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Transnationalisation processes of enterprises lead to extended needs of qualification and knowledge. There are no corresponding concepts and learning culture designs. Knowledge as a category and as a realistic interpretation of demands is not well enough developed as part of these arrangements. Entrepreneurial interests hide learning needs, this becomes obvious in findings of working cooperation analysis in contexts of cultural diversity. This article explains one part of an analytical access t…
In contrast to the enthusiastically propagated possibilities of e-commerce and telelearning, searching the net for a telelearning course which meets the individual needs can be time-consuming and frustrating. In 1997, the CNC-Zentrum Hamburg in cooperation with the European Commission and the City of Hamburg thus set up the project „Bildungsforum Hamburg“ as a regional virtual market place for fur ther education. Project leader Laila Meyer presents the interactive platform for information, disc…
Scientific adult learning discussions refer to the concept of “region” mainly in policy contexts. Against this background, the author develops an approach to investigate regions from an organizational point of view. In a qualitative interview study using grounded theory within the framework of action-centered geography, he shows that adult education organizations and professionals construct regions in pedagogical practice. These practices need to be analyzed as a complex interplay between marke…
As a priority of education policy Lifelong Learning implies flexible individual learning pathways in different settings. Within the demographic change and the demand of higher skills higher education qualifications become increasingly important to reach employment, why higher education institutions need to open up against new target groups. This article focuses on further education offered by higher education institutions and intends to give a picture of the current demand and supply. Empirical…
For 30 years, the author has been director of the communal adult education institute “Volkshochschule” at a middle-size town in Southern Germany. In 1998, the costs of 3 million DM were financed jointly by the town (50%), the participants of the courses (40%) and the Land Baden-Württemberg (10%). In the next three years, the "Volkshochschule" has to reduce the communal subsidy by 12%. The article deals with the financial challenges the institute faces in its new situation of competition at the …
Adult pedagogical responsibility in the interpretation and explanation of empirical results for knowledge-based education needs analysis Education needs analyses often appear in a picture of the "comparison" of definable desired value and measured actual value. Thereby mostly the impression of deficits arise. Depending on the arrangement of a needs analysis, therewith in a special way questions are posed concerning the processing and application of the empirical data material, especially w…
Bildung im Alter zielt auf Orientierung und erweiterte Handlungsspielräume sowie auf Vernetzung in der realen und digitalen Welt – um den Herausforderungen und Chancen beim Älterwerden positiv begegnen zu können. Als erfolgversprechend erweist sich der Ansatz, dass das Bildungspersonal in Einrichtungen der Erwachsenenbildung als Lern- und Engagementbegleitung engagierte Digitalpat*innen weiterbildet und in deren Praxis fachlich unterstützt.
Educational focus group surveys. Practical experiences from the Wesermarsch district When planning educational measures, education providers in structurally weak areas need to take into account regional peculiarities and potential course participants. For this reason, in a project in the district of Wesermarsch, the instrument of a focus group survey was used to determine people’s educational needs. This article describes the method used and experiences gained, and how the results were impl…
This article is devoted to workplace learning. Rather than formulating normative claims regarding educational processes, the aim is to empirically examine the conditions under which workplace learning takes place. The focus is on the process of needs assessment as part of program planning. Firstly, this process and the stakeholders involved are described for different types of programs. Secondly, an explorative analysis based on the contextual analysis shows how demand decisions are justified. …
Scientific Education This issue combines empirical and conceptual access points to research of an area of education which has been for the most part neglected by continuing education: What role does natural science knowledge play in the context of informal and non-formal learning processes of adults? And what impetus can be derived for the structure and design of teaching-learning arrangements in other areas? This issue provides insight into specific issues, providing a contribution to inter…
