Digital Content - BYOD into the vocational classroom

"<< Background >>Since the Corona pandemic, the use of tablets or digital devices respectively has been the focus of lesson development not only in Baden-Wuerttemberg, but worldwide. A positive side effect is that self-directed learning is activated in the students with the effect to stimulate lifelong learning in work and society among other things. With this project we want to empower teachers to develop the skills of digital self-organized learning in the classroom, at home in distance learning and at work. After enabling teachers and students to use data-protected learning platforms and getting things running, our big aim is the development of good-practice digital lessons for all kinds of professions in VET and also include weaker performers in the pedagogical concepts. The motivation for our project is to further develop, improve and adjust the technical VET approach to standardised successful teaching modules that can be used in the classroom for all types of learners and all types of training professions. We want to dive deeper into the matter by thinking outside the box and look into European models and methods for BYOD in the classroom.<< Objectives >>The objectives were firstly an analysis of the situation before and after the pandemic concerning online teaching and digital devices in the classroom in Germany and Finland to have a basis on which we could develop joint digital VET lessons. Next we would put up a joint definition of criteria for successful digital teaching. In the centre point stood the development of lessons for good teaching with digital devices in the classroom on the above basis.We then were supposed to test, evaluate, adjust and re-test the developed lesson to then extract the best/good-practice modules/lessons for teaching with digital devices in the classroom that were going to be included in a teaching guideline.A bigger handout should present all our above findings such as used applications, digital platforms, VET structure in both countries, Corona situation etc. We also wanted to create two online videos that would show the implementation of a lesson with digital devices in the VET classroom.<< Implementation >>There were four mobilities planned that focused on lesson shadowing, expert exchange and lesson development ""on site"". Colleagues from Germany and Finland would assess ca. 3 lessons per visit to ""experience"" feasibility, functionality and effectiveness directly in the classroom. They would take in the atmosphere of the digital lesson (motivation, challenges, learning attitudes) and do a guided checking (by questionnaire developed beforehand) of atmosphere/methods/materials/didactics/software and hardware that is in use. The chosen school subject was to be “English” with vocational focus (i.e. technical English, commercial English, etc.) as it is taught in every vocational field and in probably every class at every training level in most countries. It would be possible to add other subjects in accordance with both project partners. After the lesson shadowing discussions were carried out with all present lesson participants (teacher, students and assessors). Also an anonymous feedback questionnaire was to be handed out to the students and the teacher to get an overall view of the impact. According to the feedback we would get the lessons were to be adjusted, if necessary and re-tested and re-evaluated. << Results >>We created a digital handout including the respective countries' requirements and conditions in the classroom when using digital devices/terminals. This handout is to present shortly the various current activities (digital applications and plattforms) for BYOD in the VET classroom including their pros and cons. The handout is to have at max. six digital pages and includes also our evaluation form. As we put together all our findings, we realised that it would be a pity to have only a six page handout and so much information so that we decided to have two handouts. A shorter one and the long version going very much into detail.The finalised and re-tested lessons are to be published in a teaching guideline for the use of digital devices in the classroom with exemplary teaching units (2 - 4) incl. remarks for their application.During the project we realised that we could develop more than four exemplary teaching units as the development and revision of the shadowed and evaluated lessons went very smoothly. So we ended up with seven exemplary teaching units in various fields of VET.Two short videos were created - one in Finland and one in Germany to tell a bit about digital lessons in the VET classroom."