On the Quick and Dirty Learning Factory Within the Industry: A Dual Case Study

Industrial upskilling and further education through learning factory activities is a promising path toward the transfer of knowledge from institutions to industry. However, large, complex, and stationary learning factory setups situated at institutions can be far from the contexts of the industrial workers who need upskilling. To meet this need, industrial learners could benefit from more adaptable, mobile, simple, and quick learning factories. Through a dual case study, this article investigates a) how such learning factories can operate, and b) how they can be developed. This article presents five recommendations for educators on how to apply learning factory principles within further education and upskilling to industrial employees. Furthermore, the two cases demonstrate how a simple, contextual learning factory activity can enhance the outcome of such activities. These results can pave the way for learning factories within the industry to provide further benefits.