Research
We explore how adult education can be made inclusive, digital and effective.
Services
Digital tools, specialist portals and data – for teachers, researchers, students and interested parties.
Institute
We offer research, transfer and infrastructure for lifelong learning.
This article explores „biography“ as a separate field of research within adult education. It focuses on analysing the outcome of alphabetization and basic education courses on biographies and coping mechanisms of functional illiterates. At the same time, the importance of biography research for practical work with illiterates is highlighted. The article also discusses a list of requirements that need to be met for an innovative adjustment of such practical work, and thus making better use of it…
The ways in which computer games can affect learning are identified using the example of games for fun, starting out with the aspect of research into learning and teaching theory. Approaches used in behaviourism, cognitivism and individual and social constructivism are compared. In the psychology of emotions, activating and deactivating emotions are distinguished with regard to their learning effect. From the point of view of the psychology of motivation, special emphasis is placed on the self-…
Bildung und Spiel – das ist mehr als die mutmaßlich gewürfelte Schulnote, die eine Bildungsbiografie ausbremst. Spiele, das ist die These dieses Heftes, sind anders als das Leben, aber weil sie uns in Distanz zur Wirklichkeit setzen, ermöglichen die Bildung. Ihr Lern- und Bildungspotenzial entfalten sie als Computerspiel ebenso wie als Gruppen- oder Strategiespiel. Der Einsatzbereich, das zeigen die Beiträge dieses Heftes, reichen von der Alphabetisierungsarbeit bis in die betriebliche Weiterbi…
Foreign languages à la mode. Trends in adult language acquisition based on the example of the VHS programme Learning foreign languages is a high-status activity in organised adult learning. Based on VHS (adult education centre) statistics, the author shows that foreign languages are an indispensable element of the VHS programme range; hardly any other area is in such constantly high demand, a demand which can also be seen in relation to income status. Now making up 30 percent of all courses,…
Exploring the inner aspect of learning. Methodological considerations for investigating life-long learning This article sets out research methods required for qualitative research aimed at understanding the inner aspect of learning. The aim is to make qualitative single case studies more relevant with regard to issues of education policy and social analysis. For this purpose, the following measures are proposed. (1) Close reading and reflexivity: Precisely studying the source texts sheds lig…
God’s people as a learning community Biblical foundations of lifelong learning The article presents the around 2.500 year-old roots of a concept of lifelong (religious) learning which is being developed in the book Deuteronomium of the Hebrew Bibel. Learning is considered an existential self-realization of God’s people which encompasses not only ethics, but also history and constitutional law. With respect to the history of people’s duty to learn in Judaism, the author evaluates perspective…
Biography and Education Biographical aspects are coming increasingly under the focus of teaching-learning and educational research in the context of international comparative studies and the debate over self-organised and self-guided learning. Different theoretical approaches are selected and current empirical findings in the area of biographical research are presented in this issue in order to shed light on the interrelationship between education and biography.
Jens Friebe und Melanie Jana-Tröller beschreiben die demografische Alterung als zentralen Trend der gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen in Deutschland. Anschließend skizzieren sie die Herausforderungen, die auf die lebensbegleitende Weiterbildung zukommen werden, für deren Bewältigung aber auf fortbestehende Lernpotentiale im Alter zurückgegriffen werden kann. Auf diesen Grundlagen werden die Situationen der Weiterbildung in Betrieben, im Beruf und in der Nacherwerbsphase untersucht. Daraus ergebe…
Voluntary Commitment and Learning. Results of a Survey on Volunteers by the Federal Government The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth’s (BMFSFJ) survey on volunteers, carried out in 1999 and 2004, shows that voluntary work is on the rise, especially in the area of work with young people and adult education. Learning motives play a major role in voluntary commitments. Technical expertise is also considered to be important, but more so by men than by women. O…
