Firefighting training at a distance – a longitudinal study

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of a five-year study on the implementation of a technology-supported distance programme in Swedish firefighter training. Based on activity theory and four interview studies, the attention is directed to firefighter instructors' perceptions and use of digital technologies with a focus on challenges, contradictions and changes. Two phases are identified, viz an implementation phase and a dissemination phase. During the implementation phase a clear contradiction emerges regarding how the object of the training should be interpreted, which results in the instructors responsible for the implementation reconsidering previous beliefs and, with the support of digital technologies, developing more theoretical and processoriented approaches and improving the course design. However, during the dissemination phase, when all instructors are involved, a number of conflicts and dilemmas emerge, resulting in the changes achieved in the distance programme to some extent being normalised in the direction of the instructor-centred and exercise-oriented approaches of the campus programme. The article concludes with a discussion about contradictions as well as opportunities that may emerge during the implementation process of a vocational technology-supported distance programme.

Training transfer to the workplace: a study of corporate English language training in hospitals

“…Instructional factors refer to the characteristics of the training design and the way a training programme is conducted Instructional factors include overall learning satisfaction, the job helpfulness of the content, the quality of the learning content, instructor effectiveness and instructional levels. Holmgren et al (2019) also identified hands-on activities as an important instructional factor. Finally, organisational factors include institutional factors (e.g.…”

Educators’ Perspectives on the Main Challenges and Opportunities for Implementing Digital Solutions in Learning and Teaching

“…Personal factors, such as stress and anxiety, can also hinder the integration of technology [36]. Moreover, the process of searching for, learning about, and implementing new digital tools can be challenging, especially when universities fail to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills for technology usage [14,37,38]. Attitude and motivation to learn and adopt new digital solutions are essential factors in their implementation [4,23,31,39,40,41].…”

“…Educators often feel more comfortable using digital solutions that mimic traditional learning experiences rather than embracing more interactive and diverse solutions that would necessitate acquiring new skills [4,34,42,43,44]. A longitudinal study conducted between 2008 and 2012 by R. Holmgren, U. Haake, and T. Söderström [38] focused on the experiences of 40 firefighter training instructors in pedagogical training programs in Sweden. The study found that instructors perceived digital solutions as an uncertain and challenging environment where their previous teaching knowledge and skills may not be applicable.…”

Practical subjects in the vocational curriculum: A critical review of the literature

“…Procedural knowledge, or the knowledge of how to do something, is commonly associated with practical subjects and with practical training more generally (Sappa et al, 2016). Nine studies (14%) foregrounded procedural knowledge in fields such as ambulance and rescue services (Andersson, 2016), policing (Söderström et al, 2020) and firefighting (Holmgren et al, 2019). These are fields that place a strong focus on protocols.…”