Evaluation support for gibb Berufsfachschule Bern’s IT Training 4.0 project
The aim is to provide evaluation support for the FleBa, SOL and smartLearn sub-projects, which are being implemented as part of gibb Berufsfachschule Bern’s ‘IT Training 4.0’ pilot project.
Switzerland's system of dual-track vocational education and training should become more flexible and modular over time and thus more appealing for host companies and learners. gibb Berufsfachschule Bern has launched a pilot project ‘IT Training 4.0’ in response to the national ‘VPET 2030’ strategy. SFUVET’s Evaluation Unit has been asked to assist with evaluation of this pilot project.
Initially, SFUVET will help gibb Berufsfachschule Bern to develop evaluation concepts for three sub-projects: ‘Flexible teaching (FleBa)’, ‘Self-organised learning (SOL)" and the ‘smartLearn platform’. This support will be provided in the form of workshops to impart theoretical principles explained in the textbook ‘Balzer, L. & Beywl, W. (2018). evaluiert - erweitertes Planungsbuch für Evaluationen im Bildungsbereich. Bern: hep verlag’. The workshops will specifically focus on the evaluation concepts described in the following chapters of this textbook: ‘Identifying the object of evaluation’, ‘Identifying the actors and specifying the role of evaluators’, ‘Identifying evaluation purposes and formulating evaluation questions’, ‘Identifying valuation criteria’ and ‘Selecting data collection design and methods’.
SFUVET will then either assist gibb Berufsfachschule Bern with concrete implementation of the various evaluation concepts or carry out corresponding evaluation steps directly.
The first evaluation phase will focus on establishing an information basis for improvements and developments. Accordingly, the evaluation questions are intended to ascertain how the three sub-projects will be implemented in practice and how problems are dealt with.
Once project implementation has reached a certain level of maturity, evaluation questions on impact can also be answered.
In order to establish an information basis for improvements and developments, workshops will be organised with vocational school teachers and workplace trainers. In addition, learners will be asked to fill out questionnaires.
In order to analyse impact, a longitudinal study will be conducted. Learners will be asked to take part in online surveys so that information can be gathered regarding the new training course and benchmark classes at various points in time during training. These surveys will provide information about learner self-esteem, skills acquisition to gauge learning progress, the level of motivation to learn and achieve, extent of classroom participation, etc.