Konzeption und Diskussion zu E-Learning für Internetworking in der beruflichen Bildung unter Weiterentwicklung des Didaktischen Systems

The use of Internet-based applications has a significant influence on the everyday life of professionals. As a consequence, professionals work with informatics systems whose inherent processes are difficult to comprehend. This is caused by the complexity and interconnectedness of these informatics systems. The lack of necessary skills can prevent independent and responsible use of them. This demands for basic informatics competencies. Due to the actuality of this need, many professionals have not acquired basic informatics competencies in school education. Therefore, learning opportunities are necessary that emphasis on the informatics concepts Internet-based applications are based on. E-learning is an important supplement to traditional learning opportunities regarding vocational training. Professionals are repeatedly confronted with situations they cannot cope with since their available skills are not sufficient. Therefore, e-learning programs are required that support non-formal and informal learning. The need of basic informatics competencies to master vocational life in the 21th century and the lack of appropriate learning opportunities are motivation to develop a theoretically founded e-learning model. The research took place within the project “Informatics Education and E-Learning for Active Participation in the Digital Media Upheaval“. The project is a member of “The Humanities Collaborative Research Centre Media Upheaval“ at the Universität Siegen and promoted by the German Research Foundation. Regarding informatics education and the design of e-learning processes, fundamentals and current research are analyzed to derive requirements for designing an e-learning model (Chapter 2). In a next step, educational needs and feasible learning objectives and learning content are determined. Following, a first draft of an e-learning course is developed (Chapter 3). It is a template for an e-learning course, which was conducted in a medium-sized company from October 2006 to February 2007. The empirical exploration leads to a refinement of research questions (Chapter 4). They are central for further development of the concept of Didactic Systems. The specification of the Didactic System “Internetworking“ includes the combination of learning objectives with key competencies proposed by the OECD (Chapter 5), the representation of knowledge structures by a multi-level model (Chapter 6) and the derivation of an exercise class catalogue (Chapter 7). In addition, proposals for the design of self-directed learning complete the further development of the concept of Didactic Systems (Chapter 8). The e-learning model is a contribution to informatics education. Designing vocational training is rarely topic of research in informatics education. Regarding research methodology, emphasis is put on theoretical foundation of the e-learning model. Additionally, an empirical exploration facilitates to consider practical experience in vocational training. This and the findings in current research are combined. Together, they form a basis for the further development of the concept of Didactic Systems. The results are applied exemplary to the field “Internetworking“ considering professionals as target group.