“LLL through volunteering: Principles, intercultural aspects and good practices.”LLL through volunteering – principles

Sabine Remdisch

VALUE Conference –

Middle East Technical University, Ankara (Turkey)

8–9 June 2011

LLL as a Challenge for Educational Policy in Europe

• Continuous professional education and training throughout the entire working life

• Improvement of educational opportunities and participation for all levels of the population

• Recognition and inclusion of informal learning

• Educating older people to maintain expertise and thus guarantee transfer of knowledge between generations

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The Contribution of Universities to LLL

• Universities will have a prominent role in LLL through academic continuing education.

• Lifelong learning and learning parallel to work must become a leading principle.

• Universities must develop specific, closely-tailored continuing education opportunities for the working world and meet the qualification needs of the working individual.

• Universities must offer individualised education based on professional biographies. They must make access to higher education possible through recognition of professional competencies.

• Universities need appealing and effective teaching methods for participants from different phases of life.

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Effective Teaching Methods: LLL through Volunteering

• Learning must remain attractive for professionals, people in late-professional life and in retirement

– to provide necessary professional knowledge and to inspire innovation; – so that their knowledge and competence is not lost;– to promote their social participation and social recognition and appreciation of

their expertise.

• Older people with their strong community involvement must develop and up-date their competencies to ensure the transfer of knowledge to younger generations

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LLL through Volunteering: Learning in Other Living Environments

• Examples of Learning in Other Living Environments:– Service Learning (Universities)

Service Learning is a teaching method which combines academic seminar content (learning) with community involvement (service). Students take on social responsibility and can assimilate the learning content more intensively.

– “Changeover” (Companies)Relates to managers who have a practical lear-ning week in drug rehabilitation centers, centers for the disabled, hospices, child and youthcare facilities or in the penal system.

– “A Real Honour” (Companies) Teams within a company take on responsibility for social projects (e.g. renovating a kindergarten) within the framework of team development seminars

– Volunteering Projects in Developing Regions (Organisations / Societies) Adults work on community, social or cultural projects in developing countries in: environmental preservation, wildlife preservation, education, childcare, social work and healthcare projects.

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LLL through Volunteering: Learning in Other Living Environments

• University continuing education for the voluntary sector – the development of university programmes (continuing education) for the

qualification of leaders active in third-sector organisations. Demand is particularly in the leadership task areas of organisation and public relations.

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LLL through Volunteering: The Principles

• Integrated learning: anchoring the learning experience at different levels, strong personal impressions, inspiring group experiences, learner becomes open.

• Experience-oriented learning:learner is strongly activated by the new learning arena, gathering intercultural competence.

• Self-evaluation and reflection: strongly promotes self-evaluation process: questioning own values; recognising own behaviour and learning to control it.

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LLL through Volunteering: The Benefits

• Learners can – develop social competence,– learn to be more sensitive and understanding of others,– develop personally, especially sense of civic responsibility, – build leadership abilities,– gather experience in project management, – gain professional orientation,– develop openness and personal strengths.

• Universities can– increase their responsibility within the community, – exchange knowledge with the region,– increase the variety of seminars offered,– improve their image within the society.

• The community can – improve the quality and quantity of socially-oriented opportunities, – improve social cohesion through networking,– gain academic expertise in the support and evaluation of projects.

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