Europa-Universität Flensburg

The Institute of Vocational Education, Work and Technology (biat) trains vocational education teachers in the fields of Metal-, Electrical-, Automotive- and Information Technology and deals with issues regarding the development of technology, (skilled) work and vocational training from a vocational education and an educational scientific point of view. The Institute’s main areas of research are closely related to the demands placed upon professional education experts working in vocational schools and other teaching environments. Issues pertaining to vocational education and educational science are therefore dealing with developments in technology, in the particular area of (skilled) work and in vocational training and also cover the interrelation and interaction between these areas.

The central point of focus in teaching and research in Electrical Technolgy is on professional gainful employment and the organisation of relevant training and further education in the electrical trades. In the relevant occupational field of Electrical Engineering in particular we therefore currently thematize around 800,000 employees in over 750 electrical professions as well as about 120,000 apprentices in around 20 electrical-related recognized trades from an occupational science and didactic point of view. As a result, students develop comprehensive skills in educational science and specialist knowledge in their chosen subjects. They also learn how to teach and plan lectures and courses which is essential for teachers in vocational schools in order to plan, understand and evaluate vocational teaching and learning processes. This also applies to a variety of advanced vocational training courses leading to qualifying as a state certified electrical engineering technician (staatl. geprüfter Elektrotechniker) or a master electrician (Elektromeister(in). These qualifications are also covered in teaching and research at biat. biat participates in nationwide evaluation and redesign processes for  these initial and continuing training occupations. European and international cooperations and studies supplement and further existing knowledge in the occupational field of Electrical Technolgy which augments teaching and research in the professional specialisation of Electrical Technolgy.

The vocational specialisation Information Technology forms part of the degree course “Master of Vocational Education/Lehramt an beruflichen Schulen” (industrial technical sciences). In this course, students can develop their occupational scientific and technical knowledge and didactic skills required (e.g. planning, implementing and evaluating learning processes) for their future occupation as teachers at vocational schools or working in the area of vocational education and training and advanced training. Students can attend project-based seminars to learn about a broad range of methods of teaching by way of higher education didactic training. Based on an analysis of the vocational and working worlds within the IT sector and its current changes, it is possible to lay down requirements for the design of skill-oriented training/learning arrangements and to examine those critically. In the vocational specialisation Information Technology biat therefore carries out research and provides training on the historical and current developments in vocational work as well as in vocational training and advanced training in IT professions. This means that biat is involved in the nationwide processes of didactic evaluation and the redesign of syllabuses in a scientific capacity. European and international cooperations, together with studies in the field of Information Technology, supplements and thereby further findings and thus also enrich teaching and study projects in the professional specialisation of Information Technology.