Results of the INWICA research project A culture-sensitive blended learning approach
Many German companies have had production sites in other countries for a long time. Particularly China plays a major role here. Chinese employees, especially at the middle management level, should be trained at different locations and according to German guidelines. Language barriers and cultural differences must be taken into account.
The research project INWICA – Innovative Further Education in China – has set itself the goal of designing an advanced qualification for Chinese team leaders in the production of German industrial companies, based on the model of the German “Industriemeister”. The blended learning approach is applied here: Classroom training on technical production knowledge was conducted at the project partner GAMI in China and combined with live e-learning offers in vitero inspire.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and implemented under the direction of the Fraunhofer IAO in cooperation with the KIT Institute GAMI (Global Advanced Manufacturing Institute, located in Suzhou, China), the IBB (Institute for Professional Education) and vitero GmbH.
As part of the project, Anne Rickert has developed a guideline for the culture-sensitive adaptation of live e-learning. Her work is based on the knowledge that learners (inter)act, communicate, and learn differently in virtual environments depending on their cultural background.
At the closing event of INWICA on the 17th of November 2022, different expert speeches were presented by China experts and the project partners. The developed guideline was presented to the professional audience in our presentation with the title “Culture-sensitive creation of virtual trainings”. Further detailed information (in German) on INWICA can be found at: INWICA research project.