Digital transformation in adult education centres in Baden-Wuerttemberg

ABSTRACT

The article discusses processes of digital transformation in adult education centres (AEC) in Baden-Wuerttemberg. It focuses on (a) environmental changes as perceived by specific actors, (b) topics and content related to the public education mandate, and (c) development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire. The data come from an explorative study in one German state, in which 34 managers were interviewed between November 2021 and May 2022 about key changes within their organisations. The results show that (a) different actors from the organisational environment are involved in shaping the digital transformation. A distinction can be made between enablers and inhibitors. In addition, (b) the AEC’s public education mission and thus the AEC’s efforts to promote digital inclusion are also changing. Finally, (c) digital transformation is also changing the organisation’s digital media repertoire. Ensuring basic infrastructure and new digital technologies for micro-didactic areas and exchange within and outside the AEC are seen as necessary. The results show that digital transformation is a multidimensional process with clear interrelations. These have hardly been explicitly considered in previous research. Pedagogical practice can gain suggestions from the results for improving cooperation with the organisational environment or for improving the organisational media repertoire.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital transformation
• organisational change
• adult education centres

Introduction

The existence and widespread availability of digital (infra)structures such as the internet, digital platforms or specific hardware/software combinations with automated systems are not only accompanied by changes in society as a whole, for example in the area of interpersonal communication. There is also evidence of processes of change in specific social sectors that can be significantly linked to the phenomena of digital transformation (Schrape, 2021). One of these sectors is adult and continuing education, where changes can be seen, for example, in the area of programme design (Koscheck et al., 2022) or in the microdidactic use of digital media (Breitschwerdt et al., 2022). Despite these initial findings on individual changes, there is a lack of a more comprehensive assessment of the extent to which the changes will affect adult education as a whole and how disruptive the presence of digital (infra)structures will be. Such an assessment is made more difficult by the fact that the structure of adult and continuing education and training in Germany – where the presented study was conducted – is heterogeneous in terms of its actors, target groups or even content (Tippelt & Lindemann, 2018), and it must therefore be assumed that changes will unfold at different speeds and intensities in their various reproduction contexts (Schrader, 2014).

One way of identifying changes in adult and continuing education more comprehensively is to study the organisations in this field. They constitute central institutional forms of social action in which important social tasks are performed (Herbrechter & Schrader, 2018). Within the German adult and continuing education sector, there are around 60,000 continuing education providers (Schrader & Martin, 2021), which, according to Schrader (2014), can be distinguished according to the way in which they procure resources to secure their existence (contract or order) and the basis on which they legitimise their existence (public interests or private interests). On the basis of these two dimensions, organisations in adult education can ideally be assigned to one of the four so-called reproduction contexts: state (order and public interests), firms (order and private interests), market (contract and private interests) and communities (contract and public interests). More than half of the organisations (about 33,000 providers) pursue private interests, while about 19,000 providers clearly legitimise themselves through public interests (Schrader & Martin, 2021). The latter include adult education centres (AEC). Due to their history and social mission, they play an important socially integrative role in adult education and in German society. They offer a wide range of programmes that can be accessed regardless of educational or vocational qualifications, social or religious affiliation, nationality or age. AEC also represent a socially integrative community meeting place (Süssmuth & Eisfeld, 2018).

Adult and continuing education organisations are also of particular interest with regard to digital transformation in this social sector, as they play a central role in the multi-level system of adult and continuing education (Schrader, 2019). Within this multi-level system, the organisations are located at the meso level and represent an important link between the institutional requirements of adult and continuing education (macro level) and the interactions between teachers and learners (micro level). In this sense, (a) environmental changes are also received and transformed in organisations through interaction with specific actors, (b) content and topics are negotiated against the background of organisational goals, and (c) the organisational media repertoire is made available for teaching-learning interactions and other areas of organisational action. These three phenomena are the focus of this article, which examines three questions:

Q1:

Which actors do AEC leaders use to identify changes in the organisational environment?

Q2:

How are content and topics changing in the context of the AEC’s public educational mission?

Q3:

What new opportunities are opened up by digital tools?

In order to answer these questions, we first present a theoretical perspective on digital transformation that emphasises the importance of sector-specific selective appropriation of digital (infra)structures. This is followed by an overview of the central facets of digital transformation in adult and continuing education on the basis of current empirical findings. The desideratum identified here forms the background for the presentation of an exploratory study with managers from AEC, which provides the empirical basis for this article. Building on this, the research question is addressed in relation to the three phenomena of perception of changing environmental conditions by actors in the organisation’s environment, new topics for digital inclusion and development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire. The article ends with a reflective discussion.

A socio-technical perspective on digital transformation

The changes in adult education organisations associated with the presence of digital (infra)structures can be considered from a sociological perspective of technology as phenomena of digital transformation (Schrape, 2021). The author understands digital transformation as the ‘successive consolidation of new socio-technical process contexts through the social appropriation of digital-technical (infra)structures and the associated reconfiguration of social patterns of order’ (Schrape, 2021, p. 87).

This definition emphasises that the focus of this theoretical perspective is on the interplay between new digital technological opportunities for a specific social sector and the selective sector-specific appropriation of these opportunities. This perspective therefore lends itself to the determination of the scope of the digital transformation of adult education on the basis of the changes taking place in this sector, with its specific structures and inherent logics. Moreover, this understanding of digital transformation is accompanied by the idea of a gradual transformation process (Dolata, 2021). Contrary to concepts and approaches that assume disruptive effects of digital technologies, the socio-technical perspective presented here makes it clear that the dynamics and extent of digital transformation in adult education can be understood as a relationship between the sectoral depth of intervention of the new digital (infra)structures on the one hand, and the adaptability of the sector and its actors on the other. The focus here is on the potential of digital (infra)structures for far-reaching changes in, for example, delivery structures, communication channels or business models (sectoral depth of intervention), how open the structures and actors in adult education are (from internationally active corporations to nationally operating associations to local continuing education providers), and to what extent they can make use of this potential (sectoral adaptability). The relationship between the sectoral pressure for change, resulting from the depth of sectoral intervention, and the receptiveness and processing capacity, resulting from the sectoral adaptability, results in a more or less protracted period of transition, which can be described as gradual transformation (ibid.). It is not only characterised by an uncertain duration, but also typically manifests itself in a multitude of variants in the respective sector. The existence and diffusion of new types of digital (infra)structures canDigital Transformation in Adult Education Centres in GermanyBaden-Wuerttemberg

• “change the technological profile of the sector, expanding or destroying existing knowledge bases and competencies;

• affect existing research and development, production, distribution and market structures;

• put pressure on incumbents to change, encourage the emergence of new players, and challenge the sectoral configuration of players as a whole;

• enable or force new forms of cooperative interaction and competition; and

• require institutional readjustments (e.g. in the form of legal-regulatory frameworks or changed sectoral guiding principles)”. (Dolata, 2021, p. 208)

These five dimensions form the framework of a zone of possibilities for adult education that can be used against the background of sectoral structures and inherent logics inscribed in reproduction contexts. This socio-technical perspective makes it possible to describe how the availability of new types of digital (infra)structures does not necessarily lead to sudden and/or fundamental changes in organisational processes, communication channels or business models, but can instead lead to complex search and selection movements in organisations with regard to their digital transformation.

Current state of digital transformation in German adult education

The current state of digital transformation in adult education can be assessed on the basis of the dimensions mentioned in the previous section according to Dolata (2021), which is why the state of research is broken down below according to these dimensions. It should be noted that the international debate on digital transformation tends to focus on higher education and that there have often been clear references to the coronavirus pandemic, especially in recent years (Phuong et al., 2023).

Transformation of the technological profile, knowledge base and competences

The digital transformation can first be seen in the changing technological profile of the adult education sector. The findings of Breitschwerdt et al. (2022) on the use of digital media show that the use of computers and laptops is the main focus in the micro-didactic area of general and vocational continuing education. Building on this digital infrastructure, 86% of respondents use application software and videoconferencing applications, while video is primarily used for didactically structured digital media offerings (ibid.). Based on the 2021 wbmonitor survey, it is also clear that the use of live online training and learning platforms and social media applications has increased at the teaching and learning level compared to 2019 and 2021 (Koscheck et al., 2022). This finding is confirmed by the results of the Adult Education 2020 study for Germany, which also identified an increasing use and focus on digital media at the teaching and learning level (Federal Ministry of Education and Research, 2022), and by study results from Austria (Gugitscher & Schlögl, 2022). Digital media are also increasingly used beyond the micro-didactic level. The results of the 2019 WB Monitor survey on digitisation show that continuing education organisations are focusing on digital technologies, especially in education marketing via websites and social media. In comparison, teleworking/home office and digital work meetings still play a minor role at the time of the survey (Christ et al., 2020).

In addition to these changes, the knowledge base and skills of the AEC workforce are also changing. These can be seen, for example, in job advertisements. A longitudinal content analysis of AEC job adverts showed that the proportion of adverts relating to digitalisation increased moderately from 2016 to 2020 and significantly from 2019 to 2020, with digital tasks mainly being mentioned as additional tasks for already established job profiles (Alke & Uhl, 2021). These new tasks for adult educators are to integrate digital media appropriately and reflect on their use; facilitate participation in digital teaching/learning arrangements by participants and exchange between participants that promotes learning; produce, select and maintain digital learning resources; accompany and support participants’ self-organised learning; design and support online learning environments; communicate online with participants; and support participants with technical difficulties (Egetenmeyer et al., 2021; Haberzeth & Dernbach-Stolz, 2022; Scheidig, 2021). A complex structure of requirements also emerges for managers: communication, collaboration and file management in the organisation using digital infrastructures, cooperation with other organisations to identify synergies and develop new offers, recruitment and professionalisation of microdidactic staff (Koschorreck & Gundermann, 2021; Scheidig, 2021).

The need for staff professionalisation associated with this change in tasks has been diagnosed in exploratory studies with AEC managers (Bonnes & Bonnes, 2023; Dörner & Rundel, 2023). It is clear that appropriately aligned staff development and leadership can help to address the professionalism-related challenges of digital transformation (Bernhard-Skala, 2019; Wahl & Herbrechter, 2023).

Transformation of research and development, production, distribution and market structures

If we look at the organisational provision of courses and similar formats as a central market and distribution element in adult education and as a core service of AEC, clear changes become apparent with regard to digital transformation. These primarily relate to the formats offered, whose transformation in Germany, as in other countries, must be interpreted against the background of the coronavirus pandemic (Käpplinger & Lichte, 2020; Radovan et al., 2021). The results of wbmonitor 2020 show that online and hybrid offerings were implemented significantly more often than in the pre-pandemic situation. This adaptation varies by type of provider or delivery context, with AEC less able to digitise their provision than, for example, providers of higher education (Christ et al., 2021). With regard to the spread of online formats in the different reproduction contexts, it has been found that the growth of these formats, especially in AEC, has been at the expense of face-to-face events (Koscheck et al., 2022). This shift in the structure of provision towards more online programmes is also confirmed in exploratory studies with AEC managers (Bonnes & Bonnes, 2023; Dörner & Rundel, 2023). On the basis of these developments, it can currently be said that online provision has established itself as an integral part of the provision structure in adult education. Looking at the different types of providers, it is clear that demand for online provision in AEC is by far the lowest compared to other providers, while demand for face-to-face provision is the highest (Echarti et al., 2023). A similar development can be seen in AECs in Latvia, where there is also a significant increase in online formats, meaning that online technologies are also an integral part of the delivery structure (Jekabsone & Gudele, 2023).

Based on AEC statistics and a special survey, it was also possible to identify changes in the structure of AEC provision during the first closure in 2020. With regard to the subject matter of the courses offered, it was shown that there were significant drop-out rates in the programme areas of health and culture, with an average reduction in the variety of courses offered, while the programme areas of languages, integration courses and qualifications for working life increased over the same period (Widany et al., 2022). Based on a programme analysis of the offerings of 30 AECs in the period 2019/2020 and 2021/2022, changes in the format of offerings were also identified in the area of political adult education. This shows a decline in face-to-face events and a significant increase in online offerings, the latter being mainly short-term events offered nationally on the basis of cooperation between different AECs (Scheidig, 2022). There has also been a change in the continuing training programmes offered by AECs. For example, a comparison of 2007 and 2017 shows an increasing differentiation in the content of offerings in the thematic focus area of information technology, so that, for example, the focus is less on general key qualifications in digital topics and more on specific job-related offerings (Fleige et al., 2022). This is consistent with the longitudinal findings of an individual case study (Rohs et al., 2021) and a programme analysis of four exemplary AECs (Hellriegel, 2022).

Transformation of the actor configuration

In the reproduction context state, in which the AEC can also be located, no significant change in the configuration of actors can (yet) be identified at the present time. In addition to the AEC itself, the established umbrella and state associations can be seen as actors relevant to governance (Alke, 2022; Egetenmeyer et al., 2020), while the pressure for change from new actors from the digital economy and the EdTech sector within adult education (Gollob, 2022; Grotlüschen, 2018) has not yet been systematically analysed in this reproduction context. However, the results of the 2022 wbmonitor survey provide a clear indication that online providers with ready-made courses are definitely seen as strong competition in this reproduction context, at least by some of the study participants (Echarti et al., 2023).

Transformation of cooperation and competition constellations

As part of the digital transformation, and in particular through the use of digital platforms, new forms of cooperative interaction and competition can be observed in the AEC sector. For example, the potential for cooperation between AECs in rural areas lies in the coordination of education provision, joint education marketing and better responsiveness to regional needs (Schütz & Denker, 2022). In addition, an exploratory study shows that AEC managers use the association’s own platform not only to exchange relevant documents, but also to organise regular meetings at regional management level (Wahl & Herbrechter, 2023).

In this context, it is also clear that the existence and availability of digital (infra)structures offer considerable potential for cooperation, which small providers in particular can use to position themselves in the market (Alke, 2023). However, they can also form the basis for delocalised competitive constellations (Alke, 2022; Bonnes, 2023). This shows that digital transformation and the associated possibility of offering educational programmes regardless of location are leading to increased competitive pressure in adult learning, which some providers are countering with additional collaborations (Echarti et al., 2023).

Transformation of legal and regulatory frameworks and sectoral policies

Due to the heterogeneous structure of adult and continuing education in Germany, there is a conglomerate of legal regulations in the various reproduction contexts (Grotlüschen & Haberzeth, 2018), but these are not explicitly related to the digital transformation of AEC. In contrast, explicit guiding principles are evident at the association level. Here, in the context of a position paper, various objectives in the context of digital transformation become clear. These include the expansion of networking between AECs and with other stakeholders, the development of new social communication and learning spaces, the orientation towards relevant European competence models, the improvement of the organisational digital media repertoire and the development of new financial resources (German Adult Education Association, 2019). The territorial principle, which regulates the geographical responsibility of local adult education organisations, is an essential basis of the reproduction context state. In this context, the availability of digital (infra)structures, especially in the area of supra-regional availability, is gradually challenging the territorial principle (Klemm & Repka, 2021; Rohs & Lacher, 2023).

In summary, the digital transformation can be diagnosed in all dimensions described by Dolata (2021). The state of research shows that the German discourse primarily contains studies and findings on the technological profile, the corresponding knowledge bases and competences as well as the market and supply structures of providers, while comparatively little research has been conducted on the significance of new players, for example. Overall, a review of the sources reveals that studies tend to analyse single phenomena such as the use of digital media, while studies that focus on multiple facets of digital transformation are underrepresented. This desideratum is addressed by an exploratory qualitative study presented below.

Material and methods

The research question of the article is addressed on the basis of the empirical results of an exploratory qualitative study of organisational and professional change in a specific reproduction context. The central features of the study are presented below in order to contextualise the subsequent presentation of the results.

Research aim and problem

The study ‘Digitale Transformation von Volkshochschulen’ (DiTra_VHS) was carried out against the background of the state of research outlined above and the desideratum derived from it, which pursued the research question “What professional and organisational changes do adult education and continuing education managers associate with the digital transformation in their area of responsibility? The aim was to explore the processes of change in AEC and the associated conditions, contexts and strategies for staff professionalisation and organisational change. The focus was on AEC from the reproduction context state, which are an established provider of adult education in Germany, both nationally represented and with a broad socio-political mission of ‘education for all’ (Süssmuth & Eisfeld, 2018, p. 763). In Germany, they are the largest provider of general adult education, but their programme also extends to continuing vocational education and training (Käpplinger, 2020). There are just under 900 AECs in the 16 federal states, providing around 2.5 million bookings for a total of around 9.2 million teaching hours (Ortmanns et al., 2023). In doing so, they liaise closely with local political actors, but must also observe national and European laws (Käpplinger, 2020).¹

Sample

In order to gain access to the changes in adult education organisations, covering as many influencing factors and processes both inside and outside the respective organisation, 34 exploratory expert interviews were conducted between November 2021 and May 2022 with AEC-managers in Baden-Wuerttemberg, the third largest federal state in Germany in terms of area and population. By interviewing people from eleven different regions of Baden-Wuerttemberg and five different legal forms, the institutional diversity of this type of provider in this federal state could be mapped. Managers (directors of the organisation and managers of programmes) of AEC were interviewed, which are particularly suitable for researching organisational change, as they play a key role in the relevant processes in the organisation due to their prominent position and privileged potential for influence at the interface between the organisation and the environment (Blessin & Wick, 2017).

Methodical approach

A semi-standardised guide with seven themes was developed for data collection. In addition to the opportunity for the AEC to position itself, this instrument included questions on aspects and processes of organisational and professional change, as well as on the contexts of change, future needs and other important issues from the perspective of the interviewees. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and its legal consequences in Germany, all but one of the 34 interviews were recorded using a videoconferencing tool. The resulting audio files, with an average duration of 75:04 minutes, were then transcribed according to Dresing and Pehl (2018). In the data preparation step, all personal and location-related information was masked in order to avoid any disadvantages for the interviewees. For this article, a secondary analysis of the dataset was conducted in relation to the research question of this article (Heaton, 2008). The data was analysed using content structuring qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz and Rädiker (2022). The results of the inductive categorisation process are presented below according to the focus of the research question. The illustrative data extracts are provided with codes that refer to the origin of the data in the study. The first part of the code (e.g. P105) represents the interviewee, while the second part (e.g._80) represents the line number of the quotation in the original transcript. Due to the small number of managers in Baden-Wuerttemberg, the characteristics of the respondents or their institutions are not mentioned for data protection reasons.

Results

The results presented here provide an insight into the managers´ of AEC perceived relevance of various aspects of the digital transformation in their own institution. With regard to the research questions, the study results are differentiated below according to the three phenomena of (a) perception of changing environmental conditions by actors in the organisation’s environment, (b) new topics for digital inclusion and (c) development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire.

Perception of changing environmental conditions by actors in the organisation’s environment

The multiple social changes associated with the presence of digital (infra)structures and their sectoral depth of intervention in the field of adult education provide significant impetus for the digital transformation of AEC. Based on the managers’ statements, it becomes clear that not all of the hypothetically possible opportunities are considered relevant and perceived as opportunities for organisational change. Rather, the data material shows that, in this respect, managers execute a selective function for how the digital transformation of their own organisation is implemented, taking up impulses from the organisational environment and adapting them against the background of organisational structures and needs (Herbrechter, 2018). Within the analysis it becomes clear that they also rely on specific actors who take on specific functions for the handling of digital transformation. These can affect the process in different ways.

Digital transformation enabler

Four of these actors and their functions have already been discussed by Wahl and Herbrechter (2023) and will be briefly outlined here:

Adult education associations are, among other things, the regional and national stakeholders for AEC. With regard to digital transformation, the leaders point out that these stakeholders are also important advisory bodies and can therefore provide impulses to organisations in a changing environment. They also support the transformation of organisational structures in the area of marketing through guidelines for digital corporate design etc., and provide the AEC with a digital platform for course design and inter- and intraorganisational exchange.

From the perspective of managers, external service providers act as advisory bodies when it comes to selecting technological developments to shape the digital transformation of their AEC. Interaction with these actors enables managers to assess the relevance of various technical developments in the organisational environment and, on this basis, to make decisions on the purchase of specific digital devices or software packages, for example. They also play a role in maintaining the organisation’s media repertoire, helping the organisation to adapt to a constantly changing (technical) environment.

Managers of other AEC play a leading role from the perspective of the study participants. They help to reflect within the process of deciding which environment-related developments might be relevant in their own reproduction context. They can also have a certain role model function if the other AEC is perceived to be more advanced in the process of digital transformation than their own organisation.

Political actors play a key role in determining the transformation of the organisational environment by shaping the legal and financial framework. In this sense, they have a significant influence on the digital transformation of the AEC, for example by setting binding data protection guidelines and providing incentives for the development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire through funding programmes.

In addition to these actors, two further key actors and their functions in the context of digital transformation were added as part of the further analysis – the addressees and the freelance course instructors. The main characteristic of these two additional actors is that they are only temporarily associated with the organisation or are only connected partially of their professional activities and therefore cannot be considered as part of the organisational environment or as full members of the organisation. Nevertheless, they are perceived as relevant by managers and also contribute by giving impulses from a changing environment to managers.

In Germany, freelance course instructors make up the majority of instructors in as compared to permanent employed instructors (Schrader & Martin, 2021). The freelance course instructors are another source for managers to gain access to developments in a changing environment. This is illustrated by the following data examples:

Or how can we be inspired? It happens. And it’s not so rare that our course instructors are one step ahead. And that we stay in a good dialogue that takes us further.

(P105_80)

And how this actually works in terms of implementation was also helped by many lecturers. There were also lecturers in the health sector who were incredibly creative.

(P14_64)

As these sample quotes show, managers also draw on the ideas of freelance course instructors to develop different organisational structures. As the second data extract shows, this does not only concern the adaptation of course formats towards more hybrid offers. In other interviews it is also discussed that the impulses of the freelance course instructors form the starting point for taking up trends from the organisational environment in the area of marketing and the professionalisation of staff.

Addressees that are associated with AECs through legally binding participation in their courses, can also be a source for identifying developments in a changing environment. In this context, the data show that managers do not tend to actively seek a dialogue with addressees in order to gain new impetus. Instead, it is these actors themselves who become active and provide suggestions for new issues that may be related to changing environmental conditions:

And of course, especially from lecturers, for example, or from participants who ask questions. (P8_92)

This is another source that should not go unmentioned, there are also people from the circle of participants who say that something has to be done. Or is that not even an idea? Yes? Or I’ve seen them doing it somewhere else. (P40_44)

Digital transformation inhibitors

A second category of analysis shows that while the vast majority of organisational environment actors are described by managers as supportive of digital transformation, inhibiting influences are also reported, particularly in relation to political actors and addressees.

Political actors with local responsibilities, such as mayors or district councillors, who are largely responsible for the funding of AEC, can have fear about online services that are also accessible outside the city or municipality:

And then there are political reasons. As I said, they have a local/we have a local obligation. And local and digital are, I don’t want to say opposites, but there is a conflict.

(P12_76)

As this data extract illustrates, technical developments such as the ability to take courses online anywhere in Germany can be viewed critically against the backdrop of the territorial principle (Rohs & Lacher, 2023) and act as an obstacle to the expansion of organisational online provision.

Addressees can as well inhibit some aspects of digital transformation:

But we also realised that if you offer online yoga or online courses in general, people don’t meet you, so the appeal of face-to-face events is infinitely greater because we humans are not digital beings. We are analogue beings and an important element of adult education events is (…) the (…) what shall I call it, the group dynamic element. In other words, you want to be there, you want to meet other people.

(P1_24)

As this quote illustrates on behalf of the data as a whole, a significant proportion of addressees prefer face-to-face AEC courses to hybrid or online courses. This is justified by the possibility of physical encounters, and the opportunities for interaction in physical presence.

New topics for digital inclusion

The digitisation-induced changes in topics and content are discussed in the data material within the context of three categories: gradual transformation of the public education mission, promoting digital literacy and ensuring digital inclusion. The changes in content and topics are directly related to the transformation of the public education mission and relate to organisational efforts to promote digital literacy. In this respect, the organisational goal of ensuring digital inclusion is positioned as a justification for the need for these efforts.

Gradual transformation of the public education mission

In the context of the environmental changes identified as relevant, managers describe a pressure to change their own programme. The first category shows that this pressure is having an impact on the public education mission of AEC, as well as on their topics. The managers refer to the fact that the public educational mission of AEC is changing as part of the digital transformation, but they do not indicate a disruptive change, as the following two data extracts show:

So I think the education mission will be extended to include digitalisation. (…) So the other mission remain the same, let’s say society, health, languages, everything else. But this is simply additional educational content, with everything that goes with it. First of all, from keyboarding to seminars and lectures on the dangers of the Internet. That’s the scope.

(P48_38)

In terms of the educational mission, I would definitely say that it is becoming a bit broader. We now have courses that focus specifically on digitalisation and IT, for example, as I mentioned, ours, where we try to get students from kindergarten to twelfth grade to do a little bit of digital programming, including technical things: how do I take a computer apart? That they just get into it a little bit. That’s why I would definitely say that the educational mission of the AEC should be expanded to include digital education. We also run a lot of courses for seniors and pensioners to learn how to use a computer. We also have a lot of courses in this area. Finally, we also have courses for people who want to retrain through the Employment Agency.

(P97_32)

The two quotes emphasise that a gradual change in the public education mission of AEC is perceived as an extension of the mission. The study participants perceive digitalisation as an independent topic alongside the previously important subject areas of society, health and languages in AEC, and not as a cross-cutting topic for the other subject areas. Accordingly, they refer to a wide range of programmes that deal with different facets of digital literacy (media literacy, media criticism). The gradual transformation of the public education mission is also described in P97’s statement. The programmes not only cover different facets of digital literacy, but are also designed for a wide range of target groups (children, students, seniors, job seekers). This shows that the gradual transformation of the organisational mission is directly accompanied by a target-group specific adaptation of the organisational educational programme.

Promoting digital literacy

In this second category, topics and content are addressed as part of the organisational efforts to promote digital literacy (Koppel & Wolf, 2021). It becomes clear that the promotion of media literacy and in particular the use of specific technologies, is an important topic for AEC:

In terms of digitalisation, I interpret this to mean that we really give everyone access to digital technology. That’s already possible, it really starts at a very basic level with smartphone courses for senior citizens, for example, who have never held such a device in their hands before.

(P39_26)

What’s coming in the near future is (.) it’s madness. Well, also with the cars and (.) self-driving cars. I don’t really want to sit in them, but you have to be able to program them somewhere. You have to be able to program everything, even if there are fewer and fewer cars, you have to organise car sharing or (.) or or, there will be other options in traffic in the future. But you have to be able to deal with it, when can I get in where or where can I get a car, where can I get a lift, how can you organise that as a group. And mobile phones are getting more and more sophisticated (…). (laughs)

(P14_52)

The use of specific technologies is interpreted in terms of both current needs and anticipated future needs for media use. In this context, P39 points out that media use of current digital devices (smartphones and messenger apps) to maintain communication with other people is an important topic. P14, on the other hand, looks to the future and postulates that an increase in the complexity of media use in everyday life is to be expected. In this person’s view, this is to be expected both in the use of existing technologies and in the use of future technologies.

In addition to the use of technology, reducing fear about digital phenomena also plays an important role in the AEC programme:

One thing is to encourage people to embrace digitalisation - that’s what I just said. So to lose the fear of it, to overcome the gap, to dare to use digital tools if I don’t have to do it in my professional context.

(P105_40)

But it’s a bit difficult, so this rethinking is incredibly exhausting. It’s always the case that when you have to leave a well-trodden path, you always feel resentment and fear and think, oh, it’s all like that, oh no, and then I don’t understand it anyway, and then we’re always made to feel afraid and it’s all terrible. […] I think our task is also to take away people’s fear and to explain to them how it works.

(P45_50)

In the two data extracts, two managers highlight emotional and motivational barriers to engage with digital phenomena. On the one hand, the willingness or need to engage with digital phenomena is linked to a professional context of use while the absence of it is seen as problematic. On the other hand, long-standing media use habits are defined as barriers to engagement. In these and other interviews, the removal of these barriers and the associated reduction of fear of contact is seen as an important element in promoting digital literacy.

In addition to that the study participants address a wide range of topics related to digital transformation that are addressed in the organisational programme. Examples are algorithms, artificial intelligence, conference systems, cryptocurrencies, data protection, data security, electronic patient records and machine learning (e.g. P1_8; P107_18; P45_44).

Overall, it becomes apparent that from the point of view of managers, the treatment of these topics is necessary in order to enable orientation in an environment haracterized by digital (infra)structures (Hellriegel & Rohs, 2023). This need is documented, for example, in the following data extract:

So there’s still a lot to come, from autonomous driving and so on, household robots, everything that’s going to happen. And I think it’s our job at the AEC to show people the possibilities of these things, how to deal with them, and maybe discuss what they do to society and what opportunities they offer. […] So what we always do is social (laughs) cohesion, orientation knowledge. That has to be extended to these digital issues, because that will continue.

(P41_92)

It also shows that it is not just a matter of providing individual orientation knowledge, but also of making this knowledge available for broad exchange and social cohesion.

Ensuring digital inclusion

The promotion of orientation skills forms the transition to the third category, which represents the organisational goal of ensuring digital inclusion. Inclusion is interpreted in a broad sense. The following quote is an example of this:

One thing is certainly to qualify people at all, to participate in digitalisation, to reduce this gap that is emerging, I would say, between highly qualified people who somehow have access to education everywhere and those who are even more cut off right now, even in these times. So that is certainly a very big task.

(P25_28)

In this section, the intention to train people underlines that inclusion is linked to participation in economic processes. In addition, P25 also refers to the phenomenon of digital inequality and the need to prevent inequality from being exacerbated by its own programmes. However, from the perspective of the participants in the study, inequality does not only exist in terms of people’s level of education, but also in terms of different age groups:

So, of course, one of the things we are focusing on is to enable the older generation to participate in the digital age. In other words, we have set up a smartphone get-together […] and offer senior citizens the opportunity to come to us with their smartphone. In the worst case, it’s still packed and uncharged, with a separate SIM card in the box. And they come to us as often as they can until it works and they can Skype with their children, their grandchildren, shop on any platform, do their online banking, take photos and store them in their cloud or whatever they want to do with it.

(P27_21)

This section not only identifies a difference between different ages, but also recognises a further dimension of inclusion in the form of social exchange.

Development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire

With regard to new opportunities through digital learning tools, the study participants focus on describing the organisation’s digital media repertoire. In this context, they clarify the reasons for its development and expansion, outline the extent of the change and refer to prioritisation.

Corona pandemic and political actors as key drivers

In the interviews, managers point out that the development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire would not have been possible without changing environmental conditions. This is illustrated by the following two quotes:

I think we can develop even better with this equipment because we have to now. Exactly, we have it, so we will continue to develop with it. Yes, I think it’s a big step in our development, one that was forced on us, but one that we’re also taking with us.

(P8_84)

Corona then accelerated us again, of course. It accelerated us in all areas, both positively, through the financial injection, through the necessity, through the fact that there was also a willingness on the part of the city administration to open up to the issue. […] And now it was suddenly really clear that more needed to be done. So webcams for the employees’ computers, headsets etc.

(P104_32)

The data show that the coronavirus pandemic is seen as a key driver for the development and expansion of the media repertoire. In many cases, this changed environment led directly to a significant increase in the willingness of funding organisations and political actors to provide financial support to the institution. The financial support programmes initiated by the state government to improve the AEC’s media repertoire, among other things, play a particularly important role here. The pandemic can therefore be seen as a catalyst for digital transformation (Käpplinger & Lichte, 2020). In addition, it becomes clear that this improvement is a mandatory requirement in order to be able to run courses at all in times of closure, e.g. during the corona pandemic (Christ et al., 2021).

Development and expansion of basic infrastructure

While the academic discourse discusses the increasing possibilities for individualisation of learning, for example through artificial intelligence and adaptive learning systems (Li et al., 2022), the study participants are concerned with the technical possibilities and challenges at a different, more fundamental level. In this reproduction context, which still has a relatively low level of digitalisation in terms of digital transformation compared to other reproduction contexts in adult education (Widany et al., 2022), managers are more concerned with the availability of a basic infrastructure:

The unstable network connections are still a big problem. We only have Wi-Fi in the building for training purposes, which is a shaky thing. This means that hybrid teaching is very, very limited. Now we have the technical equipment. That is, we have room microphones, we have speaker tracking cameras, we have multi-functional screens that can be split, I can connect the participants from outside, none of that is a problem. But what we lack is a stable fibre connection.

(P27_99)

Development and expansion of media repertoire for microdidactic settings

There has also been a significant increase in the use of digital media in micro-didactics. Among the additions in the area of software, videoconferencing tools are seen as an important way of enabling people with physical disabilities or from remote areas to participate in their own courses (e.g. P7_2; P44_24). In addition, respondents mentioned a number of beneficial new tools such as the introduction of digital textbooks (P2_95), the use of MS Teams (P41_38) or the use of Kahoot (P91_40).

However, when it comes to the media repertoire, the managers focus rather on the descriptions of hardware additions instead of software. But in contrast to the descriptions of newly acquired software, there is no clear focus. In most cases a complex ensemble of media is mentioned in order to be able to implement different learning scenarios:

And we have now also considered setting up at least three so-called hybrid rooms in each building. These hybrid rooms will have two cameras in addition to the computer. One camera is aimed at the lecturer, and the other camera is optional, either to show who is in the building or to point at the blackboard, for example. This is a pan and tilt camera. And there’s also a conference microphone, so you can virtually speak to the whole room during the meeting. And the whole room can also hear if someone from home says something.

(P97_24)

We had a media van, […] with all the technology you need on board. And at the time, I really only thought about the presentation technology, that it would be easy to stow away and that it would be largely mobile. In other words, it’s all in a lecturer’s notebook and the document camera and the connection to the projector and so on, it’s all in a lockable trolley that you can take to the lecturer’s desk and then operate.

(P43_164)

As these two individuals report, the development and expansion of the media repertoire for courses is designed to meet the needs of the intended format (face-to-face, online or hybrid). It is also noticeable that managers either prioritise mobile equipment or locate the media repertoire permanently in their location. This may vary from organisation to organisation, depending on the availability of rooms dedicated to AEC or the existence of geographically distant branches.

Development and expansion of media repertoire for administration and networking

In addition, the development and expansion of the media repertoire in the area of course administration is of great importance. Here, as well, managers report the importance of additional hardware and software:

What we have done, however, is to at least provide the administrative staff with laptops and company mobile phones and so on, which didn’t exist before.

(P26_81)

Then a great simplification of the registration process, so that registration confirmations are automatically generated by the system. For example, that the participants get a confirmation of registration at all. […] So there were many, many difficulties that could then be eliminated. And that’s what I mean by making work easier. Of course, a lot of processes that were simply no longer needed were also eliminated, because so much could already be done from the system.

(P45_58)

While a previous quote from P104 (see Corona pandemic and political actors as key drivers) demands the need to improve workstations in the organisation’s buildings, including the new hardware requirements, P26’s statement reveals a different facet by stating the importance of new technical purchases being able to work from home. In addition, the quote from P45 exemplifies that many AECs have set up complex administrative programmes as part of the digital transformation, which have enabled many administrative processes to be digitised.

From the perspective of the study participants, the association’s own cloud system plays a special role. This was discussed by managers in all interviews and its potential uses were assessed in different ways:

So it was already being used and colleagues were using it, especially for ongoing language issues sometimes, or for professional development when you have to file documents. So it has its niche […] just more internally, right? The groups, or when you’re doing training, or whatever. So it’s also just an internal information medium or a form of collaboration.

(P18_152)

You can organise exchanges of lecturers, store information well, for everyone. And so on. In other words, classic cloud functions that work from my point of view. As a shell for digital teaching, I don’t really know. So I think, as it is now, rather no.

(P42_144)

Participants, course leaders, staff - we can all set up specific groups, it’s incredibly helpful for networking and exchanging ideas. […] So it’s just a wonderful opportunity to communicate and build a platform in this closed space for the AEC. And they play an increasingly important role for us, for the participants, for the course leaders. More and more course leaders are taking their courses to the cloud because they see the opportunities to exchange ideas and enrich the course.

(P49_68)

As the quotes illustrate, the managers associate a variety of functions with the association’s own cloud system. These range from classic intranet functions, such as file storage or the ability to share information within the organisation, to the ability to set up a marketplace for finding suitable course instructors. It is also possible to set up online courses within the cloud system. In addition, the importance of this digital platform for sharing within and beyond one’s own organisation is discussed, e.g. to strengthen collaboration with other AECs and to bring ideas from a changing environment into one’s own organisation.

Discussion

The article concludes with a discussion of the empirical findings against the background of the three research questions and the current state of research. Furthermore, the limitations of the exploratory study are discussed.

Digital transformation as a multi-dimensional process

Q1:

Which actors do AEC leaders use to identify changes in the organisational environment?

The results show that the changing environmental conditions are selected primarily on the basis of social interaction with various actors in the organisational environment: addressees, adult education associations, external service providers, freelance course instructors, managers of other AEC, political actors. These actors can be advisory and reflective bodies to initiate or proceed changes in the organisational programme, organisational structures and the organisational digital media repertoire. However, they can also act as inhibitors for digital transformation.

With regard to the dimensions of digital transformation, the data show that political actors are driving the transformation of legal and regulatory frameworks in the area of data protection. In doing so, they structure the possibilities of using certain technologies in courses, for example, or sanctioning their use. Such data protection regulations can be seen as relevant not only to the reproduction context state in Germany, but also to some extent to all areas of adult education in Europe. This broadens the discourse on the legal contexts of digital transformation and at the same time highlights the transnational scope of this dimension.

Q2:

How are content and topics changing in the context of the AEC’s public educational mission?

It becomes apparent that the change in topics and content in AEC must be interpreted against a background of changing organisational mission, efforts and goals.

The data show that the public education mandate is also being adapted by placing digitalisation as an independent topic in the organisational programme. In this context, AEC courses have three main focuses: they (a) address the use of specific technologies, (b) aim to reduce fear about digital phenomena, and (c) provide individual orientation knowledge. Therefore, the AEC has the organisational goal of ensuring digital inclusion for all addressees. At this point, there are opportunities to connect with international discourses, as it becomes clear that this goal does not only play a role in the German or European discourse (Beblavý & Bačová, 2022; Rathmann et al., 2023), but is also a focus of AEC in India, for example (Swargiary & Roy, 2023).

With regard to the dimensions of digital transformation, and in particular the changes in distribution and market structures, it is clear that in addition to promoting different facets of digital literacy, the removal of emotional and motivational barriers must also be taken into account in order to organise learning processes effectively. This facet has been under-represented in research to date and should be given more attention in the future.

Q3:

What new opportunities are opened up by digital tools?

The study participants do not refer to complex adaptive learning systems or AI technologies in the development and expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire. Their focus lies on the basic digital needs for their organisation, such as obtaining funding from the organisational environment to secure basic infrastructure for digital teaching and learning. With regard to the media repertoire at the micro-didactic level, the focus is on supplementing the hardware in order to be able to implement specific formats in the organisational programme. The organisational media equipment is also being upgraded in the area of administration and networking. The aim is not only to simplify administrative processes and to enable working from home, but also to facilitate networking within and outside the AEC.

With regard to the dimensions of digital transformation and the changing technological profile of adult education, it is clear that the media repertoire is changing in the microdidactic area and also in other organisational areas. A particularly important role is played by the cloud system, which managers see as offering potential for exchange within and beyond their own AEC. With regard to the dimensions of the digital transformation of cooperation and competition constellations, the potential of digital platforms for exchange with the organisational environment is clearly recognisable. They can be used to disseminate information and generate new ideas for one’s own organisation.

The empirical results on the three questions not only illustrate individual developments in the various dimensions of digital transformation. They also show at specific intercepts that digital transformation must be understood and researched as a multidimensional process. The data from the explorative study point to interrelationships between the individual dimensions: For example, impulses from actors in the organisational environment lead to the development or expansion of the organisation’s digital media repertoire in specific ways. Conversely, certain elements of the media repertoire, such as the aforementioned cloud system, form the basis for ensuring exchange with the environment, e.g. with managers from other AECs. A sufficiently powerful media repertoire also provides the basis for digital inclusion programmes. In this context, online formats, for example, play an important role in enabling people to access courses that they would not be able to attend due to physical limitations or geographical barriers. These interrelationships are exemplary links between the different dimensions of digital transformation and illustrate the complexity of the process. Changes in one dimension of digital transformation should therefore not be studied in isolation, but always in the context of the other dimensions.

Against this background, the findings of this article point to follow-up questions that need to be explored in a multidimensional context in the future:

• How is the role of the territorial principle in adult education changing? Will there be an adjustment of the legal and financial basis or will political actors exert sufficient influence to maintain the territorial principle in its current form?

• How sustainable is the gradual transformation of the AEC’s public education mandate? How long will digitalisation remain core topic of AEC if financial support for digital services and structures is reduced and other education policy issues become more important?

• How will the importance of digital platforms evolve? Will they continue to be used primarily for collaboration with other stakeholders, or will this focus shift?

Research into these and other questions is an essential basis for providing appropriate scientific support for the digital transformation in the various reproduction contexts of adult education and for providing knowledge relevant to practice. The results so far can be used in practice to gain ideas for shaping the digital transformation of one’s own organisation. This may involve, for example, making contact or exchanging ideas with certain actors in the organisation’s environment, assessing the state of the organisation’s own digital media repertoire, or identifying new topics for the organisation’s programme. It should be noted that these findings are based on the experiences of selected managers and do not represent a silver bullet for managing digital transformation.

Limitations

Although the present findings illustrate the potential of the exploratory study to capture the multidimensional nature of digital transformation in adult learning, the empirical results need to be interpreted with a number of limitations. First, this is an exploratory study that does not claim to be statistically representative. Therefore, the results cannot be directly generalised to the entire German adult education. This is also related to the fact that the organisations surveyed came from a single federal state and that only the provider type AEC was covered. Another limitation is that the study only explored the perspective of managers, which means that the experiences of other relevant knowledge carriers, such as permanent staff, cannot be captured. Finally, not all dimensions of digital transformation according to Dolata (2021) were explicitly addressed, so results on the corresponding dimensions could only be generated if these areas were considered sufficiently relevant by the managers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. For more information on AEC in Germany see Käpplinger (2020).