Sm@rtMirror: a design-based study of a professionalization method for lifelong workplace learning through individual and collaborative learning of (critical) incidents in daily work

Professionals learn new competences best if they are autonomous and in control of their own learning process and if they can learn both independently and together through reflection on personal experiences in (work) practice (Illeris, 2010; Kolb, 1984; Merriam, 2010). Their learning processes are characterized as intrinsically motivated, experiential, problem-and goal-oriented (Abedini, Abedin & Zowghi, 2021). Their willingness to learn is influenced by the possible (professional) learning outcome and the application possibilities to solve problems in the different social roles that they fulfil. Workplace learning fits in with this. However, in daily work practice this type of learning does not arise automatically. Although there are plenty of situations, incidents and moments in work practice to learn from experience individually ánd together with colleagues, they are certainly not always deployed and often forgotten in the 'delusion of the day'. As a result, important opportunities for competence development through workplace learning are left untapped. In this educational design study (McKenney & Reeves, 2019) a technology-enhanced method to support lifelong professional development, based on an existing prototype called MirrorMe@work (Rusman & Storm, 2021), was further developed and evaluated. This was done on a small scale with educational professionals and stakeholders (experts, teachers, management) in a leadership development program in vocational education. First results of this educational design study are presented and the various steps and techniques in the design cycles that were gone through illustrated. Moreover, the resulting educational design solution is presented and ideas and plans for further potential applications and future research are discussed.