Collaboration with Fraunhofer and Festo on innovative, platform-based and AI-supported learning opportunities

Since 2021, University4Industry has been working together with the Fraunhofer Academy, Festo Didactic, the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence and other project partners on innovative, platform-based and AI-supported teaching and learning offers in the research and development project TRIPLEADAPT. Our mission is to connect the further education opportunities and approaches of different learning providers in a Learning Experience. The partner project is funded by the INVITE innovation competition of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB).

Adaptive learning through cross-platform learning and AI applications

Due to the digitalization of manufacturing and management processes in companies, continuous, fast and flexible upskilling and reskilling of employees is necessary. Very few traditional face-to-face training programs or learning management systems (LMS) can meet the requirements in terms of availability, accuracy of fit and relevance of content. Companies are therefore faced with the challenge of finding the right learning content from a multitude of offers on different learning platforms that enables their employees to solve the challenges of our time.

The research project is developing adaptive solutions that can be adjusted to the work situation and the competences of the employees. For this purpose, cross-platform learning offers, platform-specific innovations and AI applications are designed, implemented and evaluated in different use cases.

Contribution of University4Industry to the partner project

The focus of the research project is the connection of existing education platforms in a socio-technical system through a digital triplet. The aim is to demonstrate the potential this offers for higher education, corporate learning and new business models for learning providers. For this purpose, there are various use cases that address different scenarios. As part of the INVITE-ToolCheck, the prototypes “Cybersecurity” and “Assembly Assistance” were made available for testing.

INVITE-ToolCheck:
The cybersecurity learning scenario offers learners the opportunity to learn more about the topic of encryption and hacking across different interlinked learning platforms. Depending on time and expertise level, employees can choose from different learning paths.
In the assembly assistance learning scenario, learners receive support in assembling a cylinder with adaptive and personalised real-time recommendations. The sensor-based process data and measured execution times are based on an AI-supported analysis.

The public testing of these two cross-platform use cases took place on December 20, 2022. The cybersecurity learning scenario was co-developed by University4Industry. The special feature of these cross-platform trainings is that the learners specify their prior knowledge and learning goals in advance, from which an individual learning path is created through an AI application. The participants always learn in Fraunhofer’s CLM platform, which links the learning content of all providers. This makes it possible to combine different learning content and formats independently of the learning platform, but in a way that suits the needs of the learners.

In addition to these cross-platform solutions, University4Industry is currently developing platform-bound use cases as part of TRIPLEADAPT. The aim here is to develop adaptive learning paths within a CLM (Contract Lifecycle Management) structure by means of administration shells. These determine the knowledge level of the participants at certain measuring points, e.g., after completion of a chapter, by means of tests and questions. Depending on whether the learners are able to do more or less than expected, they are automatically redirected to a learning path with more in-depth, repetitive or advanced learning content.

Challenge of common business model and certification

The project managers for TRIPLEADAPT on the part of University4Industry are Wolfgang Lay, Asbjørn Berg Sørensen and Horatiu Fantana. Together with the project partners, they are currently working on a solution to certify the cross-platform use cases. Learners shall collect badges for each use case and be able to use them to acquire a micro-certificate via the blockchain after passing an exam. Since many providers use different pricing models, the project partners are also developing a cross-platform business model that meets the demands of customers and also those of various service providers. In this as in other tasks, the challenge lies primarily in the large and diverse consortium, where different approaches to learning prevail. However, this gives the participants new perspectives and broadens the horizon in research on continuous digital learning.

Project background INVITE initiative and TRIPLEADAPT

INVITE was launched as a nationwide competition to develop a digital platform for continuing vocational education and training in 2020 (funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)). In the two-stage selection process by an interdisciplinary jury, a total of 34 research and development projects and the scientifically oriented project INVITE-Meta prevailed. Since March 1s, 2021, the total funding volume of around 88 million EUR will be used over a period of three years to work on the design of an innovative and at the same time secure continuous learning space.