A Dialogical Learning Community

ALP Co-Investigation 2014

Co-investa-what!?

People investigate their own lives, area and language

People will go beyond identification of issues and complaints, to analysing the power and construction of those issues

People identify what they need to know and do more about on those issues, and learn or do those things.

People then act on those issues, and aim to overcome previous “limit situations”, senses of powerlessness, and external control and determination

Actively co-determining your own lives, situations and realities

Adult Learning Project ALP Big Gaitherin I & II in 2012 Paulo Freire Reading Group 2013 Scottish Referendum on Independence 2014 Cuts, cuts, cuts! Changing nature of Tollcross Community Centres and public services

Context

Purpose

“Cultural Action takes place within and in opposition to the present system. It refers to education projects rather than a system of education. These projects are not about changing society or the world. They are about preparing people to want to change, and to understand what needs changing, and to understand how they might go about organising themselves to engage in the broader struggle. The preparation hinges upon offering people a 'glimpse' or an abbreviated experience of what it could mean to know, to learn, and to be and relate differently.”

P. Allman 1991, Charnwood Papers (B. O'Hagan(ed.))

The more people become themselves, the better the democracy. The less people are asked about what they want, about their expectations, the less democracy we have. It is about the student producing knowledge seeing themselves as an agent of change.

Method

To See To Analyse To Act

1. See Gather information on the selected area

Invite people to meeting to launch investigation with others

Primary research – speak to people in their ordinary lives. Identify common language, sayings, expressions, issues.

Coding of these words, phrases and issues

2. Analyse Decoding of these words, phrases and issues

Problem posing (rather than telling people)

Identifying contradictions and “limit situations” (where do people feel they can't do anything about an issue or have no control over it)

Focusing down on key themes on central 'theme'.

3. Act Identify what we need to know and do to act on this theme

Learn what is relevant and important

Do what is needed to have a specific, achievable and active impact on the issue

What is happening

Desk-based research

Launch event

Knocking on doors/surveys in streets, etc

Creating codes

Creative display of codes to public – workshop/public event, exhibition, story gathering etc

Group analysis and discussion

Prioritisation activity

Adult education class/workshop

Action/campaign

How will it be used....??

Written up and distributed to participants and locally

Inform development of funding bids within ALP and ALP Association for future learning projects

Be sent to relevant decision makers (community council, local authority, councillors, MP's and MSP's, etc)

Used as guide and mandate for cultural action programme

Examples

'Play in the Terraces' Scots Music Group ALP Community Survey and tile panel project Forum Theatre The Welcoming School closure campaign

Who will be involved...?

Adult Learning Project John Player – ALP worker Local residents that join the investigation team Tollcross Community centre University of Edinburgh Community Education

department? You.....?

So...what do we do...?

Where...?

2011 2001

Data Zone 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Total Population 883 1222 992 992 667 988 839 775

Innovative and new

Achievable in short period

Resources needed

Experience using this already in

group

Relevant to the area

Do we have the

skills/capacity to do this?

Inclusive

e.g....

Creative ways to engage and start dialogue...