Learning in the Platform Economy (LeaP)
LeaP is an interdisciplinary research programme exploring how individuals develop skills and knowledge in the platform economy. The programme investigates learning in digital labour settings such as crowdwork and online freelancing, as well as in educational environments preparing people for this emerging world of work.
About the LeaP Programme
Learning in the Platform Economy (LeaP) is an interdisciplinary, international and cross-sectoral research programme. The programme is focused on advancing the understanding, conceptualisation, methodology and policy of learning practices in the platform economy.
Scope
The LeaP programme explores learning practices in two interconnected settings:
- Workplace learning practices within the platform economy
- Learning practices in educational settings aimed at preparing people to function effectively within platform-based forms of work
The programme investigates how individuals develop skills and knowledge through participation in digitally mediated labour, such as online freelancing and crowdwork. The programme also examines how educational institutions adapt teaching and learning to meet the demands of changing work environments.
Aim
The LeaP programme pursues a dual aim:
- To advance the understanding of fundamental processes and practices of learning and skills development in new and emergent forms of work in platform settings
- To develop applications, toolkits and recommendations that inform and guide policy and practice, helping organisations and stakeholders — such as platform owners, clients, crowdworkers, educational and vocational training institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and policymakers — to design more effective learning environments and empower individuals to take control of their own learning and development
Research Themes
LeaP leads research across three interrelated themes. The LeaP themes are:
- Theme 1. Workplace learning practices in online labour platforms
- Theme 2. Artificial Intelligence, skills and work
- Theme 3. Aligning higher education and emergent work practices
The Learning in the Platform Economy (LeaP) research programme is part of the Endowed Chair in Blended Learning. The programme is funded through CBS’s Research in Blended Learning (RiBL) cross-institutional strategic initiative.
LeaP Research Projects
Projects (Panel content)
The LeaP programme leads a series of interconnected research projects that explore how people learn and develop skills in new forms of digital labour.
The projects presented here – CrowdLearnPlus, SKAIL, and SOLID-WORK – examine learning practices in online freelancing, the role of AI in shaping skills and work, and the social contexts of crowdwork. Together, they contribute to a deeper understanding of learning in the platform economy and aim to inform policy, education, and platform design.
Each project brings a distinct perspective and methodology, but all share a focus on how individuals navigate, adapt to, and shape changing conditions of work. The findings help equip learners, organisations, and institutions to better support skill development and learning opportunities in digital labour environments.
CrowdLearnPlus (Panel content)
Project title: CrowdLearnPlus: Comparing Learning Practices in Microwork and Online Freelancing
Project period: November 2019 – July 2020
Funder: European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)
Overview
CrowdLearnPlus builds on the original Cedefop-funded CrowdLearn project. The purpose of this follow-up study is to conduct statistical analyses comparing findings from earlier surveys on workplace learning practices among microworkers with data from Cedefop’s new survey of online freelance crowdworkers.
Objectives
The project aims to identify whether — and to what extent — there are differences between microworkers and online freelancers in their use of workplace learning activities and self-regulated learning strategies. These strategies reflect how different types of online workers organise and direct their own learning in crowd work environments.
The study also examines possible correlations between the types and frequency of learning strategies used and several personal and environmental factors:
- perceived complexity and interdependence of tasks
- differing motivations for engaging in microwork vs. freelancing
- the intensity of workers’ engagement
- and workers’ general disposition toward self-regulated learning on digital labour platforms
Significance
This comparative study has two main goals:
- To strengthen and extend the robustness and generalisability of the original CrowdLearn findings
- To generate new insights and concrete policy recommendations for Cedefop on how to foster learning across both microwork and online freelancing, thereby broadening the reach of the policy conclusions
People
Professor Anoush Margaryan
Principal Investigator
Department of Digitalization, CBS
SKAIL (Panel content)
Project title: SKAIL: Skills, Artificial Intelligence and Labour
Project period: January 2020 – September 2020
Funder: Volkswagen Foundation
Overview:
The SKAIL project investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) transforms work processes and skill requirements. While AI is increasingly integrated into organisational routines, its implications for skill formation remain poorly understood.
Objectives:
The project explores:
- How emerging AI systems reshape workplace practices
- What new skills are required by three categories of workers:
- AI preparers (e.g. data labelers and microworkers)
- AI developers (e.g. data scientists and engineers)
- AI users (e.g. professionals who incorporate AI into their work)
- How to design AI systems that enhance learning, transparency and explainability in the workplace
Approach:
The project is organised around three case-based testbeds representing the different worker groups. Research activities include interdisciplinary workshops involving social scientists, computer scientists, engineers, professional bodies, industry representatives and educational institutions.
Significance:
SKAIL contributes to understanding the organisational and skill-related effects of AI adoption. The project aims to inform the design of skill-enhancing, socially embedded AI systems that support workers' ability to learn and adapt.
People:
Consortium
Professor Martin Krzywdzinsky <https://www.wzb.eu/en/persons/martin-krzywdzinski>
Principal Investigator
Social Sciences Research Centre Berlin (WZB)
Professor Anoush Margaryan <link til medarbejder profil>
Co-Investigator
Department of Digitalization, Copenhagen Business School
Professor David Guile <https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/48059>
Co-Investigator
Institute of Education, University College London
Professor Christian Meske <https://www.wi.uni-muenster.de/department/former-groups/kuk/people/christian-meske>
Co-Investigator
Department of Information Systems, Free University of Berlin
Dr Miguel Rodrigues <https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/7661-miguel-rodrigues>
Co-Investigator
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London
SOLID‑WORK (Panel content)
Project title: SOLID‑WORK: Social Learning in the Digital Workplace
Project period: Ongoing PhD project
Funder: (ikke oplyst på siden)
Overview:
Crowdwork is a new form of digital labour emerging from the platform economy, connecting workers and clients globally or regionally for paid tasks. This form of digitally mediated work is experiencing rapid growth, with a workforce in the hundreds of thousands and an estimated annual growth of 50% between 2018 and 2020.
Background:
Platforms typically do not provide training or skill development opportunities. Responsibility for learning shifts entirely to the individual. Despite this, self-regulated learning behaviors and skill development practices have been identified as key to success in crowdwork, especially in complex online freelancing.
Project aims:
SOLID‑WORK seeks to understand:
- Why crowdworkers engage in learning activities
- Which social networks they participate in
- How such factors influence their success in online work environments.
Analytical approach:
The project applies the Life Course Perspective, moving beyond individual case studies toward a holistic and integrated understanding of crowdworkers’ livelihoods and their social, societal and historical contexts.
Significance:
Platform-based digital labour offers vast economic potential, but its disruptive effects remain poorly understood. SOLID‑WORK contributes substantively and methodologically to a nascent research field relevant to a global social phenomenon—one that many recent graduates will likely encounter.
People:
Timothy Charlton‑Czaplicki <link til profil, hvis den findes. Der er et dødt link lige nu>
Researcher
Department of Digitalization, CBS