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[ZAWiW] [gemeinsamlernen] [LiLL] | ||
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 GemeinsamLernen |
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| Self-organised Learning Groups in Europe |
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| Experience Reports |
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| Arnhem Group |
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 Page 4 of 10
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Doke Doude van Troostwijk |
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Hannie Pelleboer-Beuker |
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A self-study-group in a non-universitary institute |
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Concluding Report |
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Concluding Report
Stand:
The teams have to take a closer look at the other teams, keep in touch and if necessary search for solutions to problems of other teams.
It is important that team members appreciate individual and team differences. Personal and team characteristics determine the approach to the tasks.
These may show some major differences. It is not a matter of emphasising these differences or to mark them but to accept them.
It is also possible that the different teams develop a different approach to the tasks at hand.
Fine tuning the general approach will then be a responsibility for all the teams concerned.
A.5.2 Meetings with the entire group.
Learning experience 3: Necessity of meetings with the entire group.
Every 2 to 3 weeks a meeting with the entire group was organised. This facilitated a good interaction between the teams. During these meetings the project co-ordinator was able to make more thorough enquiries regarding developments.
Although it had been decided upon that at least the team representative would partake, all team members used to be present. In this way the meetings gained importance for the interaction.
Up to now 32 of these meetings with an average duration of 2½ hours have been held.
The number of team meetings is between 45 and 50.
A.5.3 Other teams.
Besides the thematic team various other teams have been set up in the course of time such as an ¨Evaluation¨ team, an ¨Editorial¨ team and a ¨Lecture¨ team.
The ¨Evaluation¨ team was responsible for the starting and the performing of evaluations.
The ¨Editorial¨ team co-ordinated the report on the research.
The ¨Lecture¨ team took care of the contents and presentation of a lecture on our research for U3A/Volksuniversiteit.
A.5.4. Is it possible to keep everyone posted?
Learning experience 4: Without e-mail it is virtually impossible.
At local level e-mail became very important. All announcements and accounts of the major meetings were sent by e-mail.
The teams reported on their activities by e-mail. Interesting literature was spread in this way.
An estimated 200 documents have been sent by e-mail as an attachment.
A.6 A wide approach is desirable.
Starting research requires a good framework. Because of the completely different background of the participants there was no collective research scheme. One will start exploring on the basis of ones own experience but one is unfamiliar with the theme and hence thorough exploring is required.
A.6.1 Drafting a research scheme and other training.
Initially all efforts concentrated on collecting information. Reading books, searching internet sites and consulting experts. Nevertheless it took a long time before a collective research scheme was produced. A less structural thematic approach does have its advantages at first: The project remains very flexible and changes can be made more easily. On the other hand obscurities regarding effects, timetable and goals remain for a longer period and then these aspects often demand more attention and energy in a later stage.
Learning experience 5: Do not start thematic research immediately.
It is recommendable not to start thematic research right away but to pay sufficient attention to the drafting of a research scheme supported by the participants with their different backgrounds.
Learning experience 6: Facilitate extra training.
Another learning experience is that participants have to be able to explore the thematic field extensively in order to discover the options and this is time-consuming. If all energy is focused on the thematic research, any other training that is not closely related to the primary goal of the participants will be neglected.
Possible examples of desirable training are:
• A study regarding the research scheme.
• The theory of and the effects for group processes of Learning through Research in a self tuition group.
• Computer training, for instance: working with the internet, starting and managing a homepage.
• Coping with information flows.
• During this specific project the attention for all SoLiLL-project goals was a major focal point.
Looking back it became clear that during the initial phase some elements did not get the attention necessary or desirable for the progress of the project. This has to do with the experimental character of the project, as it was our maiden project.
But it also took a lot of time to get acquainted with the information available on several aspects of this international project.
