The processes of digitalization present a great opportunity to further develop and to rethink working life and the formal educational system. At the same time, inequalities are noticeably increasing in a society and professional world that is shaped by a vast diversity. Looking at vocational education as an intersection between professional work and general education, we are able see how inequalities and digital divides are reinforced by the ongoing process of digitalization.
Convinced of the importance of this topic for our society, Prof. Dr. Alisha Heinemann and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Maren Petersen, together with Verena H. Wilkens, will explore the following questions over the next two years: What new expectations for teachers, professionals and students does digitalization bring through new communication media and evolving technologies, e.g. in production and administration? To what extent are inequalities that already exist in a diverse society and professional world further reinforced by the processes of digitalization? What new inequalities are emerging and how are they shaped? What role does a person's socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, age, or disability play in this? To what extent do literacy skills in German and English affect inequalities in the use of digital tools?
In collaboration with vocational schools, companies, teachers and pupils in Bremen and Bremerhaven, data will be collected to answer these questions. The results of quantitative surveys, analyses of work processes, and qualitative interviews will be used to develop guidelines for teachers, principals, instructors in vocational schools, and politicians to counteract the reinforcement and reshaping of inequalities. Collaboration with companies and educators ensures the project's visibility and its connection to everyday work with dynamic changes.
The DUBB project will run for two years (January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023) and is funded by the state of Bremen from resources of the "Bremen Fonds" in the thematic area "Society and Individuals in Digital Transformation – Consequences and Shaping of a Digital Transformation".