Digital Transformation of Engineering Education - Empirical Insights from Virtual Worlds and Human-Robot-Collaboration

Cyber-physical systems and “Industry 4.0” will require future engineers to handle big data and complex, multidisciplinary problems as well as to collaborate with machines in “hybrid teams”. As some work spaces will be virtualized or remotely controllable new communication skills and the knowledge of virtual worlds are necessary. Furthermore, working as a team with machines demands not only knowledge of mechanical engineering and machines but also an extended understanding of team working. To meet such challenges future engineers need to acquire new skills and qualification. This task does not only concern engineering students and trainees but also teachers for engineering. Questions about how to prepare for newly needed engineering competencies for the age of Industry 4.0, how to assess them and how to teach and train e.g. human-robot-teams have to be tackled in future engineering education. The paper presents theoretical aspects and empirical results of a series of studies, which were conducted to investigate engineering education in virtual worlds as well as different aspects about team building in hybrid teams.