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Hit the gas! Learning communities to accelerate learning and innovation in the installation sector

Description project

The energy transition requires (future) installation workers to adapt to new ways of working and to proactively develop new practices. In this project, Learning Communities composed of (future) installation workers and experts from various educational programs, are organized around paid market  assignments related to the energy transition. These Learning Communities should accelerate learning and innovation, but evidence of how and why Learning Communities contribute to sustained learning and development is still anecdotical and often exclusively focused on short-term outcomes. Therefore, in this project innovative measurement methods and analysis techniques are used to unravel the dynamics of underlying learning processes and influencing factors

during and after employees' participation in Learning Communities. Moreover, a scaffolding intervention using adaptive learning technology is developed and tested to support participants’ active learning in Learning Communities. Finally, the consortium partners use the realistic evaluation framework to determine the crucial design characteristics of effective Learning Communities.

Expected outcomes

The outcomes of this project are used to arrive at a blueprint for Learning Communities of the future and to develop a set of tools (e.g., scenarios, roadmap, training for  Learning Community facilitators) to directly support work and educational innovation in the installation sector. Consequently, this project will result in both scientific insights into what characteristics of Learning Communities work for whom under which circumstances, as well as practical guidelines to design new learning-work arrangements for the installation sector and beyond

involved researchers


Dr. Maaike Endedijk - contact person
Dr. Mireille Hubers
Dr. Marcella Hoogeboom
Amber Kornet, MSc.
Britt Wiefferink, MSc.

Duration of the project

April 2020 – March 2024

Funding & partners

Funding: The Dutch Research Council (NOW)
Partners: Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, ROC van Twente, Installatiebedrijf G. van Dam B.V., Alferink B.V., Jan Nijhof B.V., Geas Energiewacht B.V., Loohuis Installatietechnieken B.V., Winkels Techniek B.V., Engberink Technische Installaties, Stichting ISSO, Stichting Pioneering, Stichting Opleidings- & Ontwikkelingsfonds voor het Technisch Installatiebedrijf

project website

Click here for the project website.