In order to combine science, education and practice, I am involved in practice-oriented research and development projects at the interface of digital technology, social work and learning. Here is an overview of current and past projects.

DELTA AT WORK (2022-2024)

Updating vocational qualifications has been a recurring theme for many international organisations and institutions over the past decade. The continuing automation of industrial processes and the highly automated, networked and smart production known as Industry 4.0, which is based on digitalisation, robotics, sensor technology as well as cyber-physical systems and Big Data, not only have a profound impact on the labour market. To a not inconsiderable extent, they require a reassessment and reorientation of current vocational training. MCKinsey recently presented the DELTA approach at the Word Economic Forum under the title “These are the skills you will need for the future of work”.

DELTAs (Distinct ELements of TAalent) describe 56 different competences such as “adaptability” and “dealing with uncertainty”, which are grouped into 13 ability groups and very clearly into four categories, namely cognitive, self-leadership, interpersonal and digital DEALTAs. They are the focus of the DELTA AT WORK project. The project envisages the production of a series of materials for VET, namely (1) a white paper on embedding the DELTA approach in current approaches to 21st century competences. (2) a set of 16 modules in audio format on cognitive DELTAs, (3) a toolkit of 32 tools on interpersonal DELTAs, (4) a set of 15 videos (PR4) as best practice case studies on self-direction DELTAs, and (5) a NOOC (Nano Open Online Course) with methodological materials for teachers focusing on digital DELTAs.

Digital Participation for People with Disabilities (2021-2023)

Training on Mediatisation and Digitisation in Work with People with Disabilities. The project aims to promote the digital inclusion of people with disabilities by practically testing digital participation in everyday situations together with the caring professionals and sustainably promoting the acquisition of digital skills both among the people with disabilities and among the professionals. This takes place within the framework of a professional training, in which the participating professionals carry out practice-oriented learning projects together with their residents in order to work concretely on challenges of everyday digital life and to develop new professional practices. This ensures a high degree of relevance to everyday life and a sustainable practical effect, and promotes both individual digital competences among residents and professionals as well as team-based professional confidence. We place particular emphasis on focusing on the needs and goals of people with disabilities in order to enable their individual participation in the digital world.

REMOTEMO (2021-2023)

The project “REMOTEMO – Social and Emotional Skills to Regulate the Psychological Effects of Telework and Promote Job Satisfaction” is aimed at workers who are exposed to increasing stress in the home office as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as their managers and HRM in companies and institutions.

In the REMOTEMO project, three products will be developed over two years: 1) a training programme for managers and HRM with 18 podcasts plus a guide; 2) a self-assessment tool for employees and a toolkit with 30 practical tools; 3) a corpus of 18 case studies in video format. In addition, there are six multiplier events and an international training.

STREAMpreneur (2020-2022)

The STREAMpreneur project aims to improve the entrepreneurial skills of young people, promote innovation and sustainable solutions to real problems in Europe and beyond by introducing the concept of STEM+RA entrepreneurship to youth workers and providing them with knowledge and tools to implement it in their daily youth work.

The project foresees the realisation of 2 Intellectual Outputs (IO), staff training
activities and blended learning training activities (international pilot, local pilot), a
series of webinars, podcasts, interviews, articles, 4 multiplier events and 1 final conference. IO 1 “Guidelines for “STREAM Entrepreneurship” approach implementation in youth work” will provide guidance to organisations working in youth work on how to integrate the STREAM Entrepreneurship approach in their youth activities/programmes. IO 2 “E-Course Platform – Empowering Drivers for Future Growth” will provide e-courses to support staff/trainers in applying the STREAM entrepreneurship approach in their activities/programmes with youth. An important element of the platform is also a social learning space where users can share knowledge, good practices, etc., learn from each other and empower each other.

Flip Edu Up (2020-2022)

The project “Flip Edu Up (FEU)” will target European adult education centres and adult educators searching for support to improve their competences in teaching and digital skills in order to digitalise their teaching programmes and engage adult learners.

The project foresees to realise two Intellectual Outputs (IO), staff training activity (international pilot testing, local pilot testing), series of webinars, podcasts, interviews, articles, four Multiplier Events and one final conference. The IO 1 will be a manual “Methodology, Quality Assurance and Evaluation for Blended Learning Approach in adult education”, the IO 2 an e‐platform (“Community of innovators”) whose multilingual e‐courses and social learning area will enable autonomous learning by educators in partner countries and in Europe. This e‐learning platform will consist of two main elements: I) Practical online courses for educators/trainer to access and receive support from the course creators when embarking on in the blended learning journey, and ii) Learning space (community of innovators), which will allow users to come together and learn from each other interactively.

„Bildung+digital?!“ (2019-2022)

At the heart of this Erasmus+ project is the exchange of good practice in digital or digitised education, the discussion of ideas and the joint reflection on approaches to solutions. The essential space for this is the transnational project meetings, of which eight meetings are planned in 31 months, namely one in 2019, three in 2020, three in 2021 and one in 2022. They all have roughly the same basic structure with the following elements: (1) insight into the practice of the host institution’s educational work, including discussions with teachers and learners; (2) impulse from a national expert; (3) discussion and exchange of practice on a thematic focus of the challenge catalogue with short impulses from each partner organisation. In parallel, a virtual forum will be set up in which the partners can provide each other with material, hold discussions and also document the progress of the project externally. In addition to HeurekaNet, eight other institutions from Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Belgium, Lithuania and Italy are involved.

Educate! E-Learning for the Textile Care Sector (2018-2021)

The Erasmus+ project “Educate! E-Learning for the Textile Care Sector“, implemented by 6 partners from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden, addresses the priorities of social inclusion and open education and innovative educational practices in a digital age. The business-oriented and media-innovative approach of this project opens the door to vocational training for low-skilled workers, thus promoting equality, including gender equality, and inclusion.

csm_Educate__c65a9baf05In this project digital learning materials such as e-learning modules, e-tutorials/explanatory videos and a learning platform will be developed and a work-based learning approach will be supported. On the one hand, there is the possibility to get information directly needed with the help of mobile devices, on the other hand, the project encourages employees to make their own learning experiences available to other employees in the form of small online tutorials. This approach strengthens employees’ reflexivity and self-confidence, encourages new forms of learning and at the same time promotes media and digital literacy.

Blended Smoking Cessation Treatment (2014-2020)

Doctoral research on Blended Smoking Cessation Treatment, a new type of therapy to help people stop smoking. An evaluation study is exploring the effectiveness for the cessation of smoking of a blended version of face-to-face treatment plus online treatment compared with face-to-face treatment only. Additional sub studies are conducted on user experience and adherence. The research is being supported by Saxion University of Applied Sciences, the University of Twente, addiction treatment institute Tactus and the Medisch Spectrum Twente hospital. (Link to PHD DEFENCE)

Youth Work Mobile 2.0 – Train (YOWOMO2.0-Train) (2016-2019)

The core idea of YOWOMO2.0-Train is to get youth work in shape for the 21st century. YOWOMO2.0-Train builds on the results of the European research projects “EU Kids Online” and “Net Children Go Mobile”. Their results indicate that both the training of youth workers and their professional practice are challenged by the growing significance of smartphones and social media in young people’s lives. Internet use is increasingly mobile with more children accessing the internet in the p
rivacy of their bedroom and when out and about. Although children do more online, most do still not climb far up “the ladder of opportunities”. The knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for professional youth work facing these challenges are described in the Youth Work Mobile 2.0 (YOWOMO2.0) competence framework, which is the outcome of a former European partnership. Building on this framework, YOWOMO2.0-Train will now be the first project to be sustainable and to implement the YOWOMO2.0-competences for youth work in the age of smartphones and social media in youth work education and training. (more)

Youth Work Mobile 2.0 (YOWOMO2.0) (2013-2015)

Youth Work Mobile 2.0 (YOWOMO2.0) was a European Partnership developing a framework for Vocational and Educational Training (VET) of youth workers facing the growing significance of smartphones and social media in the life of their clients. (more)

Saxion op Pad (2013)

Use of iPads in training and field work by Social Work students (more)

Give Saxion a Smart Touch (2012)

Using Near Field Communication (NFC) and QR-Codes in Higher Education developing an interactive worldmap (more)