InfoWeb WeiterBildung – Personalised search area for the learning enviroment

The IWWB-PLUS project aims to investigate how the user experience and usability of the InfoWeb Weiterbildung (IWWB) digital platform for continuing education can be improved through new web and IT technologies. To this end, a wide range of issues will need to be explored, touching upon IT-specific aspects, as well as quantitative and qualitative empirical social science aspects and theoretical aspects of motivation and competence research. The following key research questions arise from this.

How can an ontology for specific occupational groups be automatically generated from existing metadata and then expanded incrementally?

How can compatibility with Europass and other competence frameworks be ensured? What information can be made available to third parties via IWWB-PLUS whilst complying with data protection regulations, and in what form?

In what ways can chatbots be used to help people interested in further training to find suitable courses? What specific requirements need to be addressed in this context?

In order to add value to the search refinement process, what insights must a ‘light assessment’ provide at the very least? How can a ‘light assessment’ be carried out in a user-friendly and effective way?

Which principles should be applied to derive maximum benefit from short search paths? What information do searchers need to make an informed decision about an offer?

Which professional groups are best suited to answering the key research questions relating to human–computer interaction? Which professional groups are relevant in terms of numbers, further training needs and against the backdrop of a skills shortage?

Which measurement tools are best suited to the iterative, ongoing evaluation of new technical implementations, such as chatbots, based on the design-based research approach?

In response to the growing demand for information, advice and assessment services in continuing education, the IWWB-PLUS project will investigate how the user experience and usability of the InfoWeb Weiterbildung (IWWB) digital platform for continuing education can be improved through new web and IT technologies, in line with the needs of continuing education stakeholders.

This project combines the expertise of the German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) in adult education research and the key areas of focus and objectives of the DIPF with regard to the IWWB. The latter aims to achieve greater personalisation of platforms and improved discoverability of learning content. The project aims to develop a highly tailored search function for continuing education programmes within a future digital continuing education space and to test and evaluate it for selected occupational groups.

As the number of courses on offer continues to grow and the metadata provided by participating database providers remains highly heterogeneous, there will be a need for greater integration of innovative, AI-supported technologies in future. This will enable personalised, efficient searches for continuing professional development courses through human-computer interaction (HCI).

The project is therefore primarily based on Development Area II, which involves the development and testing of platform-related innovations as part of the INVITE funding programme run by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

To this end, jobseekers can request that the IWWB's existing infrastructure be linked to the Europass system in order to obtain additional metadata for further personalisation. For example, in collaboration with individual professional groups, a ‘Light Assessment’ is used to identify individual preferences, which are then analysed by a recommendation system to provide users with feedback to assist them in choosing further training programmes. Using a chatbot enables a more personalised, dialogue-based search, allowing users to find suitable courses as efficiently as possible.

The evaluation and assessment of the measures are based on usability and user and provider surveys, which highlight further requirements. The collaborative project employs these methods via a design-based research approach, enabling the iterative improvement of individual elements. Insights gained in this way can be processed immediately and incorporated into subsequent iterations.

The IWWB-PLUS project will integrate the existing IWWB platform more closely into the European continuing education system, promoting standardisation and networking within the sector. The planned improvements will ensure that the IWWB platform continues to fulfil its role as a central access point for individuals interested in continuing education and providers of such programmes.