Global Dialogue "Building Learning Societies"
Where
we dare to believe in the optimism of youth and support others in building up
their self-consciousness
Where we have trust in our dreams and the infinity of our minds
Where we challenge the boxes we are thinking in, dare to face the chaos and
are aware of the network we are a part of
Where we free ourselves and allow us to be children again.
Where we will be able to truly listen...
...we will be able to learn.
How can the creative and innovative potential of humans and their ability to
learn be developed? What innovations in learning would be able to support these
processes? Looking at it from a wider perspective: What kind of obstacles are
individuals and societies facing in producing, acquiring and using knowledge?
Are there different kinds of knowledge? What kind of knowledge and abilities
do we need for building Learning-Societies? What are the characteristics of
a learning-society? And last but not least how does AIESEC as the world biggest
student-organisation contribute to building learning societies?
These were the most important questions I had in mind when entering the UNESCO-run
'Workshop 21'. I knew that I would not find answers to all of them, myself giving
neither a scientific nor 'professional' contribution to potential solutions.
Yet I was sure that I would be able to add some value out of the millions of
learning-experiences I went through since I was born...
In the following I will share with you some of my personal thoughts on the questions
above, also based on what I learned at the Global Dialogue .
What should a Learning Society be like?
The core of any 'Learning Society', any learning organisation or individual
in this society should be a culture of Learning; Values that consider learning,
personal development, growth and personal mastery as a life-long process and
goal. Out of this an intrinsic motivation to learn, a curiosity and interest
develops that culminates in the willingness to change yourself as well as your
environment. Furthermore a stable basis is needed: In Reference to Maslow's
hierarchy of needs, basic needs like food and warmth have to be fulfilled first,
which is not the case for many people on our earth. Communication-tools and
access to relevant information for example through internet facilitate the Learning-processes.
An openness towards the surroundings and well-developed observation skills help
the (members of the) Learning-Society to receive any kind of feedback, answer
to modern trends and be prepared for the future. Everybody in the Learning-Society
has to be aware of being a member of an interdependent network - a huge system,
always keeping the holistic perspective on occurring problems. In addition to
that a Learning-Society should create challenging environments for their members,
for instance environments full of diversity. The last basic characteristic of
a 'Learning-Society' are 'rooms for co-operation'. Based on a culture of sharing,
there should be certain places, tools and time reserved for groups of learners
to come together, interact and share their knowledge and experiences and create
new common knowledge, ideas and innovations.
Obstacles in achieving these goals
What innovations in learning would be able to support these processes? In the
last 10 years many useful technologies and communication-tools have been introduced
to support the Learning-Process of individuals and groups, for example: interactive
Learning-Environments, web-based Learning, Communication via Videoconference
and many more...
They have facilitated our Learning and offer plenty of new possibilities and
advantages to earlier approaches. Nevertheless scientists have given proven
examples that Face-To Face Communication can not be fully replaced. The importance
of motivation, the fulfilment of social needs, emotional processes and the questions
of having fun while learning has been confirmed. In addition to that innovations
in learning for me means to come back to methodologies like Social Learning
and Problem-Solving in groups and the use of techniques like 'Story-telling'.
Out of my experience humans learn better if the following needs are fulfilled:
- being accepted by other group-members, personal contacts/ relations and a
feeling of solidarity within the group - feeling one's own competence and influence
- being able to help others and get help if needed - share experiences and problems
between each other.
Think about your own experiences, where have you been more passionate in learning:
Learning with a CD-ROM on your PC or within a dynamic working group on a seminar
or for a common project? As the world we are living in is incredibly interdependent
and complex and must be observed from a holistic point of view, Learning-Processes
should not be simplified artificially. If the aim of Learning is to change our
behaviour to be better prepared for this kind of world, communication and interaction
with others play an enormous role as they are gaining more and more importance
for example through globalisation. According to that, learning-methods should
be as close to reality as possible: Discussions, simulations, role-plays, and
many other variations of experiential Learning, Learning by Doing, Emotional
Learning and Self-Regulated Learning should be considered more often, all of
them performed in groups, if possible. Only through interaction and application
the tons of information we receive every day can be transformed into useful
knowledge.
Some ideas to develop the individual ability to learn
Katrin Kohlbecher
Trainer, AIESEC in Germany