Logo of the peer-to-peer university / copyright: p2pu
Last Friday, I had the chance to take part in some interesting discussions at the „Summer-Academy” of GIZ’s “Academy for International Cooperation“. The issue was “self-empowered and self-guided learning processes”. we learned at the event, that this paradigm transforms trainers into coaches for self-guided learning, requires different pedagogical methods and is fuelled by the open models of learning catalyzed by the Internet (such as open learning events, open educational resources, social learning and peer-to-peer learning online and offline etc – see some of my previous blog entries on more …).
But I was struck by another point. …
We had with us Phillip Schmidt, founder of the peer-to-peer university (https://p2pu.org/en/#blog ). So I expected discussions around technology and enabling factors for peer-to-peer learning in this session. We had that. But we also had a very intense discussion of what motivates people (particularly adults) to learn at all. Isn’t that a pretty old topic? Yes, but I have the feeling, that “learning institutions” were able to shrug it off until very recently, because in their perspective, “learners had to learn” (for whatever reasons or conditions). But now, if learning is (mostly) self-guided, it has to be (mostly) self-motivated (for the first time???). Welcome in the new world of empowered learners. Yours, Balthas
P.S.: If you are interested to see some of the factors of motivation (and other success factors), that we came up with, check the conference pad on the p2pu site here ( in German mostly): http:/
P.S.: Also check the blog of p2pu here (in English): http:/
____
Note: This text was first published on the blog of Balthas Seibold at the Alumniportal Germany (www.alumniportal-deutschland.org/en/). Check the blog ( register or login first). All blog entries represent the personal views and ideas of Balthas Seibold.