4. Promoting innovative pedagogical approaches in vocational education and training

Abstract

This chapter discusses the increasing demand for digital and soft skills in the workplace, and how this creates a need for innovative teaching in vocational education and training (VET). It details existing innovative pedagogical approaches and provides concrete examples of how professional development opportunities and other support mechanisms can prepare VET teachers to innovate in their teaching practices.

Key messages for promoting innovative pedagogical approaches in VET

As automation and digitalisation in the workplace rapidly change job requirements, today’s vocational education and training (VET) teachers need to equip their students not just with vocational skills, but also with strong digital and soft skills. These skills are today crucial in the workplace and essential for the use of technology. Policy makers need to highlight the importance of these skills and promote their incorporation into VET teaching and learning, to guarantee a smooth transition of VET graduates into the labour force and increase their adaptability.

Pedagogical approaches such as inquiry-based, project-based and collaborative learning can help develop fundamental soft skills such as critical thinking, creativity, team work and communication. These pedagogical approaches can incorporate innovative elements such as gamification, blended learning and experiential learning. The use of innovative technology such as robots, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and simulators allows teachers to develop students’ vocational skills while also fostering their digital and soft skills. These technologies are likely to become more common in VET in the years to come, as they have advantages in terms of flexibility, cost and safety. They are also well suited to facing the challenges imposed by digitalisation and industry 4.0.

VET teachers will need to know how to adapt their teaching to incorporate the development of soft skills. This can prove challenging for many VET teachers, since in several countries they have limited training in pedagogy. Moreover, in order to use technology to incorporate innovative pedagogies into their teaching, they need to have solid digital skills themselves. However, a large proportion of VET teachers are currently not well equipped with the skills required to teach in digital environments. In order to address these issues, high-quality initial teacher education training and continuous professional development are crucial to update teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and digital skills. Keeping VET teachers up to date with the latest technological developments in industry will also require close collaboration with employers.

Policy pointers

3.1. Fostering the capacity of VET teachers to use innovative pedagogical approaches.
3.2. Providing VET teachers with strategic guidance and institutional support for the integration of new technologies in VET.
3.3. Foster innovation through partnerships between the VET sector, industry and research institutions.
3.4. Raising awareness about the importance of innovation, ICT and soft skills in teaching in VET.

The increasing need for digital and soft skills

The demand for digital and soft skills in the labour market is rising

Digital skills have become a fundamental part of the workplace today, increasing the need for VET systems to develop those skills alongside more occupation-specific ones (see Box 4.2 for a definition of digital skills). The use of advanced technology in the workplace has increased in recent years for workers in all sectors and occupations, including elementary occupations that generally require lower levels of cognitive skills. Today, craft and trade workers – who often have a VET qualification – make more intensive use of their digital skills, as their workplaces adopt electronic devices, complex machinery or robots. For example, professionals in the logistics sector make frequent use of tablet computers and specialised software to report on, administer and control cargo; automotive mechanics use sophisticated digital devices to test the correct functioning of engines; welders in some manufacturing companies use software to manage soldering robots; and employees in high-risk environments such as power plants use simulation tools or virtual reality (VR) to assess physical risks. In the health sector, which also employs many VET graduates, dentistry, medical and optical assistants make use of sophisticated digital imaging technologies, while medical laboratory technicians make use of digital laboratory testing equipment.

Digitalisation in the workplace has also increased the need for strong basic skills (e.g. literacy, numeracy and digital skills) and soft skills (e.g. critical thinking, communication, collaboration and team work) in all industries. As robotics and automation will become more widespread, this will affect the skills needed to succeed in the workplace in all industries. In OECD countries, skills traditionally linked to trade occupations, such as control and monitoring of industrial operations or maintenance of equipment, are already experiencing surpluses (Figure 4.1). At the same time, cognitive and soft skills, such as reading, writing, critical thinking and active learning, are increasingly in short supply.

Strong soft and digital skills allow workers to be more flexible in meeting labour-market demands. In a dynamic labour market, workers are unlikely to remain in the same profession during their entire careers. As existing occupations change and new ones are created, workers will need to be flexible enough to adapt to regular job changes. Cross-cutting skills facilitate those job transitions and allow individuals to be more employable in the long term.

Figure 4.1. OECD countries face widening skills imbalances

Digitalisation and automation have fundamentally changed the skills needed from VET graduates, and further changes are expected (ILO, 2020[5]). For example, sectors such as the automotive industry (Box 4.1), the energy and utilities industry, and the consumer products industry, are likely to increasingly implement smart factories or other forms of automation in their manufacturing processes (Capgemini Research Institute, 2020[3]). Given that occupations involving routine tasks are being transformed, restructured or disappearing due to increasing levels of automation 1 (see Figure 1.3 in Chapter 1), VET will need to focus more on those tasks and occupations that demand higher levels of autonomy, planning, team work, communication and customer service skills and are less likely to be automated (OECD, 2019[6]). This growing need for digital and soft skills in the labour market will induce a pedagogical shift in VET, which has traditionally focused largely on developing technical occupation-specific skills.

Box 4.1. Smart factories in the automotive industry: Industry 4.0

Smart factories are an application of Industry 4.0,1 which use intelligent production systems and processes as well as suitable engineering methods and tools to successfully implement distributed and interconnected production facilities (Shrouf, Ordieres and Miragliotta, 2014[2]). In smart factories, workers, machines and robots, logistic systems and products communicate and co-operate directly with one another, and a large number of processes are completely automated.

The automotive industry has been one of the most advanced in implementing automation by making use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in smart factories. According to a survey 2 conducted by the Capgemini Research Institute, three out of ten automotive factories had been made smart between 2017 and 2019 (Capgemini Research Institute, 2020[3]). Automotive smart factories show high levels of connectivity and automation. Smart devices, robots and machinery, manufacturing processes, and logistical systems are all interconnected and can be flexible if there are new production requirements. Data analytics and real-time information management support production processes and achieve higher productivity, shorter manufacturing times, decreased defect rates and lower physical prototyping and testing costs.

Operating these plants requires highly complex engineering processes at all levels. Plant operators make use of their digital skills in several processes: tele-operated motion processes (e.g. use of collaborative robots, automated guided vehicles or drones), virtual testing of parts and packaging from suppliers through virtual reality, and troubleshooting through augmented reality. Smart factories also need workers to have strong analytical and AI capabilities to make intensive use of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, perform real-time analytics for edge computing, or operate self-triggered order placement systems based on inventory levels.

← 1. In Industry 4.0, with intelligent and digitally networked systems available, a largely self-organised production process is possible. Industry 4.0 relates to production processes where the flexibility that exists in value-creating networks is increased by the application of cyber-physical production systems. This enables machines and plants to adapt their behaviour to changing orders and operating conditions through self-optimisation and reconfiguration. Systems can perceive information, derive findings from it and change their behaviour accordingly (Shrouf, Ordieres and Miragliotta, 2014[2]).

← 2. Capgemini Research Institute, Smart factory survey, April–May 2019. One thousand manufacturers responded to the survey (Capgemini Research Institute, 2019[4]).

Source: Capgemini Research Institute (2020[3]), How Automotive Organizations Can Maximize the Smart Factory Potential, https://www.capgemini.com/se-en/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2020/02/Report-–-Auto-Smart-Factories-22.pdf

The demand for higher-level digital skills is on the rise

VET systems will need to provide the stronger digital skills their graduates will need to succeed in future occupations. In many occupations VET graduates will need more than basic digital skills to succeed in highly automated work environments (for information on digital skills levels see Box 4.2).

Box 4.2. The three levels of digital skills

Basic functional digital skills

Basic functional digital skills enable an individual to access and engage with digital technologies. These are the entry-level skills required to make rudimentary use of digital devices and applications. They can be seen as the essential skills needed to access and begin to use digital technology. Users with basic digital skills are able to connect to the Internet, set up accounts and profiles, and access information and resources. These users are able to understand basic information and communications technology (ICT) concepts, adjust settings and manage files. There are a number of foundational skills that allow an individual to operate devices and implement these basic activities: psychomotor skills, basic numeracy and literacy skills.1 These “basic skills” are continuously changing, as new devices and interfaces are made available.2

In the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (OECD, 2016[7]), “basic functional digital skills” refer to the skills of those who are familiar enough with computers to use them to perform basic information-processing tasks (adults with computer experience). They are enough to pass the PIAAC ICT core test, which assesses the basic ICT skills, such as the capacity to use a mouse or scroll through a web page, needed to take the computer-based assessment. However, they are not sufficient to solve basic problems making use of these technologies (performing at proficiency levels at or below Level 1 3).

Generic digital skills

Generic digital skills enable an individual to use digital technologies in meaningful and beneficial ways. These require a wide range of intermediate skills and competences which are included and expanded in frameworks including the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (Carretero, Vuorikari and Punie, 2017[8]) or the UK Standards for Essential Digital Skills (UK Department for Education, 2019[9]). While these frameworks vary in how they describe these types of skills, they share a number of skill and competence areas:

1. Information literacy and data literacy are the ability to use information and data. For example, the European Digital Competence Framework identifies several aspects of information use, such as an individual’s awareness of their information needs; the ability to locate and retrieve digital information and content, to evaluate and judge the relevance and reliability of information sources, and to store, manage, and organise digital information and content.
2. Digital communication and collaboration are the ability to use digital technologies to interact and share with others. These digital citizenship and digital participation skills range from the capacity to participate of online communities and groups to contributing to a collective understanding of the responsibilities that digital users have towards each other.
3. Digital content creation refers to the skill and confidence needed to publish content, contribute to existing platforms and build digital environments, emphasising collaborative co-creation and re-creation of existing content, as well as the individual authoring of original content.4

In the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), “generic digital skills” refer to the ability to perform tasks that typically require the use of widely available and familiar technology applications, such as e-mail software or a web browser, and who are also able to use both generic and more specific technology applications. They are also capable, at least to some extent, of solving problems making use of these technologies (performing at proficiency levels above Level 1). These generic digital skills are measured in the survey at three different levels.

Higher-level digital skills

Higher-level digital skills enable an individual to use digital technologies to empower and transform. This includes those advanced skills that form the basis of specialist ICT occupations and professions:5 proficiency in programming languages, data analysis, processing and modelling skills. They include the specialist skills needed to program or develop applications and manage networks (Spiezia and Sabadash, 2018[10]). These are high-level technical skills that are not developed through everyday technology use, but are usually result of advanced education and training, as well as extensive self-tuition and practical experience.

← 1. All these basic skills are integral to progressing from being a non-user of digital technology to a user. Psychomotor skills such as manual dexterity and gestural skills are required to use keypads and operate touch-screen technologies. Basic numeracy and literacy allow users to make sense of and respond to visual cues and representations embedded in software and applications, as well as content created by other users.

← 2. For instance, the use of digital devices and systems over the next decade are likely to involve a range of different modes of engagement and interaction. Devices are increasingly tactile in terms of input and output, requiring a range of interactional skills involving touch, gesture and other psychomotor competencies. The use of voice-initiated commands will also make possible a change in operating systems moving away from traditional desktop interfaces or text-based and icon-based interactions. All of these features will change the nature of what is considered to be the entry-level digital skills required to access and make functional use of digital technologies.

← 3. Individuals performing at PIAAC Level 1 can make use of widely available and familiar technology applications, such as e-mail software or a web browser. At this level there is little or no navigation required to access the information or commands required to solve the problem that individuals are presented with. See OECD (2016[7]) for more information.

← 4. The European framework highlights the capability to “edit”, “improve” and “integrate information and content into an existing body of knowledge” (European Commission, 2017[11])

← 5. Although most of these skills remain within the domain of professional ICT occupations, in recent years there has been an increased promotion of computer programming skills (or “coding”) as a higher-level digital skill that is relevant to all citizens, regardless of their professional role.

Source: Adapted from Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development (2017[12]), Working Group on Education: Digital Skills for Life and Work, https://broadbandcommission.org/workinggroups/Pages/wgeducation.aspx.

According to the Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC),2 a large proportion of professionals in medium-skilled and low-skilled occupations already needed more than basic digital skills during the period 2011-2017 (Figure 4.2). For example, across OECD countries with data available, just under 20% of craft and related trades workers and sales and services workers reported moderate or complex computer use. In manufacturing, it has become common for plant and machine operators to programme machines or robots to do the tasks that they need to perform. This increasingly complex computer use implies that VET graduates will need to be able to learn how to use new machinery and digital devices, setting them up to a desired specification while working in highly digitalised work environments.

Figure 4.2. Digital skills are in high demand in the labour market

Despite the increasing need for digital skills in different occupations, during the time period 2011-2017 most OECD countries had a large proportion of workers who did not have the basic digital skills needed to solve simple problems making use of ICT. According to the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (OECD, 2019[14]), more than one-third of adults did not achieve Level 1 proficiency level in problem-solving skills making use of ICT, and the proportion of adults with high proficiency in these skills was fairly low in many countries. This is confirmed by other research, such as the research carried out by Ipsos MORI (2018[15]) in the United Kingdom, which estimates that over 10% of its employed population lacked basic digital skills. The OECD Skills Outlook (OECD, 2019[6]), shows that workers of all ages, and especially those from older generations, will need to upskill or reskill to be able to master these digital technologies in the workplace. The problem is less pressing among young adults, but while a large proportion of young adults today can operate a computer or use a smartphone or a tablet, in some countries a significant share still has weak digital problem-solving skills (Vandeweyer and Verhagen, 2020[16]). According to the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), on average across OECD countries around 80% of young VET graduates are able to at least solve basic problems making use of ICT (PIAAC Level 2 and above, see Figure 4.3). This is lower than the share of young adults with a general educational qualification (at the same level) and those with a tertiary education. Interestingly, in the Unites States and Japan VET graduates perform significantly better than graduates from general education programmes in PIAAC problem solving tasks using ICT. In Chile, Poland and Lithuania, only around 60% of young VET graduates reached PIAAC Level 2.

Figure 4.3. Young VET graduates have weaker digital problem-solving skills than those with a general upper secondary education

Among the most fundamental changes in workplaces are the implementation of smart factories (Box 4.1) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which suggest a greater need for higher-level digital skills among workers. A recent survey shows that IoT and other hyper-connectivity solutions are likely to have a strong impact on occupations not only in the manufacturing and automotive sectors, but also in the agriculture, health, consumer, financial and engineering sectors (World Economic Forum, 2020[17]). In the short term VET teachers will have to prepare their students to use these technologies in the workplace. Initiatives like the Learning Factory 4.0 in the State of Baden-Württemberg in Germany (Box 4.3) could prove a good strategy for training both teachers and students on the practical implications of Industry 4.0 and the use of new technology in industry.

To overcome digital skill shortages in the workforce, VET teachers should be developing these skills among their students, ideally making use of the new digital technologies available in the workplace. This implies that teachers themselves will need to have strong digital skills and be able to integrate new technologies into their teaching.

Box 4.3. Preparing for Industry 4.0: A learning factory in a VET school (Baden-Württemberg State, Germany)

The Ministry of Economy, Labour and Housing in the State of Baden-Württemberg is promoting the establishment of smart learning factories in VET schools. Preparing for future challenges imposed by changes in industrial manufacturing – driven by Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things – the State of Baden-Württemberg founded the Allianz Industrie 4.0 in 2015, involving key players in the state. As part of this alliance, the state government developed a “learning factory 4.0” at the vocational school BSZ Bietigheim-Bissingen (Lernfabrik Bietigheim-Bissingen, 2020[18]), with support from the Ludwigsburg district.

The learning factory incorporates an interlinked machine system, a production system that produces model cars fully automatically, making use of real industrial components. It was developed by the company teamtechnik Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH, together with the learning factory team of the BSZ vocational school centre. Original Industry 4.0 components were installed: a manufacturing execution system computer, a Quick Response (QR) Code scanner, a marking laser and a collaborative robot. The basic laboratory includes 16 workstations where the students work in pairs on training modules.

As part of their training, students can program training modules with programmable logic controllers. They can analyse the functionality of each individual component and evaluate their suitability for Industry 4.0 manufacturing processes. All training modules are mounted on mobile units that can be connected to the IT network, the power supply and the pneumatic system at each of the stationary workstations.

Many students from full-time VET courses at the BSZ and the Carl Schaefer School benefit from the learning factory, in particular students of mechatronics and industrial mechanics, IT specialists, technicians, and students at the technical high school. Students from commercial courses such as industrial clerks and the business school also benefit from the learning factory. VET teachers and industry professionals have access to these facilities as well. They are introduced to the learning factory and its technologies usually through training courses and seminars.

Source: Lernfabrik Bietigheim-Bissingen (2020[18]), Programmiert auf Lernerfolg!, www.lernfabrik-bietigheim.de/anlage/.

Automation increases the importance of soft skills in the workplace

Since soft skills complement the use of digital technologies (OECD, 2019[19]), they have also become key skills for VET graduates (ILO, 2020[5]). For instance, a recent survey in the United States showed that employers consider soft skills such as problem solving, team work, verbal communication, leadership and interpersonal relations to be among the most valuable skills for workers joining industry (NACE, 2019[20]). In 2014, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) Employer Survey showed that problem-solving skills, team-working skills and communication skills were the most important transversal skills in the workplace in European countries (Figure 4.4), with over three-quarters of employees reporting these skills as very important for doing their job. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2020 Report the top skills and skill groups which employers see as increasing in importance in the next five years include critical thinking and analysis, problem solving, and self-management skills such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility (World Economic Forum, 2020[17]).

Figure 4.4. Problem-solving, team-working and communication skills are among the most important skills in the workplace

The increasing need for soft skills in the workplace represents an important challenge for VET teachers. Although these skills have always been considered a valuable asset for VET graduates in the workplace, the introduction of new technology and the automation of many tasks in the workplace will change the nature of many typical VET occupations (see Box 4.5 for an example from the logistics sector). As soft skills become more prominent, VET teachers should gain deeper knowledge about how to develop them among their students, and how they can be effectively developed in practical settings. Teachers will increasingly have to teach their students how to think creatively, solve complex problems making use of technology and collaborate with colleagues in highly technological environments, while developing good relationships with their peers.

One might argue that the development of soft skills is inherent to VET, as they would be produced as a natural consequence of vocational practice. Some practitioners believe that the practical nature of VET programmes, and work experience in industry is enough to develop the soft skills needed to successfully adapt to the workplace. However, this ignores the complexity and diversity of soft skills, many of which are not automatically developed on the job. Among soft skills, socio-emotional skills play a fundamental role in the workplace. According to the OECD’s Study on Social and Emotional Skills (OECD, 2017[22]), skills –such as persistence, empathy and optimism – are just as important as basic skills. These skills do not only help students succeed in the workplace, they also allow them to perform better academically and to play more positive roles in their communities (see Box 4.4 for more information about socio-emotional skills).

Box 4.4. What are socio-emotional skills?

Social and emotional skills are a set of individual capacities that can be manifested in consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours (Chernyshenko, Kankaraš and Drasgow, 2018[23]). These skills differ from cognitive abilities such as literacy or numeracy because they mainly concern how people manage their emotions, perceive themselves and engage with others, rather than their raw ability to process information. However, some socio-emotional skills are also fundamentally dependent on cognitive skills, such as perception, memory, and reasoning. Some components of cognitive skills are so closely linked with socio-emotional skills that it is difficult to tell them apart and attribute the acquisition of these skills to one category or another. For example, the socio-emotional skill “empathy” also requires cognitive skills such as perspective taking (OECD, 2017[22]).

Among several conceptual frameworks to describe socio-emotional skills, one of the most used is the so called Big Five framework (Gosling, Rentfrow and Swann, 2003[24]). Social and emotional skills in this framework are arranged hierarchically, with five domains (conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness, openness to experience and extraversion) that can be split into narrower, lower-order skills. The OECD Study on Social and Emotional Skills (OECD, 2017[22]) includes the following skills under those domains:

Conscientiousness (task performance) includes achievement orientation, responsibility, self- control and persistence.
Emotional stability includes stress resistance, optimism and emotional control.
Agreeableness (collaboration) includes empathy, trust and co-operation.
Openness to experience (open-mindedness) includes creativity, curiosity and tolerance.
Engaging with others (extraversion) includes sociability, assertiveness and energy.

In addition to these skills, the framework for the OECD Study on Social and Emotional Skills (2017[22]) includes a group of three compound skills, representing combinations of two or more individual skills:

Critical thinking (a mix of cognitive capacities and open-mindedness skills such as independence) is the ability to evaluate information and interpret it through independent and unconstrained analysis.
Meta-cognition (a result of self-awareness, openness to experience and self-control) is the awareness of inner processes and subjective experiences, such as thoughts and feelings, and the ability to reflect on and articulate such experiences.
Self-efficacy (a result of conscientiousness, emotional stability and extraversion) is the strength of individuals’ beliefs in their ability to execute tasks and achieve goals.

The 21st century skills framework, broadly used as a reference in educational contexts (Scott, 2015[25]), argues that there is a group of four soft skills that are fundamental to prepare individuals for adult life (the so called 4C’s): communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Communication and collaboration skills, including empathy and sociability, enable people to interact respectfully with each other. Creative thinking skills, such as curiosity, allow people to think unconventionally and imagine new scenarios. Finally, critical thinking is a crucial component in judging information, identifying problems and reacting to them (Erdoğan, 2019[26]).

Source: OECD (2017[22]), Social and Emotional Skills: Well-being, Connectedness and Success, http://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/social-emotional-skills-study; Scott (2015[25]), The futures of learning 2: What kind of learning for the 21st century? UNESCO Education Research and Foresight Working Papers, http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002429/242996e.pdf.

Box 4.5. Soft skills in digital supply chains

Supply chains are undergoing major changes due to the automation and digitalisation of many processes (I-SCOOP, 2020[27]). The most obvious example is the way automated warehouses – making use of robots, information systems powered by machine learning and real-time data to process customer orders – are gradually replacing traditional warehouses. In order to meet the demands of Industry 4.0, it is key to have an automated, intelligent and increasingly autonomous flow of goods, materials and information between the point of origin, the point of consumption and the various points in between (I-SCOOP, 2020[27]).

In the short term these trends in supply-chain management will create more jobs for data scientists, analytics engineers and IT and big-data specialists who bring their digital knowledge to the enterprise (Mckinsey, 2017[28]). However, to produce long-lasting results, these specialists will need the support of supply-chain managers and operators to translate their expertise into real supply-chain applications.

All of these changes imply that most employees in the supply-chain sector will not only need to have strong digital skills, but also strong communication and collaboration skills. Team leadership, creativity and strategic thinking will also be in high demand. Overall, better cross-functional communication and leadership skills will strengthen supply chain management collaboration with both the research and development (R&D) and the sales and marketing functions, facilitating an integrated execution from idea to market (Mckinsey, 2017[28]). According to McKinsey (2017[28]), new roles in digital supply chains will be created once automation has been implemented, with different skill profiles and knowledge requirements in each function:

Planning functions will need people to be able to work with complex datasets, applying algorithms (such as predictive analysis and machine learning) to exploit supply and demand information.
Physical flow and logistics roles will require logistics experts who can provide relevant insights to the design process when automating processes in real settings, like warehouses. Their knowledge will contribute to practical applications of automation in supply-chains. Cross-functional teams of experts and operators in logistics, purchasing and transport will co-develop tailored solutions to company-specific requirements.
Customer service roles will increase as customer engagement levels grow. As automated order- and customer-management processes take place, a more customer-centric supply-chain design will be implemented. Customer interaction and engagement are likely to move into digital channels.
Supply-chain strategists will take advantage of the existing platforms for data sharing, analysis, collaboration and logistics services. This is likely to push organisations to create new revenue streams through the supply chain.

Source: I-SCOOP (2020[27]), Logistics 4.0 and smart supply chain management in Industry 4.0, https://www.i-scoop.eu/industry-4-0/supply-chain-management-scm-logistics; Mckinsey (2017[28]), Digital supply chains: Do you have the skills to run them?, https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/digital-supply-chains-do-you-have-the-skills-to-run-them.

Digital technology is increasingly used in VET teaching

The importance of digital skills in VET teaching has undeniably increased in recent years. In the OECD countries and regions with available data from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), 74% of upper secondary VET teachers worked with digital technology with their students, compared to 66% of general education teachers (Figure 4.5). Data from the European Commission’s SELFIE tool also confirms that VET teachers are slightly more likely than teachers in general education to use digital tools for teaching (see Box 4.6). In Denmark, 83% of VET teachers reported that they regularly let their students use ICT for projects and classwork. Research from the Netherlands also shows a widespread use of a range of technology among VET teachers, including virtual reality and robotics (Box 4.7). However, some countries lag behind in the incorporation of digital technology into VET. As digitalisation takes place in industry, and digital technologies in education improve, the use of digital resources for learning in VET is expected to become widespread in the coming years. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many teachers to swiftly adopt online learning strategies, and this is likely to accelerate the adoption of technology in the education sector. Future VET teaching and learning are likely to comprise a mixture of face-to-face interactions making use of physical equipment and digital devices, and online interactions making use of digital technology.

Figure 4.5. VET teachers are more likely to let their students use ICT than general education teachers

Box 4.6. SELFIE tool- Use of technology by VET teachers

Recently as part of the SELFIE project, the European Commission gathered information about the use of digital technologies in upper secondary VET institutions. SELFIE is a tool for digital capacity building in schools (see Box 4.15). According to aggregated data from SELFIE users in OECD countries, VET teachers in upper secondary education use digital technologies slightly more than general education teachers (see Figure 4.6, Panel A). However, a large proportion of them do not use these technologies as a tool to improve the quality of their teaching. For instance, only 66% of VET teachers incorporate digital technologies in their daily practice to engage students during their lessons, and a similar share use it to assist students in developing their soft skills, by fostering creativity or collaboration (64% and 58%, respectively), or to tailor teaching to students’ needs (62%). Moreover, only around half of VET teachers using the SELFIE tool use digital technologies for assessment purposes (56%), or as part of cross-curricular projects (52%).

Figure 4.6. Not all VET teachers in OECD countries use digital technologies in their teaching

When looking at the adoption of digital technologies according to teachers’ age, younger VET teachers are more prone to use digital resources than their older peers (see Figure 4.6, Panel B). For instance, almost 70% of teachers under the age of 30 use digital technologies as part of their teaching to engage their students or to foster their creativity, whereas only slightly more than 50% of VET teachers over 60 do so.

Box 4.7. Technology use in Dutch upper secondary VET schools

A recent survey (2019) in the Netherlands found that the use of digital tools and innovative technologies for teaching is widespread among upper secondary VET institutions, but that there are large differences depending on the type of technology. The survey asked teachers, leaders and other staff from Dutch VET institutions about the use of digital tools and innovative technologies in schools, the maturity of their use, barriers faced and enabling factors. It collected responses from 307 individuals in 53 different VET institutions, representing 83% of all Dutch upper secondary VET institutions.

The survey found that the most commonly used digital tools are online courses or learning materials and digital portfolios or learning environments (Figure 4.7). Other commonly used tools and technologies include gamification, adaptive personalised digital learning materials (APDLM), digital examinations or assessments, real-time online videoconferencing, robotics and virtual reality. In contrast, few institutions are using AI and badges 1. The survey also found that not all of those tools and technologies are used widely within the programmes provided by the institution. For example, gamification and VR are generally only used in a few programmes or by a few teachers, whereas online courses or learning materials, digital portfolios or learning environments, and APDLM are used in around half of the programmes.

The benefits from the use of digital tools and innovative technologies differ according to the types. For example, the main benefit of real-time online videoconferencing and online courses was found to be the option of providing learning at any time or place. The main reported benefit from digital assessment and monitoring and artificial intelligence was having a better overview of students’ learning process. In contrast, immersive learning was found to mostly be beneficial for motivating students. The main barriers to the use of innovative technology in Dutch VET institutions were teachers’ lack of ICT skills, time and ownership, and institutions’ lack of vision and objectives (ECBO, 2019[31]).

Figure 4.7. Many Dutch VET institutions use innovative digital tools and technologies

← 1. A digital badge is an online-based visual representation that uses detailed metadata to signify learners’ specific achievements and credentials in a variety of subjects across K-12 classrooms, higher education, and workplace learning (Muilenburg and Berge, 2016[32]).https://ecbo.nl/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/Rapport-Onderwijsinnovaties-met-moderne-ICT.pdf

For most industries and occupations today, face-to-face VET delivery incorporates lectures, practical workshops, apprenticeships or other forms of work-based learning that allow for high-quality training. However, VR, AR and simulators are becoming more common in VET for many industries, and will be more prevalent in the coming years (see Box 4.8 for examples of VET teaching with new technology). In some cases, these technologies are safer, they can be cheaper to implement when sophisticated physical equipment is needed, and they allow occupational skills to be developed remotely or as a complement to on-site training. As many students learn in different ways, resources such as such as VR, simulators, explanatory videos and animations can complement traditional teaching based on lectures and presentations. For instance, a visual learner is more likely to understand applied physics by seeing objects in motion in an animation than by attending a lecture on the topic.

As simulators and VR and AR solutions are developed, they will often be implemented in VET using online tools where possible. Given the benefits that online education poses in terms of flexibility, distance-learning activities are expected to be much more common in VET in the near future. Recent developments during the COVID-19 crisis have shown that digital tools and technologies such as online teaching platforms, simulators and other ad-hoc educational software for different occupations can help teachers develop their students’ vocational and practical skills effectively. For instance in the United Kingdom, the availability of online software and simulators in automotive mechanics enabled VET teachers in some further education colleges to deliver training on line, allowing students to continue their studies, and complementing their on-site training. These tools and technologies represent valuable learning resources for VET, and have the potential to improve VET teachers’ teaching practice.

In recent years, schools and local governments have established partnerships with education technology (EdTech) companies to produce teaching materials that can be used in VET learning environments. Many companies have started producing applications tailored to teachers’ needs in different fields, such as simulators and VR (Box 4.8). VET teachers and industry experts are usually involved in the design of new applications, as they can make a big contribution towards developing materials that are relevant, insightful and easy to use in the classroom. Although there are already a vast number of applications for AR, VR and simulators, a large number of occupations could still benefit from additional resources. For instance, there have been important advances in developing these resources for occupations in the medical sector, but VR applications still do not cover most routine tasks performed by radiology or medical laboratory assistants. The development of digital resources for a wide range of vocational subjects will enable online learning in many fields and also improve the quality of face-to-face teaching in VET. While VR, AR and simulators are mostly used for the development of technical or occupation-specific skills, there are also applications that aim to develop soft skills, like communication skills (Box 4.9).

Box 4.8. Examples of the use of simulators, robotics and virtual and augmented reality in VET teaching

Welding

VET teachers use welding robots to introduce students to automatic welding. Teachers show how welding robotic arms can be programmed using specialised software. They also demonstrate how car parts, metallic structures or industrial equipment can be welded using this technology. Automated welding can be more efficient than manual welding for repetitive tasks. In automated contexts the welder’s role involves handling some of the parts to be welded, programming, operating and troubleshooting the welding robot, and inspecting the quality of the final product.

Logistics and transportation sector

In the logistics sector, students can use simulators to learn how to drive a truck or operate a loader vehicle facing real-life issues. For instance, the company Simula Games produced Truck & Logistics Simulator, a vehicle simulation game where users perform logistics tasks from beginning to end. Users can operate more than 20 different vehicles to perform complex loading tasks and deliver a variety of cargo directly to customers.

Maritime sector

The maritime sector benefits widely from the use of simulators. For instance, the Humber Maritime College in the United Kingdom uses simulators to train VET students in the navigation and operation of vessels, both at sea and in ports. It also trains engineering students on the operation and control of engine rooms using simulation software. Simulators allow students to develop their ability to confront real-life challenging scenarios, including health and safety emergencies. The company Kongsberg has created ship bridge simulators that can be flexibly configured for different training needs, selecting instrumentation, consoles, ship models and exercise areas. It has also produced simulated engine rooms for training.

Energy sector

In the energy sector, VR and simulators are widely used in VET for both industrial electric power applications and applied electronics. Power plant operator students can make use of virtual reality to simulate electrical failures, finding ways to solve technical issues in a virtual power plant designed following industry standards. Electronics students can use simulation software to make prototypes of electronic circuits to test their properties in industrial applications.

Aerospace industry

Because of the limited supply of equipment in the aerospace industry, industrial maintenance students usually have a limited amount of time to learn how to make use of physical equipment. VR applications can foster remote education and allow VET teachers to explain technical concepts without the need for continuous access to actual equipment, enhancing the overall learning experience. In Singapore the Temasek Polytechnic and the VR company EON Reality partnered to create a series of applications designed to enhance training for Temasek’s aerospace students. Students use a virtual reality gas turbine engine to learn the fundamentals of their operation and other more advanced procedures. Instructors and students have the freedom to access these modules anywhere, at any time through Temasek’s Learning Management System, fostering a remote education environment.

Automotive mechanics

Making use of simulators, students can diagnose technical problems in cars and make repairs. For instance, an engine simulator allows students to monitor the normal functioning of the different components of a vehicle, identifying an engine mechanical breakdown or an electronic failure. The company Electude, offers a series of digital resources for automotive programmes, both for online learning and to guide and complement practical work in face-to-face environments.

Health sector

Labster Labs promotes scientific learning by making online education modules available to VET teachers using desktop simulations and VR. These labs give students the chance to implement their own experiments in a simulated environment. Through desktop simulations, they can experiment with and understand a wide range of theoretical concepts in biology, chemistry, physiology and anatomy. Labster has produced dozens of virtual biotechnology and biochemistry labs with important applications for medical sciences.

Sources: Lincoln Electric (2020[33]), Lincoln Electric Education Solutions, https://education.lincolnelectric.com/leeps/; Simula Games (2021[34]), Simula Games Truck and Logistics Simulator, https://simulagames.com/; Humber Maritime College (2021[35]), Simulator based training, https://humbermaritimecollege.ac.uk/simulator-based-training; EON Reality (2021[36]), ExxonMobil Awards License to EON Reality For Immersive 3D Operator Training Simulator Technology, https://eonreality.com/exxonmobil-awards-license-to-eon-reality-for-immersive-3d-operator-training-simulator-technology/?lang=es; EON Reality (2021[37]), EON Based Modules for Aerospace Training Developed by Temasek Polytechnic, https://eonreality.com/eon-based-modules-aerospace-training-developed-temasek-polytechnic/; Electude (2020[38]) Welcome to Classroom, https://www.electude.com/classroom/; Labster (2021[39]), Labster website, https://www.labster.com.

To help VET systems adopt new technology for teaching, policy makers can establish partnerships with the private sector, or stimulate the production of new learning resources through innovation funds for specific industries. For instance, the US Department for Education established the Small Business Innovation Research programme, to give small enterprises access to funding to produce EdTech applications that could be later commercialised. The fund promotes the use of education technology to improve teaching practices and student learning outcomes (Small Business Innovation Research, 2020[40]). In England, an EdTech Innovation Fund was established by the Nesta Foundation and the Department for Education. The Fund supports EdTech organisations in England aiming to improve their products, carry out research about the impact that the use of their tools have, and grow their reach to more schools and colleges in England (Nesta, 2019[41]). A first round of funding has already benefitted more than a dozen EdTech companies.

Moving from VET teaching using traditional equipment to teaching using newer more complex equipment and advanced digital technologies requires VET teachers to update their teaching skills and knowledge so they can effectively teach in digital learning environments.

Box 4.9. Soft skills training using virtual reality: VirtualSpeech

VirtualSpeech is a VR training company offering courses combining e-learning with VR technologies to help students improve a set of important soft skills. It also offers specific courses for teachers and trainers who wish to improve their teaching and presentation skills. Its training platforms use realistic immersive scenarios, allowing users to improve their communication and collaboration skills while interacting with colleagues, leading a team or selling a product to a client. Students can practise these skills in realistic VR environments – e.g. seminar rooms, classrooms and lecture theatres – and gain valuable feedback from each other, regardless of geographical distance.

The VR functionality assesses verbal and non-verbal communication skills by using AI-powered features, giving students meaningful feedback on their performance, from use of eye contact to speech analysis. For instance, the app records and analyses the user’s visual contact patterns and head movements, and the content, speed, volume and rhythm of their speech. Users can save and upload their speeches to the learning portal, where trainers can also listen back and assess a students’ performance.

Source: Virtualspeech (2020[42]), Virtualspeech website, https://virtualspeech.com.

Developing the skills needed to use new technology in VET

Many VET teachers are not prepared for digital teaching and learning

Despite the importance of digital skills in VET teaching, the evidence suggests that a large proportion of VET teachers are not well prepared to teach using advanced technology in digital environments (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]). According to TALIS 2018 data, 26% of VET teachers in six OECD countries/regions still do not feel well prepared to support their students’ learning through the use of digital technologies (Figure 4.8). For example, in Sweden and Slovenia more than one in three VET teachers reported only being able to provide such support to a limited extent or not at all. In contrast, in Portugal only 9% of VET teachers reported having limited ability to support their students’ learning through digital technology use.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the extent to which teachers in upper secondary VET struggled to teach vocational subjects online. This was not only due to the lack of online teaching resources, or the difficulty of teaching some practical skills online, but also because of their lack of experience using online teaching methods (UNEVOC, 2020[44]). Many teachers faced difficulties adopting digital platforms for their teaching. However, some VET teachers and institutions had already incorporated a number of innovative strategies for VET delivery before the pandemic. For instance, those VET institutions that participated in the Blend4VET project, funded by the European Commission, had already implemented online teaching platforms and integrated blended learning delivery as part of their curricula, at least in some of their teaching modules (Blend4VET, 2018[45]). Well-prepared VET teachers and institutions, which had already transformed their systems and pedagogical approaches for more innovative delivery, had a smoother transition to the new teaching environment during the pandemic.

The use of new digital technologies in teaching requires teachers to have at least basic digital skills. Yet, according to TALIS 2018, 30-60% of upper secondary VET teachers in the six OECD countries and regions with available data reported a moderate or high need for training in ICT skills 3 for teaching (Figure 4.9). While innovative teaching methods making use of digital technology are available for many subjects and occupations, many VET teachers, particularly those who lack ICT skills, are not aware of them (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]).

Figure 4.8. Not all VET teachers are well prepared for the use of digital technology

Figure 4.9. Significant shares of VET teachers need training in ICT skills for teaching

Data from the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) (OECD, 2019[14]) confirm that there is room for improvement in VET teachers’ digital problem-solving skills (Figure 4.10). Across the OECD countries participating in the survey, 16% of VET teachers lack basic computer skills or have poor digital problem-solving skills. This is slightly higher than among general education teachers and all tertiary-educated workers (13%). Only 51% of VET teachers have digital problem-solving proficiency at Levels 2 or 3 (see OECD (2019[14]) for more details on PIAAC skill levels).

Figure 4.10. VET teachers have relatively weak problem-solving skills using ICTs

Given the important benefits of digital learning tools for VET, those VET teachers who do not regularly update their digital skills, or their pedagogical knowledge and practice to make effective use of digital tools, may lack the knowledge and competences needed to foster the development of the skills their students will need. Evidence collected through the SELFIE tool suggest that many VET teachers have relatively low confidence in the use of digital technologies for varies aspects of the teaching job (see Box 4.10). Moreover, those VET teachers who are rarely in contact with industry may find it more difficult to identify changing digital skill needs. When VET teachers limit their teaching to traditional approaches and do not make use of the variety of new digital teaching and learning resources and workplace technologies available, this may have implications on the quality of VET provision, as well as on the preparedness of VET students to enter the labour market. Hence, updating teachers’ knowledge on new pedagogies as well as in the use of ICT and new technology in industry is crucial. However, as discussed in Chapter 3, a significant share of VET teachers lack access to professional development opportunities to update their pedagogical and industry knowledge.

Box 4.10. SELFIE Tool- Confidence in the use of technology

One of the likely reasons why many VET teachers do not use digital technologies as part of their teaching, is that they do not feel confident enough to use them. For example, according to SELFIE data (Figure 4.11 Panel A), around one in four VET teachers using the SELFIE tool in OECD countries do not feel confident to use digital technologies in classroom teaching, or to provide feedback to their students. However, VET teachers are more confident using these technologies for class preparation (83%) (see Box 4.15 for more information about the SELFIE tool).

Confidence using technology is higher for young VET teachers (Figure 4.11, Panel B). Around 82% of VET teachers aged 30 to 39 feel confident preparing lessons using digital technologies, and 76% of them feel confident using technology in class teaching. Those figures reduce to 59% and 53% respectively for teachers over 60. Interestingly, younger teachers under 30 show less confidence than those aged 30 to 39, and have lower confidence in using technology to communicate with parents than any other age group.

Figure 4.11. A large proportion of VET teachers do not feel confident using digital technologies in their teaching

VET teachers need support to adopt the use of new technology

In order to integrate new technologies into their teaching, VET teachers need to receive continuous support to further develop their digital skills, and update their pedagogical and industry knowledge. It is therefore crucial that governments have robust professional development (PD) programmes for VET teachers in place, particularly in this area. Ideally these programmes should give VET teachers access to industry internships, high-quality online courses and face-to-face training, teacher mentoring and other learning resources, so they can develop their teaching skills and improve their practice in the use of ICT. Governments should roll out these training courses on a large scale, with the goal of ensuring all VET teachers are well-prepared and confident in making use of digital platforms and other advanced teaching technology. Other support measures can complement PD opportunities, including peer-learning networks and strategic guidance from institutions’ leaders on how to integrate new technology into teaching.

VET teachers need strong digital skills to effectively incorporate new technology into their teaching

When acquiring new technology for teaching, schools need to ensure that teachers have access to training on how to use or operate it. It might not always be easy for teachers to see how they can effectively integrate new technology into their lessons, and they may need additional support or training to do so. As discussed in Chapter 3, digital skills is one of the areas where VET teachers report the highest need for further professional development. Ensuring that relevant and flexible formal and non-formal training opportunities are available to develop and update their digital skills is therefore crucial. This could be done, for instance, through micro-credential programmes or digital badges 4 certifying their proficiency in the use of specific technologies. A framework for assessing digital skill gaps and training needs can be helpful in this respect, as the Digital Teaching Professional Framework in England (United Kingdom) (Box 4.11).

Box 4.11. Digital skills for the VET teaching profession: The Digital Teaching Professional Framework (England)

Teachers need more than basic digital skills to incorporate digital technology into their practice. The Digital Teaching Professional Framework is a competence framework for teaching and training practitioners in the further education and training sector. The framework has been developed by the Education and Training Foundation in collaboration with the not-for-profit company Jisc. It has been designed to focus on the benefits of good pedagogy supported by technology to enhance learning.

The framework lists seven key elements of teaching using digital technologies: (1) planning your teaching; (2) approaches to teaching; (3) supporting learners to develop employability skills; (4) subject-specific and industry-specific teaching; (5) assessment; (6) accessibility and inclusion; and (7) self-development. Each of these elements contains a group of up to four key activities (components). For each key activity the framework includes a group of observable practices and standards.

The framework sets out three stages of competence for each of the activities. These three levels are adapted from the European Framework for Digital Competence of Educators, and defined as:

Stage 1: Exploring: practitioners assimilate new information and develop basic digital practices.
Stage 2: Adopting: practitioners apply their digital practices and expand them further.
Stage 3: Leading: practitioners pass on their knowledge, critique existing practice and develop new practices.

Each element of the framework details the associated activities and digital competences practitioners would need to achieve in order to successfully progress through the three stages of personal development mapped out above.

The framework is accompanied by free, online, bite-size training modules with certification. Used alongside the Jisc Discovery Tool (JISC, 2020[46]), a self-assessment tool that teaching staff can use to assess their digital capabilities, it enables practitioners to identify their training needs in order to help develop their teaching practice.

Source: Education and Training Foundation (2018[47]), Taking Learning to the Next Level: Digital Teaching Professional Framework, www.et-foundation.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/181101-RGB-Spreads-ETF-Digital-Teaching-Professional-Framework-Full-v2.pdf.

Learning by doing is an important aspect of the use of digital technology. Early access to new technology such as digital devices or high-tech industry equipment allows teachers to experiment and reflect on their own practice. By making use of such technology teachers can prepare lessons and pilot them with a small group of students following a trial-and-error method. Students’ feedback and classroom observations enable teachers to systematically improve their lessons. Teachers can also learn from each other’s experience with digital technology. Interaction, mentoring, collaboration and frequent communication with colleagues can also help them acquire the skills they need to incorporate new technology into their own practice.

Box 4.12. Specialised centres to promote and facilitate technology use in VET (Denmark)

Denmark has several initiatives to foster the use of technology in VET teaching. The Knowledge Centre for IT in Teaching promotes the use of advanced digital technology in VET. It focuses on supporting teachers in the use of IT for teaching across all subjects with a special focus on the pedagogical aspects of teaching practice making use of innovative technology. The centre provides professional development opportunities on IT issues for teachers in VET. Their PD courses include both theoretical and practical elements to support teaching and learning. The centre has also established a network of pedagogical staff and a network of leaders to facilitate the exchange of ideas and share their practical and technical knowledge, creating new solutions to common challenges (Center for IT i Undervisningen, 2020[48]).

In parallel, the Danish Government created two Knowledge Centres for Automation and Robot Technology (north and south). These promote innovation in education and industry, supporting the work of VET schools making use of advanced technology such as universal robots, collaborative robots or VR applications for VET teaching. Each centre works with more than a dozen VET schools within their geographical area. They provide VET teachers with teaching material, such as teaching tutorials or short courses in Industry 4.0, VR equipment and robots. Additionally, their specialised facilities provide demonstrations to teachers and students on how robots can be used in the workplace (Videnscenter for Automation og Robotteknologi (Nord), 2020[49]; Videnscenter for Automation og Robotteknologi (South), 2020[50]).

The centres lend VR headsets and/or robots to VET teachers, providing them with training materials and face-to-face technical support, so they can operate these technologies and incorporate them into their teaching practice independently. VET teachers receive continuous support until they are fully able to set up and operate the new equipment. The centres provide these technological resources for VET programmes in the areas of industrial automation, mechanics, electronics, welding, data and communication, and education.1

← 1. Some of these teaching resources can be found on the teaching courses page of the centre’s website: https://videnscenterportalen.dk/forloeb.

Policy makers must ensure that both equipment and technical support are available to teachers, so they can master the use of new technology before it is adopted in the classroom. This support should include access to adequate technological infrastructure and professional development opportunities, and being given time to plan and design lessons that make use of new technologies. Moreover, VET teachers should also have the opportunity to share their experience using digital technologies in the classroom with their colleagues, for example trough peer-learning activities that promote best practices in the use of technology in VET teaching. Initiatives such as the Knowledge Centres for Automation and Robot Technology in Denmark (see Box 4.12) show how external institutions can support teachers in the use of new technology such as VR or AR in the VET sector.

VET teachers need to stay current with the use of advanced technology in the workplace

As new technologies continue to be adopted in the workplace, teachers will need access to continuous in-service professional development to keep their knowledge and skills up to date with the realities of the workplace. As VET teachers need to be aware of the latest technological advancements in industry, they should have access to workplaces and/or the new equipment being used by employers. VET teachers can acquire hands-on experience of the use of new technologies either directly through work-based learning opportunities, or by participating in training delivered by technology providers and/or research institutions.5

Work-based learning activities allow teachers to learn about the latest technological developments in real contexts, facing real practical and technical issues (Stephens, 2011[51]). This can inform their daily practice, in VET schools. For instance, teachers and trainers in the welding sector will be better able to teach robotic welding techniques making use of new equipment if they have had the opportunity to use it in a real manufacturing environment, learning about its advantages and limitations. This means it is fundamental that schools have strong ties with industry. Initiatives such as Entr’Apprendre in the French Community of Belgium (Box 4.13) seek to create work-based learning opportunities for VET teachers in industry.

Box 4.13. Teacher industry placements for the use of new technologies in VET: Entr’Apprendre (French Community of Belgium)

Entr’Apprendre is an initiative by the Foundation for Education (Fondation pour l’Enseignement) established by the French Community of Belgium. One of its goals is to upgrade VET by making information available about work opportunities and future jobs, and to stimulate companies’ social responsibility to encourage skills transfers between businesses and schools.

The foundation actively promotes placements in industry for teachers. The ultimate objective of Entr’Apprendre is to set up internship programmes for teachers/ trainers in companies. The placements consist of short internships for teachers (two to four days). The foundation creates bridges between schools and companies, promoting teachers’ confidence and building co-operation. It offers opportunities in industry, agriculture, services and the business sector.

For instance, in the energy sector, the energy company ENGIE provided on-site training for teachers on energy-efficient and more environmentally friendly energy solutions. Internships in electro-mechanic maintenance provide opportunities for teachers to learn on site about new technologies being used in the workplace, the skills needed by the various actors in the field, the issues that those actors encounter in their professional practice, and the typical approaches to solving them.

Source: Entr’Apprendre (2020[52]), Entr'Apprendre website, https://entrapprendre.be/.

In some countries, government-funded centres that have been established to strengthen the quality of teaching in VET also provide high-quality PD to VET teachers on the latest technology in industry. These types of centres have strong ties with local companies and make equipment available to VET schools when it would be otherwise too expensive or technically difficult to operate. They foster formal collaboration among VET institutions, but also informal networking opportunities for VET teachers working in similar fields. They host the technical expertise needed to master new technologies, which is usually equivalent to that used by the companies with the highest technological standards in industry. One key aspect of these centres is their technical expertise, and the availability of cutting-edge equipment for professional training. In order to acquire this equipment, they usually need support from local governments and industry. Initiatives such as the Knowledge Centres for Automation and Robot Technology in Denmark (Box 4.12), and the Centre for Innovation in VET in Aragon in Spain (Box 4.14) show that public-private partnerships can be beneficial to both VET institutions and employers.

Box 4.14. Cutting-edge technology supporting VET teachers’ training: The Centre for Innovation in VET in Aragón (Spain)

The Centre for Innovation for Professional Training in Aragón in Spain is a professional training centre for VET teachers, businesses and the general public. It also acts as a hub to promote innovation across VET providers, universities and industry.

The centre provides cutting-edge infrastructure to foster technological and methodological innovation in the professional training system in the Autonomous Community of Aragón. Advanced technology and equipment are available for VET teachers in the logistics, transport and manufacturing sectors. These include VR forklift simulators, heavy-goods vehicle simulators, cutting-edge hydraulics and pneumatics training equipment, and an automated logistics chain which reproduces the processes of a manufacturing company. The centre offers a wide variety of professional development activities, including courses on learner-centred methodologies and problem-based co-operative learning models in VET. Training is delivered through online and face-to-face seminars and courses.

Source: CIFPA (2020[53]), Centro de Innovación para la Formación Profesional de Aragón website, https://cifpa.aragon.es/en/el-centro.

Collaboration networks among teachers, schools, industry and research institutions can benefit VET

Teacher networks for professional support are an increasingly important way to foster information sharing and informal learning in VET. They are an important asset for all teachers, but they are especially valuable to those looking to acquire pedagogical knowledge and skills making use of digital technology. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic many VET teachers relied heavily on professional online networks to strengthen and support their use of online teaching technology (ILO, 2021[54]). Virtual and non-virtual networks also provide support for troubleshooting the technical aspects of using new technologies in VET, such as VR and AR. These networks usually provide teachers with free content and teaching materials on a wide diversity of topics, best practice examples and advice from experts in different technologies and subjects mainly through web forums. Online and live activities in these networks also motivate teachers to support innovation in their own teaching communities. Where necessary, policy makers should support these networks, for instance by promoting their use, providing free resources to their users or contributing to the improvement of their digital platforms.

Wider collaboration between VET institutions and industry is also crucial. Industry plays an important role in supporting VET provision, innovation and teaching practice. As changes are continually taking place in industry, collaboration between VET schools and industry should not just be about providing work-based learning opportunities for teachers and students, but a wider set of activities through which industry can support the quality of VET provision, and schools can adjust their practice to meet employers’ needs. For instance, when designing and setting up new VET facilities, it is helpful if employers engage with VET teachers and leaders over decisions about what type of equipment will be needed, and how students and teachers could have access to it. Industry experts can also bring their experience to workshops and classrooms, running live demonstrations of technological innovations, or talking about the latest developments in industry and how the world of work is changing. Industry experts play a crucial role building bridges between schools and the labour market, while also providing crucial information about skills needs for VET graduates. Some examples of collaboration between industry and VET institutions can be found in Chapter 3, Box 3.5.

Similarly, collaborations between VET schools and universities and other research centres can be beneficial to VET teachers. When a particular emerging technology has not yet been adopted by local businesses, research institutions can provide VET teachers with relevant information about the latest developments. Research institutions have access to cutting-edge equipment, which can be used for demonstrations to teach students about new technologies or encourage them to study different subjects. On-site training of students in research institutions or VET schools can also be facilitated by researchers from academia, research institutes or R&D companies. Researchers’ expertise has also been intensively used to build educational resources such as AR and VR applications for VET. As researchers usually have a thorough understanding of the theoretical and technical issues related to specific technologies, they are well placed to provide technical advice on the software production process.

Teachers need strategic guidance and support to integrate new technology into VET

Given the opportunities that newly available technologies offer for effective innovative pedagogy, VET teachers should be given support and incentives to integrate them into their teaching. Pedagogical innovations usually need systemic efforts from school providers, and particularly VET leaders, to foster their use in classrooms. Data from the European Commission’s SELFIE tool show that VET teachers do not always get the support they need for using digital technologies in the classroom (Hippe, Pokropek and Costa, 2021[30]). For example, across OECD countries, only 52% of VET teachers using the SELFIE tool agree that they receive support from school leaders in trying out new ways of teaching with digital technologies, and 45% say that school leaders discuss with teachers their professional development needs for teaching with digital technologies. Moreover, only 31% of VET teachers agree that they have time to explore how to improve their teaching with digital technologies, and 51% say that school leaders support them in sharing experiences within their school about teaching with digital technologies.

Those VET schools that are able to set up a consistent plan, in a collaborative and participatory way, are more likely to see pedagogical innovation. A survey among staff in Dutch VET schools showed that the most important enabling factors for the successful adoption of digital technology in teaching and learning were having a vision and goals that integrated digital technology adoption (ECBO, 2019[31]). A digital transformation plan should have concrete short- and long-term goals for the implementation of new technology. Currently, many VET schools do not carry out a systematic review of progress made on the use of digital technologies, with only 37% of VET teachers in OECD countries using the SELFIE tool agreeing that progress in teaching and learning with digital technologies is reviewed in their school.

To sustain those collective efforts, VET teachers should have the opportunity for continuous high-quality PD in these topics, as well as on-site technical support in the use of technology to facilitate their practice. Most importantly, teachers must be given the time to experiment, reflect, learn and implement new technology in their teaching. A well-designed strategy for the digital transformation of VET institutions starts with an assessment of the current use of technology, the support measures available and any identified challenges, as the examples of the SELFIE tool and Digi-Check in Switzerland show (Box 4.15).

Box 4.15. Tools to foster digital transformation in VET schools

SELFIE (European Commission)

SELFIE (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering the Use of Innovative Educational technologies) is a free online tool designed to help schools embed digital technology into teaching, learning and assessment. It was developed based on the European Commission Framework for Digitally-Competent Educational Organisations (DigCompOrg) (Kampylis, Punie and Devine, 2015[55]). The tool was developed with a team of experts from schools, education ministries and research institutes across Europe.

SELFIE anonymously gathers the views of students, teachers and school leaders on how technology is used in their school. The tool is based on a simple questionnaire using short statements and questions answered on a scale of 1 to 5. It takes around 20 minutes to complete for students. Based on this input, the tool generates a report that offers a snapshot of the school‘s strengths and weaknesses in its use of technology. The findings can be used by schools to formulate an action plan and set priorities to implement changes to support teaching, learning and student assessment.

SELFIE is available for primary, secondary and vocational schools in over 30 languages. It can be used by any school, regardless of their levels of infrastructure, equipment and technology use. In 2020, SELFIE for work-based learning, which also involves in-company trainers, was piloted in nine European countries with 35 000 participants. It will become available by mid-2021 (Hippe, Brolpito and Broek, 2021[56]).

Digi-Check (Switzerland)

Digi-Check is a tailor-made assessment for the management and staff in VET institutions to self-assess the need for digital transformation, such as the design of media-based teaching or the digital skills of teachers and learners. The assessment with workshops (one-day) and coaching is led by the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET), with the following objectives:

Taking stock of digitalisation in the vocational school, from a strategic, organisational and pedagogical point of view.
Determining the potential for improvement.
Determining the potential for change in teaching (teaching and learning process, didactic scenarios, and use of digital media).
Defining measures for the further development of teachers' digital skills: how should teachers be prepared and supported to use digital media in their lessons?
Getting an overview of other developments in digitisation.

Source: European Commission (2020[57]), About SELFIE, https://ec.europa.eu/education/schools-go-digital/about-selfie_en; Hippe, Brolpito and Broek (2021[56]), SELFIE for work-based learning, in preparation; SFIVET (2020[58]), Le Digi-Check pour les écoles professionnelles, www.iffp.swiss/digi-check-pour-les-ecoles-professionnelles.

Adequate teaching methods for soft skills development

Developing soft skills requires specific pedagogical approaches

In a world where routine task are automated, soft skills become increasingly important and VET teaching needs to address this broader set of skills. In this context, teaching must deliberately be designed to foster these skills (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]).

High-quality VET often implies a blend of teaching methods. In contrast to general education, VET students need to be taught in practical settings. Vocational subjects are different from academic ones, and this has implications for the way they are organised, planned, taught and assessed. Effective VET teaching involves a clear identification of the desired learning goals and outcomes for vocational subjects. Those goals and outcomes must be made explicit and pedagogical approaches should be carefully chosen based on them (Lucas, Spencer and Claxton, 2012[59]).

Until recently, teaching practices in VET mainly involved traditional face-to face lectures and tutorials, with a strong emphasis on vocational practice. Today, there is a need for pedagogical approaches to be learner centred, workplace oriented and inquiry based (see Box 4.16 for examples of some of these approaches). To foster soft skills, pedagogy should emphasise active and experiential learning and collaborative learning, often using ICT as a key facilitator (Barron and Darling-Hammond, 2010[60]; Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]; Järvelä, 2006[61]). For instance, experiential and collaborative learning can be easily implemented through the use of digital technology (Järvelä, 2006[61]).

To apply these pedagogical approaches effectively, teachers need to be familiar with the theoretical foundations underpinning them, as well as proficient in the use of ICT and specific teaching techniques. In-service formal training can provide the fundamental concepts, as well as ways to incorporate them into teaching practice. For instance, one common practice in teacher training to develop such pedagogical skills is to present groups of teachers with a complex technical problem, making available to them elements that can be used to solve it (tools, components, digital devices, access to the Internet, etc.). By experiencing problem solving themselves, teachers are able to understand how elements of collaborative learning and experiential learning can be used to teach vocational skills. By reflecting on their own practice and sharing their views with others, teachers see how they can make use of new technology to teach vocational subjects while developing students’ soft skills.

Box 4.16. Emerging pedagogical approaches in VET

Although there are many pedagogical approaches to VET teaching available (Lucas, Spencer and Claxton, 2012[59]), some of them have particular importance today, as they allow the development of soft skills and digital skills. Three pedagogical approaches that have been successfully used for this purpose are:

Collaborative learning is one of the most meaningful ways to support individual learning mechanisms. Through high-quality interactions this approach allows students to arrive at complex and conceptual understanding rather than simple answers. Technology can be designed to enhance personalised learning environments in ways that increase the possibility that those rich interactions occur (Järvelä, 2006[61]).
Inquiry-based learning is an educational approach that focuses on investigation and problem solving. It prioritises problems that require critical and creative thinking so students can develop their ability to ask questions, design investigations, interpret evidence, form explanations and arguments, and communicate findings. Inquiry-based learning is different from traditional teaching approaches because it reverses the order of learning. Instead of presenting information, or “the answer”, up front, teachers start with a range of scenarios, questions and problems for students to navigate. In inquiry-based learning, time and activities are organised around inquiry using different modalities such as world reading, individual research, projects and workshops (Australian Government, 2016[62]; Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]).
Active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process. In short, active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing. The core elements of active learning are student activity and engagement in the learning process. Active learning is often contrasted to the traditional lecture where students passively receive information from the instructor (Prince, 2004[63]).

According to Paniagua and Instance (2018[43]), there are six clusters of innovative pedagogies that can complement – or be integrated into – these traditional approaches:

Embodied learning refers to pedagogical approaches that focus on the non-mental factors involved in learning, and that signal the importance of the body and feelings, such as the physical, emotional and social aspect (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]).
Computational thinking intersects with mathematics, sciences and digital literacy to offer a unified framework to develop a wide range of transversal skills through ICT. It is about using problem-solving skills and computer-based techniques to tackle problems (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]).
Experiential learning is defined as approaches where learners are brought directly in contact with the realities being studied. It is based on the idea that human experience is a central source of learning, and therefore the design of learning environments should make use of human experience as part of the learning process (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]; Celio, Durlak and Dymnicki, 2011[64]).
Gamification refers to the introduction of game design elements and game-like experiences in the design of learning processes. It has been adopted to support learning in a variety of subject areas integrating exploratory approaches to learning, and strengthening student creativity and retention. This is supported by the belief that incorporating game mechanics into the design of a learning process means learners will engage in a productive learning experience (Dichev and Dicheva, 2017[65]).
Blended learning seeks to use the potential of new technology to offer more individualised teaching and direct instruction. The main goal of blended learning is to maximise the benefits of technology and digital resources, to improve the differentiation of instruction according to students’ needs, as well as fostering classroom interaction. This approach assumes that the active involvement of students can best be achieved through group dynamics and intense face-to-face interactions. Computer technology then can offer direct instruction through individual, highly planned and structured sequences of skills. When computers provide the relevant information, teachers can then be free to spend more time on concept application, using more interactive and complex classroom activities or providing one-to-one instruction (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]).
Multi-literacies and discussion-based teaching focus on students’ active engagement and the availability of a multiplicity of texts, narratives and sources of information. Discussion-based teaching allows students to share, discuss and give sense to the implicit power relations and become aware of and value multiple modes of literacy. This is particularly relevant given how the Internet shapes the way people become informed and make sense of the world. Discussion-based teaching works as a pedagogical lever to teach rational thinking, affective judgements, and higher-order thinking skills (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]).

Some of these approaches are becoming increasingly important, as they use digital technology and allow students to develop soft skills, digital skills and other skills in high demand in the workplace.

Source: Paniagua and Istance (2018[66]), Teachers as Designers of Learning Environments: The Importance of innovative pedagogies, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264085374-en.

Many teachers lack the pedagogical skills to develop students’ soft skills

The applied nature of VET facilitates the use of practical real-life situations for learning, which implies a greater use of learner-centred pedagogies than in general education programmes. Nonetheless many VET teachers do not make use of these pedagogies as part of their practice (Figure 4.12). For instance, only 36% of VET teachers in the six OECD countries and regions with available TALIS data report presenting students with tasks with no obvious solutions, and only just over half let their students solve complex problems making use of their own approaches.

Figure 4.12. VET teachers use learner-centred techniques more than general education teachers

One of the main issues that VET teachers face is the fact that in many countries their pedagogical preparation is more limited than for teachers in general education (Serafini, 2018[67]; Smith, 2020[68]). As discussed in Chapter 3, their initial training usually includes fewer elements of general pedagogy, subject-specific pedagogy and cross-curricular skills development (see Figure 3.5 in Chapter 3). This implies that VET teachers often have insufficient pedagogical knowledge to be able to effectively adapt their teaching strategies according to the desired learning outcomes (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]). An additional problem in this regard is the mistaken perception in some countries that teachers’ vocational expertise is in itself an adequate basis for teaching (Lucas and Unwin, 2009[69]). VET programmes usually provide a mix of theoretical and practical knowledge, and VET teachers must be able to master different pedagogical approaches (Lucas, Spencer and Claxton, 2012[59]).

VET teachers need support to choose the appropriate pedagogical approaches

Mastering the teaching methods needed to meet the current demand for vocational, digital and soft skills represents an important challenge for VET teachers. In several countries, classrooms are being redesigned to foster learner-centred pedagogies, and technology is usually regarded as an important tool to facilitate teaching and learning (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]). There are a number of examples of how VET teachers can choose effective teaching methods to foster vocational skills and soft skills among their students, as well as resources to support VET teachers in adapting their practice to changing learning environments.

Different skills require different teaching methods

To effectively foster soft skills, digital and vocational skills, VET teachers must choose the correct pedagogical approaches (see Box 4.16 for a list of emerging approaches). For instance, inquiry-based learning (Box 4.16), embodied learning and experiential learning approaches have been shown to foster the development of soft skills (Barron and Darling-Hammond, 2010[60]; Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]; Celio, Durlak and Dymnicki, 2011[64]). Collaborative learning models, such as inquiry-based or problem-based approaches, foster productive task-related interactions and enhance student motivation in general (Järvelä, 2006[61]). Collaborative learning initiatives such as Japan’s school competitions allow students to develop soft skills in VET environments (see Box 4.18 for details of this initiative and another example from Spain). In other circumstances, vocational skills might be better developed using experiential learning. For digital skills, pedagogical approaches such as gamification and computational thinking have been shown to be effective (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]; Abdul Jabbar and Felicia, 2015[70]; Bower et al., 2017[71]).

Box 4.17. Project-based learning for soft skill development: PBLWorks (the United States)

Project-based learning (PBL) represents a unique opportunity to develop students’ soft skills (Barron and Darling-Hammond, 2010[60]), with problem-solving at its heart. In PBL students are usually divided into groups and presented with a problem that they are supposed to study and solve. Based on their knowledge, students try to generate hypothesis of the problem by discussing with each other. After clarifying the problem, students engage in self-directed learning to gather information from many different sources. After this individual study phase, the students meet again in their groups. They evaluate the information that they found while gathering the essential pieces needed to solve the problem. This social negotiation of meaning is an important part of the learning process. Students begin to work on the problem and again reconceptualise their problem to more specific sub-problems. At the end of the process peer- and self-evaluation is usually used (Järvelä, 2006[61]). In the United States, PBLWorks by the Buck Institute for Education, has been working with this approach for several years, offering project-based learning training services and resources for educators.

PBLWorks provides educational resources, including manuals on how to develop a plan and ideas on how to implement projects for students of different ages, including Career Technical Education (i.e. VET). The project’s website has a wealth of materials, including research and evidence about the impact of PBL, practical books, and examples of projects that teachers can use. PBLWorks also offers teacher training in these methodologies, as well as materials that describe step by step how to develop a project-based learning methodology.

PBLWorks developed a specific methodology for project-based learning called Gold Standard PBL. This methodology supports teachers in improving and assessing their teaching practice. When using this model, projects are focused on students acquiring key knowledge, understanding, and success skills. According to this model, any PBL activity must incorporate the following elements in their design:

A challenging problem or question: the project is framed by a meaningful problem to be solved or a question to answer, at the appropriate level of challenge.
Sustained inquiry: students engage in a rigorous, extended process of posing questions, finding resources and applying information.
Authenticity: the project involves real-world context, tasks and tools, quality standards, or impact, or the project speaks to students’ personal concerns, interests and issues.
Student voice and choice: students make some decisions about the project, including how they work and what they create, and express their own ideas in their own voices.
Reflection: students and teachers reflect on the learning, the effectiveness of their inquiry and project activities, the quality of students’ work, and the obstacles that arise and strategies for overcoming them.
Critique and revision: students give, receive and apply feedback to improve their process and products.
Public product: students make their project work public by sharing it with and explaining or presenting it to people beyond the classroom.

Source: PBLWorks (2020[72]), PBLWorks website, www.pblworks.org.

In practice, teachers combine different pedagogical approaches in their teaching. For instance, gamification, embodied learning and computational thinking can easily be used together and programming languages can be used to design videogames which students can then use to play and learn at the same time. This creates a powerful artefact with creativity and designing skills at its core, while making use of computational thinking (programming skills) and gamification (gaming) (Paniagua and Istance, 2018[43]).

Box 4.18. Examples of innovative pedagogies in VET schools

Inter-school competitions (Japan)

Japanese vocational high schools often have strong ties with industry, universities and professional training colleges, leading to curriculum innovations. As well as gaining practical experience in industry, students participate in inter-school competitions in a wide range of subjects. These competitions are usually held and sponsored by the association of vocational high school principals and local companies. To prepare for these competitions, students develop critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills and present the results of their work to their class, collaborating on team projects. For instance, as part of the “Super Professional High Schools 1” initiative, the Kyoto Subaru High School conducted a competition about artificial intelligence programming and cyber security in cooperation with the Kyoto Prefectural Police Department and other vocational high schools. Students from the Field of Intelligence Science worked together in research teams to prepare for this competition.

Service-based training (Spain)

Experiential learning approaches have been widely used for teaching in VET, where they have proved effective. In Spain, service-based learning – a type of experiential learning – is attracting increasing interest across VET schools. For example, in the Basque Country, students from some programmes (e.g. intermediate welding and maintenance, basic trade) built public facilities such as an outdoor recreation site and bicycle parking lots. The service-based learning project involved 32 students from different educational levels and different areas, and 9 teachers from vocational and general education.

← 1. In 2014, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) launched an initiative called “Super Professional High Schools”, providing special funding for 3-5 years to 48 vocational high schools offering advanced curriculums in agriculture, industry, business, fisheries, home economics, nursing, information and welfare. These schools were chosen to develop those curriculums to train “frontier professionals” who are well equipped to face the challenges required by tomorrow’s technology industry.

Source: Kyoto Subaru High School (2020[73]), Kyoto Subaru High School website, www.kyoto-be.ne.jp/subaru-hs/mt/; REDAPS (2020[74]), REDAPS website, https://aprendizajeservicio.net/finalistas-formacion-profesional.

As in general education, learning outcomes and competences in VET subjects may have different degrees of complexity and sophistication. Vocational subjects vary in the balance needed between subject content knowledge and workplace procedural knowledge (Lucas, Spencer and Claxton, 2012[59]). For instance, web designers usually perform creative tasks while working in an office. They learn how to design digital platforms using a mix of programming theory and software-based practice. On the other hand, automotive mechanics must have some theoretical knowledge about mechanical engineering and electronics, but also strong procedural knowledge. These students are likely to learn through trial and error, by working in teams, or while they are being coached by an experienced colleague. Some vocational subjects have a well-established body of content and procedural knowledge, whereas other more recent subjects have fewer sources of expertise. Vocational subjects also vary in the extent to which a competence or an outcomes approach is appropriate for assessing both vocational skills and knowledge. Subjects also vary according to the relative value assigned to generic pedagogical skills, and the ease with which they can be transferred into a formal curriculum. They also vary according to the balance between general pedagogy and specific vocational pedagogy in training programmes (Lucas, Spencer and Claxton, 2012[59]).

Differences exist not only between subjects, but also within subjects as students advance through the stages of learning. For instance, students in some occupational fields could benefit from an expert demonstration, or learning by trial and error, but only after they have some prior theoretical knowledge of key concepts in their field. Alternatively, they could learn a specific skill through coaching or their own inquiry, but only after they have had substantive practical hands-on experience (Lucas, Spencer and Claxton, 2012[59]). For instance, aircraft mechanics work intensively in practical settings but they also need to know about the theoretical elements that explain the functioning of an aircraft engine. Before students are given hands-on experience trying to fix a mechanical failure (inquiry-based learning), they need to know about the different components of an aircraft engine, and how they relate to each other to make it work.

In order to choose the best type of pedagogy to be used in a specific context, teachers must be very clear about the specific learning goals they want to achieve. Once those goals have been defined, a series of activities using a specific pedagogical approach can then be planned, depending on the subject. Box 4.19 describes the Three Media Framework of Lucas et al. (2012[59]). This framework provides examples of how different expected learning outcomes in vocational subjects match different pedagogical approaches. When assessing possible teaching methods, teachers must also take into account their students’ learning skills, attitudes and beliefs, while also bearing in mind the resources that are available to them in the environments and settings in which teaching is taking place (Lucas, Spencer and Claxton, 2012[59]; Vaughan, 2017[75]).

Box 4.19. The Three Media Framework

Given the complexity and diversity of vocational subjects, and in order to produce a generalisation that allows a better understanding of the variety of pedagogies available in vocational education and their suitability, Lucas et al. (2012[59]) distinguished vocational subjects according to the intensity of the use of three “media”: physical materials, people and symbols (words, numbers and images). They suggest that all vocations work with the same three media, but to different extents. For instance, occupations such as plumbing work intensively with physical materials, whereas hairdressing works mostly with both physical materials and people. On the other hand, subjects such as information technology and graphical design work mostly with symbols and physical materials (see Figure 4.13).

Lucas et al. (2012[59]) argue that these differences in vocational subjects also mean that some pedagogies are more suitable than others. For instance, for those fields where working with people is critical, simulations or role playing could prove beneficial; whereas problem solving or experiential learning could work for those occupations where individuals mainly make use of physical materials. In the case of fields that mostly work with symbols, games and visual models could be suitable (Table 4.1).

Figure 4.13. Vocational subjects all work with the same three media, but to different degree

Table 4.1. Teaching and learning methods for vocational subjects according to the Three Media Framework
	People	Physical materials	Symbols
Vocational subjects	Childcare, marketing, nursing, travel and tourism.	Plumbing, construction management, hairdressing, electrical installations.	Web design, accountancy.
Teaching and learning methods	Virtual learning environments, simulation, role playing.	Learning by watching, imitating, being coached, drafting and sketching, problem solving, team-based learning.	Learning through games, visual models and worked examples.

Table 4.2. Learning outcome examples for different occupations according to the Three Media Framework
	People	Physical materials	Symbols
Occupation	Sales manager	Automotive mechanic	Web graphic designer
Example of learning outcome and/or desired skill	Business-like attitude	Learn the names and function of automotive components.	Produce a web page for a commercial marketing campaign.

Professional development can support teachers in fostering students’ soft skills

VET teachers need access to professional development opportunities to develop their skills in new pedagogies. This will allow them to make informed choices about which teaching strategies to choose and what technology and tools to use in their teaching. These training opportunities are particularly important, since, as previously discussed, VET teachers often lack pedagogical preparedness to adapt their teaching to new requirements. This might be especially the case for industry professionals entering the teaching profession with limited training. Moreover, as pedagogical strategies evolve, teachers need to remain up to date with these new methods. The new technology currently available for VET teaching increases the variety of teaching approaches that can be used in VET to develop students’ soft skills, and professional development opportunities should therefore also support VET teachers in the use of technology, while strengthening their digital skills.

For instance, initiatives such as Passport to Success in the United States (Box 4.20) or the Enhance Digital Teaching Platform in the United Kingdom (Box 4.21), show that online learning modules can effectively support the professional development of those VET teachers looking to innovate in their practice making use of new technologies both on line and in workshops and classrooms.

Box 4.20. Integrating soft skills into teaching: Passport to Success (United States)

Passport to Success (PTS) is an innovative life skills development programme led by the International Youth Foundation. By implementing impactful curriculum and pedagogical innovations, its main goal is to promote the acquisition of soft skills among upper secondary students to prepare them for apprenticeships, further studies and the world of work.

To achieve this goal, the PTS professional development programme was designed to enhance teachers’ competence in curriculum management and pedagogical knowledge about how to foster soft skills. The main goal of the programme is for teachers to understand the core soft skills and recognise their importance, and be able to design high-impact learning experiences that enable students to develop those skills in real contexts.

The standard training for teachers on PTS consists of a three week online programme (or four days of face-to-face training), where teachers can learn how to integrate soft skills into the regular curriculum. The training integrates self-paced online modules, live classes and discussion boards, assignments and feedback sessions. As part of the face-to-face component, teachers discuss the main benefits of soft skills in life and particularly in the workplace, the challenges of implementing activities enhancing these skills, and the type of activities and teaching practices that facilitate the development of soft skills in their students. The training programme incorporates access to online resources available to support the delivery of the PTS curriculum in schools. As part of this programme teachers also learn about effective ways to assess soft skills, with the ultimate goal of enhancing learning and employment outcomes for VET college students.

South Africa developed a pilot to equip VET colleges to deliver the PTS life skills curriculum within existing qualification timetables. The overall goal of the initiative was to develop and demonstrate a sustainable and scalable approach to implementing PTS. The technical support included:

Curriculum integration: technical support to VET trainers in integrating the PTS curriculum within course timetables and using their existing lecturers, making the model more sustainable and easier to scale.
Training-of-trainer workshops for VET teachers to equip them to deliver the PTS curriculum to students.
Lecturer observation and coaching: PTS “Master Trainers” observed newly trained teachers’ classroom practice and provided individualised coaching to ensure that they were delivering the curriculum using a learner-centred approach.

Source: Passport to Success (2020[76]), Passport to Success website, www.passporttosuccess.org.

Box 4.21. Online training to support teachers’ use of technology: Enhance Digital Teaching Platform (England)

The Enhance Digital Teaching Platform – developed by the Education and Training Foundation in 2019 and funded by the Department for Education – supports teachers in England to use technology in their classrooms across the further education and training sector. The platform hosts free, bite-size, certified online self-learning training modules that support innovation in teaching and training to improve learners’ outcomes.

Some of the modules are specifically designed to help teachers organise activities aimed at developing student soft skills making use of technology:

Promoting collaboration and communication between learners incorporating learning activities which require learners to use digital technologies for collaborative processes, and for co-construction and co-creation of resources and knowledge.
Promoting active learning, by allowing learners to actively engage with subject matter using digital technologies (e.g. using different senses, manipulating virtual objects, varying the problem set up to enquire into its structure, etc.).
Encouraging the development of learner groups for peer learning and discussion, remotely monitored with intervention when needed, while allowing for student self-regulation.

Modules are mapped to the seven elements of the Digital Teaching Professional Framework, which promotes a set of professional standards for supporting learning through technology with the aim to establish a common understanding of digital skills development (see Box 4.11).

Source: Education and Training Foundation (2020[77]), Enhance Digital Teaching Platform, http://www.et-foundation.co.uk/supporting/edtech-support/enhance-digital-teaching-platform.

Raising awareness about the importance of innovation, ICT and soft-emotional skills in VET education

One of the key barriers to the systemic development of a more innovative approach to VET teaching is the lack of an agenda for policy change in this area in many countries. Changes in policy will only be implemented if there is a shared belief among VET stakeholders (especially teachers) about the importance of developing soft skills and digital skills and adopting new technology in VET, in response to digitalisation and automation in the workplace. Even in general programmes, soft skills still have a secondary place on the skills agenda: according to a survey in five countries 6 (World Economic Forum, 2016[78]), parents and teachers in the general education sector do not assign the same priority to soft skills as to other skills, such as foundational skills. This has had implications on curricula and teachers’ practice. A similar situation is found in the VET sector.

In order for reform to take place, policy makers, VET teachers, industry, researchers and education technology providers need to make a co-ordinated effort to further expand the use of technology and innovative pedagogical approaches in VET. Only if all stakeholders work together will it be possible to produce systematic reform in VET, changing perceptions and behaviour around these skills. This will be crucial in the current context, as most countries urgently need systematic policies to fully incorporate soft skills and digital skills into VET students’ education and development.

Conclusion and policy recommendations

The need for VET graduates to have strong digital and soft skills is increasing, as automation and digitalisation become more widespread in the workplace. However, VET teachers do not always have the skill to teach in digital environments, and their pedagogical preparation is quite limited in many countries. As digital technologies become more prevalent, it is crucial that VET teachers gain the skills needed to update their practice to meet the new requirements set by employers and make the most of innovative technologies and pedagogical strategies in the classroom.

A number of emerging pedagogical approaches and technologies are available for VET teachers, which facilitate developing their students’ digital and soft skills while teaching vocational skills. To use those teaching tools and methods, VET teachers need access to high quality professional development opportunities, as well as peer learning opportunities, so they can update their practice and increase their confidence in the use of technology. Moreover, strong ties between VET institutions and employers allows teachers to learn about new technology developments as well as labour market demands.

Furthermore, the adoption of new technology and innovative pedagogical approaches in VET is more likely to take place when there is a shared belief among VET stakeholders about the importance of developing soft skills and digital skills and adopting new technology in VET. Close cooperation between VET institutions and employers can foster innovation. At the same time, governments also play a crucial role as facilitators of innovation in teaching practice, for example by investing in infrastructure and technical support.

Policy pointers for promoting innovative pedagogical approaches in VET

3.1. Fostering the capacity of VET teachers to use innovative pedagogical approaches by:

Developing VET teachers’ digital skills through professional development opportunities: For example, work-based learning opportunities for VET teachers allow them to learn about new technologies in the workplace which fosters their teaching skills using digital technologies.
Providing support and guidance to VET teachers on how to choose effective innovative teaching methods: Both face-to-face and online learning modules can effectively support those VET teachers looking to innovate in their teaching practice. Innovative pedagogies should also be incorporated into initial teacher education and training for VET teachers.

3.2. Providing VET teachers with strategic guidance and institutional support for the integration of new technologies in VET by:

Providing VET teachers with relevant technical support and technological infrastructure: In order to increase the use of technology in VET, access to digital devices, high-tech equipment and technical support needs to be improved.
Establishing high-tech training centres: Training centres can have a special focus on strengthening the quality of teaching in VET provision, providing high-quality professional development to VET teachers on the latest technology in industry. These centres benefit both VET institutions and employers.
Promoting and facilitating the use of effective and innovative teaching strategies in VET: For instance, by providing VET teachers with the time and resources to experiment with the use of new technology in their teaching.
Establishing a shared vision and goals in VET institutions to integrate digital technology for teaching and learning in VET: Initial assessments can be a good starting point to produce a shared strategy across relevant stakeholders to support digital transformation in VET schools.

3.3. Fostering innovation through partnerships between the VET sector, industry and research institutions by:

Promoting exchanges between industry professionals and VET teachers: For example by giving VET teachers the opportunity to visit industry facilities or providing VET teachers with work-based learning opportunities.
Encouraging the development and adoption of digital technologies in VET teaching for different industries: For example, governments could establish innovation funds to support EdTech companies in the production of digital resources for teaching, such as VR applications and simulators.

3.4. Raising awareness about the importance of innovation, ICT and soft skills in teaching in VET by:

Establishing an agenda for policy change that calls for a coordinated effort from policy makers, VET teachers, industry, researchers and education technology providers to expand the use of technology and promote innovative pedagogical approaches in VET.

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Notes

← 1. As discussed in Chapter 1, in many countries a large proportion of VET graduates have jobs at high risk of automation.

← 2. The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a worldwide study by the OECD measuring cognitive and workplace skills in the adult population.

← 3. In this context ICT skills may be broadly defined as “the interest, attitude, and ability of individuals to appropriately use digital technology and communication tools” (OECD, 2012[80]).

← 4. A micro-credential is a proof of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a short, transparently-assessed learning experience. They are awarded upon the completion of short stand-alone courses (or modules) done on-site or online (or in a blended format) (European Commission, 2020[79]) A digital badge is an indicator of accomplishment or skill that can be displayed, accessed, and verified online.

← 5. Research institutions in this context refers to private or public research centres, universities, companies and specialised training centres that provide advanced training in VET subjects using the latest technologies in industry.

← 6. The People’s Republic of China, Kenya, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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