The Learning Citizen & Homo Zappiens
Aus einer aktuellen Pressemitteilung: „The Learning Citizen und The Learning Revolution„:
„11 European projects have developed new learning systems which point the way to the future of lifelong learning and education. They are now presenting their results. The new solutions they offer create an exciting prospect for all European citizens.
What do a young rehabilitating offender, additionally handicapped by poor basic numeracy and literacy skills, and an IT manager, stressed both by the need to advance her career and by a large amount of travel, have in common? For quite different reasons, they do not have easy access to the training which would enable them to reach their goals.
This is why ‚The Learning Citizen‘ initiative was launched by the European Commission in 2000: to make learning services accessible to all European citizens, whatever their age, situation or environment. By using technology enhanced learning, this is now possible.“
Über die einzelnen Projekte findet sich hier mehr. Ich möchte aber in diesem Zusammenhang noch kurz auf den letzten Newsletter von „The Learning Citizen“ (November 2003) hinweisen. Er unterstreicht in seinen Beiträgen nicht nur die Bedeutung der Weiterbildung, sondern argumentiert sehr geschlossen gegen „industrial-age models of education and work„. Exemplarisch der Beitrag von Wim Veen über „A new force for change: Homo Zappiens„. Homo Zappiens „is the generation that has grown up using three devices from early childhood on: the TV remote control, the PC mouse and the cell phone„. Seine Skills sind entsprechend: scanning, multi tasking, processing discontinued information und non-linearly learning.
Ist der Homo Zappiens bereits in unseren Erziehungs- und Bildungssystemen angekommen? Nein, denn: „However, schools do not take advantage of these competencies, still applying teacher-centred approaches. Schools should therefore adopt new learning and teaching approaches, which mean a thorough redesign of our education system.
Independent learning cannot happen within the traditional sequence of timeslots of classes. Seven lessons a day of listening is a torture for Homo Zappiens and, as we already know from educational research, a very ineffective way of learning. Abolishing all classroom teaching is one of the issues for more flexible scheduling in schools. Homo Zappiens should be able to learn together with peers or alone in a mixed setting of blended learning situations. As the learner himself owns the learning process, he should also take responsibility for it.“
Klare Worte & Empfehlungen, denen man nur wünschen kann, dass sie auch in die Praxis umgesetzt werden.
The Learning Citizen
Weitere Informationen zum Thema „Homo Zappiens“: Graeme Daniel and Kevin Cox, „New Technologies, New Ways to Learn“, Web Tools Newsletter, 28 April 2003 (mit weiteren Literaturhinweisen)