to promote this ability.…”

Connecting school and workplace with digital technology: Teachers’ experiences of gaps that can be bridged

“…Hence, previous research shows that digital technology, in terms of a range of different tools and platforms, can contribute to integrating student learning in vocational education conducted in school and workplaces; for example apps, blogs, digital portfolios, mobile phones, simulations, social media and video diaries can be used to bridge the learning gap between the arenas (cf. Akkerman & Bakker, 2011;Kilbrink et al, in press;Motta, Cattaneo & Gurtner, 2014;Schwendimann, et al, 2015;Schwendimann, de Wever, Hämäläinen & Cattaneo, 2018).…”

“…It is also possible to use digital technology in different ways to support this communication (cf. Berg Christoffersson, 2015;Kilbrink et al, in press;Schwendimann et al, 2015). Other aspects include the possibilities for students to reflect on their learning experiences between the arenas (cf.…”

“…Other aspects include the possibilities for students to reflect on their learning experiences between the arenas (cf. Akkerman & Bakker, 2011;Akkerman & Bakker, 2012;Schaap et al, 2012;Schwendimann et al, 2015) as well as to collaborate on their learning in different ways (Schwendimann et al, 2018). Research also shows that teachers at school and supervisors at workplaces could have different foci.…”