AI course for adult education, framework agreement with Fobizz another element

The umbrella organization of German adult education centers (DVV) has concluded a framework agreement with the digital education provider Fobizz, which enables, among other things, further training for the use of artificial intelligence in the educational context and access to corresponding AI tools. Heise online asked the umbrella association about the general demand for training courses on artificial intelligence, both among staff and customers of adult education centers. Christina Bellmann, a consultant in the DVV's digitization department, answered.

The DVV has concluded a framework agreement with Fobizz. Has there been an increase in demand for AI tools and corresponding further training on the employee side within the various regional associations?

Yes, we have observed a significant increase in interest in artificial intelligence and its potential applications in the education sector within the association and among adult education centers as a whole. In particular, the didactically meaningful use of AI tools in teaching is of interest to many employees and course leaders at adult education centers. Last year, the DVV itself offered a very well-attended training series regarding AI (“On track with AI”), which is to be continued this year in cooperation with the “Digital for all” initiative. For us, the collaboration with Fobizz is another building block that perfectly complements our previous efforts.

Has the demand for courses on AI increased at adult education centers? Which population groups attend the relevant courses, and what kind of courses are generally offered on the subject of AI?

I would like to start by saying that unfortunately we do not have any solid figures on the demand for individual courses. The German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) does collect course and attendance figures from adult education centers in its annual vhs statistics. However, only figures up to 2023 are currently available here and unfortunately the subject area of AI is not recorded individually; rather, courses are offered in different program areas depending on their thematic focus.

However, apart from any real evidence, it is definitely the case that the adult education centers report a high demand for courses on artificial intelligence. The range of courses on offer is correspondingly large. In the vhs course finder alone, there are currently over 1300 entries with the keyword “AI”. There is particular demand for both general introductory events for interested citizens and practice-oriented formats for professionals. The courses offered range from low-threshold workshops such as “What is AI?” to practice-oriented formats on the use of ChatGPT and image generators in a professional context and critical discussion formats on ethical and social issues related to AI.

Do you assume that many adult education centers will decide to use Fobizz as a result of the framework agreement?

We certainly hope that many adult education centers will see the new framework agreement with Fobizz as an opportunity to facilitate access to innovative digital training opportunities for their teachers and teams. The platform offers numerous practical training courses and tools that are well tailored to the needs of further education institutions – particularly in the area of digital and AI-supported teaching.

Could it still not be possible for some adult education centers to use Fobizz due to budget restrictions?

Yes, unfortunately this cannot be ruled out. Although the framework agreement offers favorable conditions, tight budgets can pose financial challenges, especially for smaller adult education centers. We therefore believe it would be important for political action to be taken to provide more targeted support for the digital development of further education institutions and the qualification of their teaching staff. The “Digital Pact for Continuing Education” announced in the coalition agreement could be a first step in this direction.

What was it about Fobizz's offering that particularly impressed the umbrella organization? Which tools or training courses are particularly well suited to adult education centers and their requirement profiles?

We were particularly impressed by the high-quality didactic preparation of the content, the practical orientation and the wide range of topics – from basic digital education and media education to AI-supported teaching and learning. It was also important to us that Fobizz – unlike many other applications in this area, – is safe to use in terms of data protection. This is particularly important for adult education centers as public institutions.

Are there any regional associations that have already acquired licenses?

Unfortunately, we do not yet have any concrete information on this. The offer is still quite new, so we have not yet heard anything about it from internal association committees and have not yet been able to inquire about its use.

About the framework agreement

Through the agreement with Fobizz, the DVV wants to ensure that all employees of all adult education centers in Germany “will in future have access to AI tools and corresponding AI training courses in compliance with data protection regulations”. The association believes that this will promote the digital transformation in adult education in the long term. At the same time, the collaboration will make it possible to optimize administrative processes and teaching methods at adult education centres and offer learners modern educational opportunities. Four federal states have now acquired Fobizz state licenses for teachers in the school system.

In its coalition agreement, the new German government declared that “the confident, secure and critical use of digital tools and media […] increases the resilience of our society, the resilience of our democracy and the competitiveness of our economy”. The CDU/CSU and SPD therefore want to launch a “cross-age digital skills offensive”. However, this would require, among other things, finding ways to reach those population groups that have already left the formal education system and can no longer be reached through in-company training, for example. As the new federal government also wants to enforce the “digital only” principle for some administrative services, the pressure on various sections of the population to acquire basic digital skills and no longer remain “offline” could increase.

(kbe)