In a diverse week filled with lectures, group work phases, as well as excursions, the trainees were able to find new inspiration for shaping education in the future. Lightning talks were used to familiarize the participants with the various learning locations and learning methods. In order to use their newly acquired knowledge, the trainees formed small groups in which they could exchange their thoughts. With the active support of the Bildungsbrücken team, tutors and guests from the project partner region of Kronach, all trainees were able to get an idea of different learning locations, highlight problem areas and develop concepts and solutions in discussion with other participants from a wide range of sectors. The tour of the Innovation Campus Lemgo also ensured that new impulses for the design of the learning locations could be gathered, which further strengthened the trainees' thinking.
Inspired by sprints from agile management, a 5-day design sprint was used to analyze, focus, innovate, prototype and test. Based on the different considerations of the participants, a model of the solution they developed could be constructed, which served to illustrate the concept and was later to be used in the presentation. By talking to experts from different companies, the idea could be presented in a small circle. This created a great opportunity to ask questions regarding the implementation and to expand on weak points in the model.
For example, one group was concerned with the development of the physical learning spaces. These should be designed as efficiently as possible and appeal to students as well as teachers. In this context, attention was paid to a realistic arrangement of the rooms, which should increase both productivity in the classroom and the feel-good factor and thus the motivation of the students.
In addition to designing physical learning spaces, one group also developed a concept of a digital learning space to address feedback culture. "[...] if the feedback is only of a bad nature, motivation also decreases, thus learning deteriorates, which only leads to worse feedback. A vicious circle [...]," said inIT trainee Jannik Peters.
The presentations were given in the form of pitches in the newly built Vocational Training Center in front of an audience consisting of about 80 guests - including the mayor of the city of Lemgo Markus Baier. The jury was made up of six members. These included Markus Rempe (Chairman of the Board of Lippe Bildung eG), Prof. Dr. Yvonne-Christin Knepper-Bartel (Vice President for Education and Sustainability at TH OWL), Wolfgang Wilden (Principal of Felix-Fechenbach Berufskolleg), Caroline Wilke (Project Manager OstWestfalenLippe GmbH), Michael Wennemann from IHK Lippe zu Detmold, and Hacer Ritzler-Engels (Kreishandwerkerschaft Paderborn-Lippe).
The inIT trainees agree: "We are very satisfied with this year's Bridge Days. Through the exchange with the other participants, many new ideas emerged, which we were able to share with the audience on the presentation day. In addition, we were able to build valuable skills that are applicable in our professional lives."
The Bridge Days were funded as an INNOVET project by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Among the organizers of Bridge Days 2023: Bridge Days – Bildungsbrücken OWL (bildungsbruecken-owl.de)