Active Learning 4.0: Digitalization of Operations and Augmented Reality to Enhance Vocational Training

Technical and industrial Vocational Training programs face major hurdles in providing quality practical education. While new policies limit classroom capacity, many centers still operate with up to 30 students per class.

As a result, hands-on learning can be constrained by the group’s pace and the instructor’s availability to support each student individually, directly impacting the proper consolidation of technical knowledge.

Meanwhile, employers are seeking candidates with stronger preparation, both in foundational knowledge and technological competency, pushing training centers to find innovative approaches that strengthen learning without losing sight of industry demands.

The ‘Active Learning 4.0: Digitalization of Knowledge and Augmented Reality for Mechanical Manufacturing and Maintenance’ project emerges as a response to these challenges, embracing the digitalization of operations on real machinery and the use of AR to enhance practical instruction. This approach enables greater student autonomy, optimizes workshop time, and reduces errors during task execution, fostering safer, more efficient learning aligned with industrial reality.

The initiative has been developed collaboratively with several Vocational Training centers—CIFP Tolosaldea serving as project coordinator; CIFP Innovación Social de Hernani; and CIFP Río Tormes in Salamanca—all of which have actively participated in identifying and digitalizing various procedures conducted in their workshops.

The project has also benefited from the participation of Mas Ingenieros as a collaborating partner, leveraging their expertise in technology integration and industrial automation, as well as data capture and management. Our contribution has centered on providing these training centers with SAAM, our technical operations digitalization platform, and offering ongoing guidance throughout their content development journey.

One of the highlights of this project has been empowering training centers to digitalize their own procedures independently, no coding skills required. Using SAAM, instructors have converted real workshop operations into structured digital workflows that walk students through each practice session.

At CIFP Tolosaldea, the focus has been on maintenance and operation of conventional machinery, lathes, milling machines, and drill presses, giving students the ability to complete hands-on exercises with greater safety and technical confidence.

Similarly, CIFP Innovación Social in Hernani has digitalized advanced manufacturing, maintenance, and electrical procedures, including 3D printer operations, compressor maintenance, and electrical assembly tasks. Meanwhile, CIFP Río Tormes in Salamanca has created workflows for Climaver duct installation, facilitating comprehension of process phases and critical control points.

Across all three centers, SAAM’s ease of use has allowed instructors to turn their specialized knowledge into digital training materials that connect directly to real workshop tasks with no technical hurdles and full content ownership. And with Augmented Reality integration, students can follow digitalized procedures step-by-step through holographic displays, keeping their hands free for the actual work essential when precision and safety are non-negotiable.

This project has made it possible to structure and share expertise in ways that give every student access to the same information clearly presented and logically organized. It has also transformed how training is delivered, freeing up instructors to focus on mentoring, oversight, and tackling more complex questions, while digital resources provide constant reference points throughout hands-on sessions.

The results show how digitalizing technical knowledge and integrating Augmented Reality lead to more effective vocational education one that mirrors real industry conditions and produces graduates who are better prepared, more self-sufficient, and equipped with skills they can immediately apply in the workplace.