Strengthening the digital skills of teachers at vocational schools

The University of Stuttgart is supporting the digital transformation process in vocational education and training in a cross-state competence center. Under the title “Länder- und phasenübergreifendes Interface der beruflich-technischen Bildung” (LPI) [Cross-state and cross-phase interface of vocational-technical education and training], digital and digitally supported teaching in schools and further education in the STEM sector has been researched and further developed since April 1, 2023.

“The LPI research, innovation, and transfer project enables us to strengthen digital and digitally supported teaching in STEM subjects from a cross-state perspective and to establish a cross-phase knowledge transfer in the sense of further developing the digital skills of teachers at vocational schools,” says project leader Professor Bernd Zinn from the Department of Vocational Education focused Teaching Technology (BPT) at the University of Stuttgart. “The University of Stuttgart is focusing on technology-based experiences – that is virtual, augmented, and mixed reality – as well as the use of artificial intelligence in teaching. Applications and research results developed for training student teachers will now be transferred to the further training of teachers in the competence center and will thus enable long-standing teachers to use appropriate technologies.”

The LPI Competence Center is one of six funded STEM-related competence centers in Germany. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in cooperation with the states with around EUR 2 million for two and a half years and networks teacher training locations as well as other teacher training and continuing education institutions. The focus is on close cooperation between the three members of the TU9 Alliance of leading technical universities in Germany – the University of Stuttgart, the Technical University of Darmstadt, and the Technical University of Munich – as well as the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd.

A cross-state and cross-phase interface of vocational-technical education is being developed, and research-based training and consulting concepts are being implemented at the locations. The LPI brings together stakeholders in vocational education and training (e.g., universities, state and further education institutions, ministries, and vocational schools) and enables the testing of various formats and concepts, taking into account existing structures and initiatives in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, and Hesse.

The network addresses six current topics of digital transformation at vocational schools. The first two topics deal with hybrid learning landscapes and media packages as modular building blocks of individualized learning. Two other areas of focus are responsive learning and learning analytics as well as the use of virtual, augmented, and blended learning and working environments in vocational education. In addition, the project focuses on vocational school learning factories and digital school and classroom development.

the Technical University of Darmstadt, the Technical University of Munich, the University of Stuttgart, and the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd

the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of the State of Hesse, the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Seminar for Initial and Continuing Teacher Education (Vocational Schools) Karlsruhe, Seminar for Initial and Continuing Teacher Education (Vocational Schools) Stuttgart, Study Seminar for Vocational Schools in Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Gießen, Kassel, and Wiesbaden as well as the Center for Teacher Education of the Technical University of Darmstadt