Investigation into the Digital Pedagogical Practices of Bucher Emhart Glass

Ian Kirton

Keywords: Glass Industry Training; E-Learning; TEL; Industrial Training Programs; Didactic Pedagogical Practice in Digital Education

To investigate Bucher Emhart Glass’s (BEG) use of didactic pedagogical practice in its E-learning programs, identify whether this is the best practice for e-learning training in the glass industry, and determine whether learning outcomes are achieving the levels they could.

Why Do This?

BEG is a well-established machine manufacturing company that has supplied machines to the glass container production industry for over 100 years. Until 2020, the training provided was always classroom and workshop-based technical training. Like most of the world, 2020 and COVID-19 forced BEG to rethink its strategy for training customers. BEG Academy is made up of skilled personnel from around the world and focused on the skills of the glass industry, but none have an educational background. When creating the e-learning platform, they created e-learning content with no concept of pedagogic practice, and as Udell and Woodill would say, “We look at the present through the rear-view mirror, and we march backwards to the future” (Udell & Woodill, 2015, pp. 111-112).  They created their content based on what they knew, which was classroom-based PowerPoint training. At this point, they reached out to Marburg University to help set up a pedagogical approach and were advised to survey their training participant on their learning styles. I now know this was strange advice, considering Newton and Miah’s conclusion that the lack of evidence to support learning styles has led to its classification as a myth (Newton & Miah, 2017).  Then, I went on to advise a Didactic pedagogical practice in e-learning. Although this behaviourism-type pedagogical practice was used well in hands-on workshop training, Bates expresses that Behaviourism is more suited to dog training than e-learning platforms. (Bates, 2019) Bates describes Behaviourism as more suitable for dog training than the modern e-learning age (Bates, 2019). “Learning occurs through a process of social participation in a community where others are also engaged” (Anderson, 2020, p. 461)

Inputs

Content Evaluation

Identify and evaluate the content available on BEG’s e-learning platform.

Assess the relevance, accuracy, and depth of the material provided.

Ensure that the content aligns with the learning objectives and industry standards.

Pedagogical Evaluation

Analyse the instructional strategies employed in BEG’s e-learning platform.

Evaluate the effectiveness of didactic methods, including simulations, quizzes, and interactive activities.

Consider learning engagement, retention, and comprehension levels.

Technology Assessment

Assess the functionality, usability, and accessibility of the e-learning platform.

Evaluate the technical aspects such as platform reliability, speed, and compatibility with various devices and browsers.

Identify any technical barriers that may hinder the learning process.

Student Feedback and Assessment

Gather feedback from students using surveys.

Collect data on student satisfaction, perceived learning gains, and areas for improvement.

Utilise formative and summative assessments to measure student progress and achievement.

Comparative Analysis

Compare students’ learning outcomes using BEG’s e-learning platform with those using alternative methods or platforms.

Conduct benchmarking against industry standards and best practices in e-learning.

How did I gather data?

Data will be gathered using the E-Learning platform, which records user usage data, course completion, and summative results. Participants’ and staff’s survey results will also be included.

What data did I gather?

The current situation is that limited data has been gathered, return responses to the surveys have been limited, and access to the data collected by the online reporting system is restricted through potential GDPR issues and is in the hands of Bucher Emhart Glass Legal team.