Enabling Workers to Enter Industry 4.0: A Layered Mobile Learning Architecture

Abstract

Manufacturing companies have to meet a lot of challenges in continuing training for employees. Especially on the way towards industry 4.0 the workforce needs to be able to handle fast changing environments and ever-changing working contexts. Furthermore, they have to be familiar with constantly new technologies (e.g. complex user interfaces, mobile devices) that are introduced during the process of company development. Due to this, working people are facing a lifelong learning process and need to evolve to knowledge workers. To fulfill these requirements new concepts are necessary for human resources development directly at the workplace and therefore adequate artifact designs. In this paper we design a layered architecture for mobile learning at the workplace. This layered approach offers the possibility to educate employees with different qualifications and skills using an integrated solution. Further, we propose to implement appropriate components at each layer to support different kinds of learning.