The Vocational School (BBS) at the Museum Village in Cloppenburg uses VISKIO in the certificate course "Assistant in Sustainability Management (IHK)" to promote interdisciplinary competencies through digital, challenge-based learning. This benefits not only the participants of the course, but also strengthens the collaboration between educational institutions and companies in the region.
The first VISKIO Challenge was successfully completed by the participants of the certificate course and presented during an event of the VISKI Education Project on February 26, 2025, with partners from the Netherlands, Norway, and Germany. The first VISKIO Challenge involved developing sustainability strategies, known as R-Strategies, and presenting them attractively using the BBS MakerSpace. Before using VISKIO, teachers had concerns about the time commitment required for the assessment process and the potential additional effort due to the "Challenge Based Learning." However, incorporating VISKIO into the teaching process turned out to be straightforward, as the challenge aligned with a planned seminar assignment. Jonas Kröger, the leader of the sustainability course, thus praises the simplicity and high utility of VISKIO: it creates a communication foundation between teachers and students and directly conveys to the students which competencies, in addition to subject-specific knowledge, are important. "We were able to use VISKIO without any significant additional effort. However, the learning outcome was enriched on so many levels," says Kröger.
VISKIO offers several advantages to the BBS: it makes interdisciplinary competencies visible, which are often overlooked during the final exams of courses, and facilitates the recognition of project-based and non-formal learning. It promotes the development of skills that are crucial for personal success and employability. With VISKIO, it is not the result of the challenge that is assessed, but the skills applied in the challenge – in our example, creativity, media literacy, and communication skills. VISKIO establishes a foundation for communication between teachers and students and motivates students through a graded digital portfolio that can be useful for future job applications. At the same time, it can strengthen collaboration with companies.
BBS Principal Günter Lübke emphasizes: "The learning content and outcomes are no longer hidden in a 'black box,' but can be seen by the companies." Companies can be involved as experts in the assessment or present students with practical challenges directly, thus co-creating the learning outcomes.
To establish VISKIO as a permanent component of the course, the collaboration between BBS and TrENDi, the Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Vechta, will be intensified to create additional challenges for planned learning content in the certificate course and firmly integrate VISKIO into the supplementary qualification. Over time, the VISKIO portfolio of the participants will be filled, allowing them to hold a VISKIO certificate alongside the Sustainability Certificate, reflecting the overarching skills and competencies they have acquired.
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