Hands‐on simulations are increasingly used in vocational oriented curricula to create meaningful, occupation‐related learning experiences. However, more insight is required about precisely what characteristics in hands‐on simulations enhance outcomes that students need for their future occupation, such as competencies. This study aims to examine how constructivist pedagogical–didactic design principles affect competence development of senior vocational education and professionally oriented bachelor's degree students in a wide range of hands‐on simulations. For this purpose, 23 hands‐on simulations were studied. Teachers rated the degree of authenticity and self‐directedness of the hands‐on simulations. Student perceptions (N = 516) of value, authenticity and self‐directedness (operationalized as choice), as well as their competence development, were gathered using questionnaires. The results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed that: (1) authenticity and self‐directedness did not automatically lead to more competence development; and (2) student perceptions of perceived value, authenticity and choice of how to perform tasks were the main predictors of competence development in the simulations. Nonetheless, the additional mediation analyses suggest that it is still important for teachers to invest in learning activities that stimulate self‐directedness as these activities indirectly predicted competence development, through student perceptions. Several reasons for the results are discussed, among them the mismatch between teachers and students of what was considered authentic, complexity of the simulations, the teacher's role as facilitator instead of activator and the lack of choice possibilities. Ideas for future research, as well as practical implications concerning designing and implementing hands‐on simulations for fostering competence development, are suggested.
LINK
Purpose: To explore the recent emergence of “authenticity” in fashion in terms of its linkingvalue in the context of tribal brand cultures in conjunction with value co-creation processes inmediated environments.Methodology: This study adopts a qualitative approach in the form of a case study of a youngNew York-based outdoor fashion firm. The research was divided into a netnographic study toexplore the life- and experience worlds of consumers in an online context, supported bysecondary research such as online documents, photographic footage, and media reports. Findings: Identifies the socially and emotionally charged process leading to the point of valueexchange as a key driver in the relationship between brand and consumers. Social exchangebetween consumers is where meaning is extracted and symbolic properties are converted intomarkers of collective identification. Originality/value: While most analyses on co-creation and tribal consumption focus on off- oronline contexts separately, the present study seeks to develop an understanding of the intersectingdynamics between offline activities and their shared reverberation and meaning across interactiveonline contexts. Paper type: Research paper
