Viktoria Bergmann: Research, practice, digital education
Viktoria Bergmann brings her passion for education and e-learning, research & practice transfer and her everyday survival tips directly to Lernfabriken@BeruflicheBildung. She designs empirical studies, develops didactic concepts and ensures that scientific findings are immediately put into practice.
Viktoria Bergmann, research assistant,
Project collaborator in the InnoVET PLUS project & doctoral student
5 questions for Viktoria Bergmann
What did you study and what originally led you to this?
I studied educational science and focused on eEducation and lifelong learning in my Master's degree. In my subsequent time at an organizational consultancy, I was repeatedly confronted with the design of human-machine interfaces - in other words, with learning processes wherever technological systems and human competence come together. Since then, I have been fascinated by how profoundly digital and technological change is transforming our working world and what pedagogical responses are needed. It was precisely this combination of technological progress, human learning processes and pedagogical issues that ultimately led me to vocational training.
What does the InnoVET Plus project Lernfabriken@BeruflicheBildung mean to you personally, and what specific tasks are you taking on as part of this project?
For me, our current InnoVET Plus project is a unique experimental space in which research and practice come together directly. I find it particularly important that we not only think about ideas and models for innovations in vocational education and training, but also implement and test them together with a wide variety of stakeholders. In this way, scientific ideas find their way into practice without delay.
In the project, I work both in scientific support and in terms of content and operations: I design and analyze empirical surveys, support the development of didactic concepts for learning factories and evaluate the project over the entire period. It is important to me that science, teaching and practice remain in constant exchange and that all expertise and perspectives are equally included - so that findings from practice ultimately flow back into research and can be further developed there.
What does a typical day as a PhD student + project team member look like - do you have a secret survival tip for the time juggling act?
A typical day for me is a colorful mix of coordination within the project, completing research tasks, writing papers for conferences and publications and teaching students at our institute. Between meetings, emails and concept papers, I try to keep concentrated phases free for my doctorate - which sometimes works better and sometimes worse. My survival tip: real-time prioritization. When the requests and tasks come in faster than your thoughts, it helps to stop for a moment and ask yourself: "What really needs to be done today?" Because honestly, not everything has to be done today. Some things can wait until tomorrow. Or next week.
What advice would you give to students who want to try out research or project work now?
I would advise students to use their time at university to try out everything that interests them and find out what suits them. It's great to have this freedom. At the same time, we lecturers are always very happy when students approach us and ask about opportunities to get involved. After all, you don't have to be an expert to get started. Openness and the desire to learn new things are much more important. And trying things out gives you the freedom to discover what excites you - and what perhaps not so much. This is exactly what the study period is for.
Is there a hobby or passion that you pursue outside of research that inspires you in your work?
I have to admit that free time in my life is limited. That's why I don't so much have one big hobby as many small interests that change depending on the season and mood - a dynamic hobby portfolio, so to speak. For me, anything that has to do with being together is particularly inspiring: This could be a visit to the playground with the family or an evening at the theater with a friend. Because the best ideas often come from sharing with others.