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Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how learning solely via an assistance system influences work performance compared with learning with a combination of an assistance system and additional training. While the training literature has widely emphasised the positive role of on-the-job training, particularly for groups that are often underrepresented in formalised learning situations, organisational studies have stressed the risks that emerge when holistic process knowledge is lacking and how this negatively affects work performance. This study aims at testing these negative effects within an experimental design.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a laboratory experimental design to investigate how assistance-system-guided learning influences the individuals’ work performance and work satisfaction compared with assistance-system-guided learning combined with theoretical learning of holistic process knowledge. Subjects were divided into two groups and assigned to two different settings. In the first setting, the participants used the assistance systems as an orientation and support tool right at the beginning and learned the production steps exclusively in this way. In the second setting, subjects received an additional 10-min introduction (treatment) at the beginning of the experiment, including detailed information regarding the entire work process.
Findings
This study provides evidence that learners provided with prior process knowledge achieve a better understanding of the work process leading to higher levels of productivity, quality and work satisfaction. At the same time, the authors found evidence for differences among workers’ ability to process and apply this additional information. Subjects with lower productivity levels faced more difficulties processing and applying additional process information.
Research limitations/implications
Methodologically, this study goes beyond existing research on assistance systems by using a laboratory experimental design. Though the external validity of this method is limited by the artificial setting, it is a solid way of studying the impact of different usages of digital assistance systems in terms of training. Further research is required, however, including laboratory experiments with larger case numbers, company-level case studies and analyses of survey data, to further confirm the external validity of the findings of this study for the workplace.
Practical implications
This study provides some first evidence that holistic process knowledge, even in low-skill tasks, has an added value for the production process. This study contributes to firms' training policies by exploring new, digitalised ways of guided on-the-job training and demonstrates possible training benefits for people with lower levels of (initial) abilities and motivation.
Social implications
This study indicates the advantage for companies and societies to invest in additional skills and training and points at the limitations of assistance systems. This paper also contributes to training policies by exploring new, digitalised ways of guided on-the-job training and demonstrates possible training benefits for people with lower levels of (initial) abilities and motivation.
Originality/value
This study extends existing research on digital assistance systems by investigating their role in job-related-training. This paper contributes to labour sociology and organisational research by confirming the importance of holistic process knowledge as opposed to a solely task-oriented digital introduction.
Lernen mit Assistenzsystemen
(2020)
Der Beitrag beschreibt die Konzeption und Durchführung und bietet einen Einblick in die ersten Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung mit experimentellem Design in einer simulierten Prozessumgebung im Forschungs- und Anwendungszentrum Industrie 4.0 in Potsdam. Im Mittelpunkt stehen Anlernprozesse im Bereich der Einfacharbeit (Helfertätigkeiten) und ihre Gestaltung durch den Einsatz digitaler Assistenzsysteme. In der Arbeitsforschung finden sich Hinweise darauf, dass mit dem Einsatz dieser Systeme Prozesswissen verloren geht, im Sinne einer guten Kenntnis des gesamten Arbeitsprozesses, in den die einzelnen Tätigkeiten eingebettet sind. Das kann sich als Problem erweisen, vor allem wenn unvorhersehbare Situationen oder Fehler eintreten. Um die Rolle von Prozesswissen beim Einsatz von digitalen Assistenzsystemen zu untersuchen, wird im Experiment eine echte Fabriksituation simuliert. Die Probanden werden über ein Assistenzsystem Schritt für Schritt in ihre Aufgabentätigkeit angelernt, einem Teil der Probanden wird allerdings am Anfang zusätzlich Prozesswissen im Rahmen einer kurzen Schulung vermittelt.
In response to the impending spread of COVID-19, universities worldwide abruptly stopped face-to-face teaching and switched to technology-mediated teaching. As a result, the use of technology in the learning processes of students of different disciplines became essential and the only way to teach, communicate and collaborate for months. In this crisis context, we conducted a longitudinal study in four German universities, in which we collected a total of 875 responses from students of information systems and music and arts at four points in time during the spring–summer 2020 semester. Our study focused on (1) the students’ acceptance of technology-mediated learning, (2) any change in this acceptance during the semester and (3) the differences in acceptance between the two disciplines. We applied the Technology Acceptance Model and were able to validate it for the extreme situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. We extended the model with three new variables (time flexibility, learning flexibility and social isolation) that influenced the construct of perceived usefulness. Furthermore, we detected differences between the disciplines and over time. In this paper, we present and discuss our study’s results and derive short- and long-term implications for science and practice.
The design of qualitative, excellent teaching requires collaboration between teachers and learners. For this purpose, face-to-face teaching benefits from a long-standing tradition, while digital teaching is comparatively still at the beginning of its dissemination. A major developmental step toward the digitization of teaching was achieved in the context of university teaching during the Covid 19 pandemic in spring 2020, when face-to-face teaching was interrupted for months. During this time, important insights into the opportunities and limitations of digital teaching were gained. This paper presents selected results of a study conducted at four German universities and with 875 responses in spring 2020. The study uncovers opportunities and limitations of digital teaching from the students’ perspective and against the background of their experience in the completely digital semester. The results are used as a basis for deriving design guidelines for digital teaching and learning offerings. Based on a model for analyzing the design of teaching and learning formats, these indications are structured according to the elements learners, teachers, teaching content, environment and teaching style.
Dem Mitarbeiter zu Diensten
(2021)
Die Weiterbildung und Qualifizierung der Mitarbeiter sind zentrale Erfolgsfaktoren des digitalen Wandels. Die zentrale Herausforderung besteht darin, diese maßgeschnitten anzubieten sowie notwendige Akzeptanz nicht vorauszusetzen, sondern ebenso als Zielgröße anzusehen. Dies geschieht jedoch nur, wenn die Mitarbeiter als Partner gesehen werden, deren Bedürfnisse und Verständnis nachhaltig berücksichtigt werden. Dieser Beitrag schlägt vor diesem Hintergrund einen Ansatz vor, Weiterbildung als Personennahe Dienstleistung zu realisieren. Dafür wird zuerst ein skizzenhafter Überblick über grundlegende Kompetenzanforderungen des digitalen Wandels gegeben. Danach wird die aktuelle Situation betrieblicher Weiterbildung in der digitalen Transformation beleuchtet. Hierzu wurde in einem Zeitraum von sechs Monaten im Rahmen einer quantitativen Untersuchung erhoben, wie Beschäftigte die digitale Transformation ihres Unternehmens und daraus resultierende Bedarfe betrieblicher Weiterbildung wahrnehmen. Darauf basierend werden drei aktuelle Paradoxe abgeleitet, die mit einer Durchführung von Weiterbildung als Personennahe Dienstleistung verhindert werden können. Empfehlungen und Lösungsansätze werden hierzu diskutiert und weiterer Forschungsbedarf abgeleitet.
Assistenzsysteme finden im Kontext der digitalen Transformation immer mehr Einsatz. Sie können Beschäftigte in industriellen Produktionsprozessen sowohl in der Anlern- als auch in der aktiven Arbeitsphase unterstützen. Kompetenzen können so arbeitsplatz- und prozessnah sowie bedarfsorientiert aufgebaut werden. In diesem Beitrag wird der aktuelle Forschungsstand zu den Einsatzmöglichkeiten dieser Assistenzsysteme diskutiert und mit Beispielen illustriert. Es werden unter anderem auch Herausforderungen für den Einsatz aufgezeigt. Am Ende des Beitrags werden Potenziale für die zukünftige Nutzung von AS in industriellen Lernprozessen und für die Forschung identifiziert.