Frank Hees

Innovative Capability – an Introduction to this Volume

The capability to innovate in an on-going manner is emerging as a decisive key factor in todays complex and dynamic world of business and work – the ability to stay competitive is becoming identical with the ability to innovate. As an introduction to the collection of essays, this contribution discusses both the origins as well as the characteristics of innovation and provides an underlying definition of innovative capability. Building on this, key challenges for business operations are outlined, which must be overcome, if innovative capability is to be enhanced on a sustainable basis.

A Web-based Knowledge Map for integrating expert knowledge into higher education

Knowledge Maps as knowledge-management-tools support individual learning processes by processing relevant knowledge and information and by making it available, searchable and usable. Thus, Knowledge Maps can serve as a learning platform by the active work with, e.g. expert information addressed in direct bilateral exchanges or project-oriented documents. In this case knowledge is not a static supply of interlocked learning processes, but is continuously generated and associated with the actors. The paper is based upon the project WeKnow funded by the EU Socrates Programme in the field of Information and Communication Technology and Open and Distance Learning in education. The project seeks to develop a Web-based Knowledge Map as an educational competence-based learning environment.

Dipl-Ing Rest in Peace? The Implementation of the Bologna Process in Germany’s Engineering Education

More than ten years after the signing of the Bologna Declaration, the European Higher Education Area has been launched on March 12 2010. Many of the original objectives have made a lot of progress, such as increasing the mobil- ity amongst students in Europe in order to foster intercultural competencies and preparing the graduates for a global job market. In engineering though, the number of students who study abroad is still pretty low. Other aspects like comparable de- grees or courses still need further development throughout all fields of study. After a short presentation about the background of the Bologna Process, the following article describes the implementation in Germanys engineering education so far. It also presents different opinions of various stakeholders. Further research questions are beingdiscussed at the end of the paper.The role of the studentsis paid specialat- tention to throughoutthe whole text. The article is based on qualitative documentary research.

Spannungsfelder der Innovationsfähigkeit. Internationales Monitoring im BMBF-Forschungs- und Entwicklungsprogramm A-L-K

Das vom Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung sowie vom Europaischen Sozialfonds geforderte Forschungs- und Entwicklungsprogramm „Arbeiten – Lernen – Kompetenzen entwickeln. Innovationsfahigkeit in einer modernen Arbeitswelt“ zielt auf die Starkung der Innovationsfahigkeit in Deutschland. Der Beitrag erlautert die Funktionen des programmbegleitenden internationalen Monitorings (IMO) und stellt zentrale Ergebnisse der bisherigen Monitoringaktivitaten vor. Dabei liegt der Fokus auf der Beschreibung von funf elementaren Dilemmata des wirtschaftlichen Handelns in der modernen Arbeitswelt sowie deren Implikationen fur den Bereich des praventiven Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutzes.

Hands on Robotics - Concept of a Student Laboratory on the Basis of an Experience-Oriented Learning Model

At the ZLW/IMA (Center for Learning and Knowledge Management/Institute of Information Management in Mechanical Engineering) of the RWTH Aachen University, the interdisciplinary student laboratory “RoboScope” is being built to serve as an extracurricular learning venue. The aim is to interest students in technology through active experimentation in the scientific robotics discipline to motivate them to study subjects affiliated to science, mathematics, computer sciences and engineering. The article describes the didactic design of the student lab, which is modeled on the dual cycle of work-integrated learning according to Stefan Brall (2007). This cyclic learning process can be realized particularly in work- and activity-integrated contexts. The focus of the didactic concept lies on the implementation of experience-based, active experimental and consciously reflective learning. Concrete application scenarios from the area of robotics serve to show various interrelations of effects and allow insight into different scientific disciplines. Practical (experimental) and theoretical phases are passed alternately in iterative learning loops. With the help of successive modules (lane of demonstration, phases of experimentation, microteaching units, contest arena), special areas of activity are created for students where various scenarios can be explored interactively. These scenarios are linked to theoretical content in subsequent reflection phases. The project character of the student laboratory fosters not only subject-related skills but also meta-disciplinary competences like team skills and openness to criticism as well as project management. The interaction with such a diversity of scientific disciplines also helps the students with their future professional or educational orientation. The supervisors (undergraduates of technical and scientific subjects) coach and advise the attending students as experts and serve as role models for a transition from school to university.

Die Fähigkeit zur Innovation – Einleitung in den Sammelband

Die Fahigkeit kontinuierlich Innovationen hervorzubringen avanciert in der komplexen und dynamischen Wirtschafts- und Arbeitswelt von heute zum entscheidenden Schlusselfaktor – die Frage der Wettbewerbsfahigkeit wird zur Frage der Innovationsfahigkeit. Als Einfuhrung in den Sammelband diskutiert der Beitrag sowohl die Genese als auch Charakteristika von Innovation und erarbeitet ein grundlegendes Verstandnis von Innovationsfahigkeit. Darauf aufbauend werden zentrale Herausforderungen des wirtschaftlichen Handelns skizziert, die auf dem Weg zu einer nachhaltigen Starkung der Innovationsfahigkeit zu bewaltigen sind.

Innovationsfähigkeit – Lernfähigkeit – Transferfähigkeit. Innovationen systematisch fördern

Der Artikel „Innovationsfahigkeit – Lernfahigkeit – Transferfahigkeit. Innovationen systematisch fordern“ gibt einen Uberblick uber Inhalte, Struktur und Steuerung des BMBF-Forschungsprogramms „Arbeiten – Lernen – Kompetenzen entwickeln. Innovationsfahigkeit in einer modernen Arbeitswelt“. Der Forschungsgegenstand Innovationsfahigkeit weist heterogene Entstehungsbedingungen und Erscheinungsformen auf, die flexibler und spezifischer Forderinstrumentarien bedurfen. Es zeigt sich, dass die Forderung von Innovationsfahigkeit unverzichtbar mit der Erhohung von Lernfahigkeit und Transferfahigkeit des Forderprogramms selbst verbunden sind. Auf diese Anforderungen reagiert das BMBF mit offenen Programmstrukturen, die die inharente Lern- und Transferfahigkeit unterstutzen, um den wechselnden Herausforderungen effizient und zeitnah entgegenzutreten. Abschliesend wird der Beitrag der Monitoring- und Metaprojekte zur Herstellung dieser Lern- und Transferfahigkeit des Programms dargestellt.

Resisting Time Pressure – Work-Integrated Learning Facing Individual Challenges in Knowledge-Based Economies

The contemporary economic and working environment is more complex and turbulent than ever before. On the one hand, enterprises must succeed in turbulent and fast changing global markets. On the other hand, traditional models of the regular employee have been substituted by dynamic biographies. Nowadays, individuals are required to refresh their knowledge and modify their skills constantly and for a long working life while organizations have to use efficient instruments for the flexible transfer of work-related knowledge. These enhanced requirements of individual qualification and competency development conflict with the increasing time pressure of the economic and everyday life. This paper firstly analyzes lifelong learning and continuous competency development as essential requirements in a modern working environment. The socioeconomic dilemma, Time for Learning Processes vs. Time Pressure, however, shows that in the tightened conditions of todays economy the fulfilment of these requirements can only be obtained by innovative forms of work-integrated learning. Based on these results the paper finally describes the concept of Microtraning as one example of an efficient method of work-integrated learning and powerful measures to face the dilemma described.

Langfristiges Verstehen durch kurzfristiges Missverstehen. Die Bedeutung der interaktiv-transkriptiven Störungsbearbeitung für den Transfer von Wissen

Der Artikel stellt die Problematik des Wissenstransfers im Bereich anwendungsorientierter Forschungsprogramme als Konsequenz einer universellen Ausdifferenzierung von Wissensgebieten und Sprachspielen dar. Aus konstruktivistischer Perspektive werden Losungsvorschlage abgeleitet, die auf die gemeinschaftliche Bearbeitung kommunikativer Storungen durch die Transferpartner abzielen. Hierin wird der Schlussel zur Uberwindung von Wissens- und Sprachspielgrenzen sowie zur Generierung und zum Transfer von Wissen vermutet. Am Beispiel des Forschungs- und Entwicklungsprogramms des Bundesministeriums fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) „Arbeiten – Lernen – Kompetenzen entwickeln. Innovationsfahigkeit in einer modernen Arbeitswelt“ werden Masnahmen aufgezeigt, um das den kommunikativen Storungen innewohnende Potenzial zur Kompensierung der Transferproblematik auszuschopfen.

Robotics Education Labs - EDULAB

As one of the largest technology-orientated universities in Germany, RWTH Aachen University possesses a broad MINT (MINT – German acronym for Mathematics, Engineering, Natural Sciences and Technology) profile encompassing almost every area of mathematics, computer sciences, natural sciences and technology disciplines. One of the main goals of the MINT agenda of RWTH Aachen University is to enthuse high school students for MINT subjects through a targeted recruitment strategy during the transitional phase from school to university. Focusing on the field of robotics, EDULAB supports this strategy by introducing high school students to the MINT subjects and getting different facets of the technological disciplines across to them. To this end, rescue-scenarios are especially suited as topics from engineering, medicine, mechanics, biology, information-technology and mathematics are integrated per construction. Robotics is a holistic field of research, encompassing and addressing all MINT subjects. Additionally, socio-scientific perspectives of the MINT subjects are integrated into the EDULAB master plan.