Bridging the digital gap: Workshop for Technology beginners

About the Study: Project ProMenTaT - Bridging the digital gap: Workshop for Technology beginners

Technology beginners are individuals who were not born or educated during the digital age and often struggle with contemporary digital work and skills. They may also lack modern communication skills.

Those facing communication challenges, skill challenges often find it difficult to acquire essential digital skills, with age and a lack of digital proficiency being major obstacles in securing paid employment. An experimental study aims to develop a qualification process to integrate individuals with skill challenges, such as limited reading and writing proficiency (comprehension skills), language difficulties, and limited digital skills, into future hybrid work environments.

As part of a feasibility study by the ProMenTaT junior research group, digital qualification tools are being developed to adapt to specific skill profiles. These tools assess the competencies of individuals with various challenges through tasks of increasing complexity. We are testing their effectiveness in enabling subjects with diverse skill levels to acquire necessary skills in real or simulated work environments. The goal is to facilitate competence development with the help of advanced technical tools.

1. AVISAR (Adaptive Visual System with Spatial Augmented Reality)
2. MIR (Multisensory Interaction Space)

Members: Prof. Dirk Reichelt, Prof. Dietrich Kammer, Prof Rüdiger von der Weth, Karishma Jagdish Gavali, Elena Stoll, Nils Helmeke

Motivation and background

How can complexity, information processing, and thinking processing be fostered to advance the inclusion and interaction of digital newcomers?

Individuals, lacking exposure to technology, interact different with technology compared to people born and having access to technology. Tasks that seem simple to the latter may appear complex to the former, especially regarding problem-solving tasks inducing cognitive load. Research indicates that problem-solving difficulties vary based on the complexity and element interactivity.​

To develop an inclusive qualifications process for digital technologies with diverse backgrounds, understanding human behavior and information processing is crucial. Information processing occurs on three levels: visceral, behavioral, and reflective. We leverage visceral responses to evoke emotions and enhance motivation. The behavioral level handles learned skills, aiding in complex problem-solving. By triggering visceral responses and supporting the thinking processes, we aim to train individuals with barriers and motivate them towards technology and skills acquisition.

The study aims to help individuals who face limitations like language or comprehension skills and unfamiliarity with digital technologies (e.g. working with computers, tablets, etc.) to be successful in hybrid working environments. To do so the focus of the study is improving digital skills and motivation to work through letting the participants solve tasks in simulated industry environments. 

The primary goal is developing qualification processes and supportive tools to help individuals with certain limitations integrate to future work environments.

We want to target an audience of technology beginners and individuals with limited language skills (German or Englisch) or comprehension skills, individuals who need some support in solving contemporary digital tasks.

Purpose

The primary goal is to develop qualification processes and supportive tools to integrate individuals with facing specific skill challenges, helping them perform effectively in future hybrid work environment.

Study Methodology

Experiment Design for Assessing Sensory and Cognitive Abilities in Problem-Solving Tasks-

In our study, involving 60 participants, including 30 facing skill challenges and 30 withoutany skill challenges. Participants will perform tasks at three different levels of complexity, focusing on sensory and cognitive aspects of problem-solving. Participants will undergo demographic interviews and receive information about the study and safety protocols. They will then enter the simulation container equipped with AVISAR, emergency protocols, and an industry model. The test subjects are sent into the experiment with the following framework story:

• Their central task is to rectify faults using AVISAR (task mainly at sensorimotor level.

• Faults may occur during task processing (at levels 2 and 3), for the correction of which they receive brief training or aids on site. 

Level 1 (Sensomotoric Tasks):

Participants will be trained to resolve six defect scenarios using on-the-job training. And participants will use AVISAR for the same tasks.

Level 2 (Rule-Based Tasks during Power Failure)

Participants will experience a simulated power failure and be required to resolve it using instructions provided.

Level 3 (Knowledge-Based Tasks during Drone Failure)

Participants will experience a simulated drone failure and be required to resolve it based on prior training and available resources.

The experiment aims to assess participants' abilities to adapt in complex situations and their preference for different types of instructional formats.

Short version

→ Participants will undergo a structured program in a Multisensory Interactions Room (MIR), performing three work tasks of increasing complexity. Tasks range from simple IT component repairs to decision-making for power outages and complex problem-solving in a simulated factory environment.

AVISAR - Adaptive Visual System with Spatial Augmented Reality

The task of the study participants is to carry out simple manual repair tasks using the innovative AVISAR system. AVISAR (eng. for: Adaptive Visual Assistance System using Spatial Augmented Reality for Manual Workplaces in Smart Factories) is an adaptive, inclusive assistance system to support manual work in factories of the future. Despite the high degree of automation in smart factories, certain tasks such as repairs will still require human dexterity and expertise in the future. The AVISAR system supports the repair of incorrectly assembled parts by providing visual assistance. With the help of a projector, the relevant areas are highlighted and repair instructions are displayed that are tailored to the specific repair case and the user.

AVISAR is being developed as part of the sub-project "Concepts for the design of human-machine interfaces in hybrid teams". Our focus is on the implementation of sustainable and human-centered human-machine interaction. Responsible: M.Sc. Elena Stoll (research assistant) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dietrich Kammer (TV management).

MIR - Multisensory interaction space

MIR technology aids qualification through simulating work environments, virtual or real. MIR creates immersive settings, accurately capturing user behavior. Participants engage scenarios, assessed on learning processes and interactions with technology. We’ll compare MIR-based assessment to traditional methods to enhance performance and learning outcomes.

Evaluation:

The study employs Kirkpatrick’s model to assess participants’ immediate reactions, knowledge and skill acquisition, changes in workplace behavior, Stress ( Stress will be measured using a EDA / hautleitwert) and overall impact on organizational outcome.

Funding