ageing society
eLearning and Social Networking in Mentoring Processes to Support Active Ageing
Mentoring is a human resources development process often used to induct, introduce and guide staff into places of employment.
Training people on the job or using elderly people as mentors can be organised to address aspects like skill shortage in organisations, recruiting and retaining personal with the necessary knowledge and active involvement of older people. In this paper we present some aspects of mentoring, particularly the ICT support of such process and give examples.
The Ageing Brain: Neuroplasticity and Lifelong Learning
The role of adult education is becoming increasingly important in the framework of policies to promote lifelong learning. Adult participation in training activities, however, is still rather low, despite the incentives and initiatives aimed at allowing all citizens access to education and training at all ages in their lives.
Participation tends to decrease concomitantly with increasing age: the major difficulty that elderly people have in learning is due to a deterioration of brain function, causing a progressive weakening of concentration, memory and mental flexibility. Today, advanced researches in neuroscience show that brain ageing may be reversible: the brain is plastic in all stages of life, and its maps can restructure themselves through learning experiences.
MEDEA Awards 2012
Annual competition to reward excellence and creativity in media in education.
Aim of the MEDEA Awards
The aim of the MEDEA Awards is to encourage innovation and good practice in the use of media (audio, video, graphics and animation) in education. The awards also recognise and promote excellence in the production and pedagogical design of media-rich learning resources.
In recent years there has been remarkable interest in the creation and use of digital video and audio in education, boosted by the increasing impact of multimedia and video based websites and applications on the internet and mobile devices. The pedagogical vision is clear: it is only when video and audio are routine components of education and online learning, that we will have an educational environment that reflects the media-rich world in which our learners now live.
Participation Guidelines
Before submitting a multimedia project or production, we strongly recommend that you read the Judging Criteria to understand what the judges are specifically looking for and the criteria they will use when judging your submission, as well as the Terms & Conditions of submission, where you will find the rules for participation in the MEDEA Awards. Read also the important Copyright Information page.
Entries need to be submitted via the online submission form and sent to arrive at the MEDEA Secretariat via post, e-mail or fax before the closing date: 17 September 2012 (midnight). All finalists will be notified in the beginning of November and will be invited to take part in the awards ceremony taking place during the Media & Learning Conference 2012, where the final winners will be announced.
MEDEA Awards 2012
- The MEDEA Award for User-Generated Educational Media 2012
This award honours the best entry submitted by teachers, students, learners, parents, professors, individual or organisational representatives in primary education, secondary education, higher education, adult education, vocational education and/or training. - The MEDEA Award for Professionally Produced Educational Media 2012
This award will be awarded to the best professional educational media produced by a professional company or semi-professional production unit such as a broadcaster, professional multimedia producer or publisher, professional web design company, audiovisual or media department in larger institutions or organisations such as universities, government departments, companies, multinational institutions and organisations, etc. - The Special Prize for European Collaboration in the creation of Educational Media 2012
This prize recognises excellent educational media productions and projects that come about as a result of European cross-border collaboration and recognises the impact such collaboration can have in increasing understanding and enhancing the European dimension. - The Special Prize for Educational Media Encouraging Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012
This prize will be dedicated to an entry or production that clearly uses (multi)media to encourage active ageing and solidarity between generations. All educational media productions, no matter in what format, be it website, video, game or interactive presentation, that illustrate, document or promote the active ageing and solidarity between generations. - The Special MEDEA Jury 2012 Prize
The judges may, at their discretion, present a special award to an approach or production in recognition of exceptional innovation in pedagogic or technical design.
New Extended Deadline for Paper Submission on Learning and Active Ageing: April 27!
Learning and Active Ageing
This issue of eLearning Papers will explore innovative teaching methods and new learning environments being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people in Europe.
The ageing of the European population raises issues in almost all aspects of life: the employment and housing markets, pension schemes, health and welfare systems, transport networks, goods and services which will have to adapt to new needs and new social and financial realities. The way European society as a whole addresses these challenges will condition our future, its capacity to create smart and inclusive growth, strengthening knowledge, creativity and innovation that will benefit citizens of all ages , while at the same time reinforcing solidarity between generations to reinvent a new way of living together.
Active ageing in Europe calls for a new vision of older people and their social roles that are more in line with the reality of the 21st century. Lifelong learning is a key component of active ageing, ensuring to develop up-to-date skills right to the end of one’s professional career and continuing post-retirement to improve an individual’s social functioning and well-being and increase the potential for older adults to contribute actively to society through paid employment, volunteering, active citizenship and self-help for independent living. The relationship between higher educational attainment and living longer with improved health has been established in many countries. Furthermore, the roles of older people in workplace, or as volunteers or informal caregivers, contribute to their personal health and the wellbeing of communities.
In order to foster active ageing, older citizens need to have access to quality employment, the means to participate fully in society and the ability to live independently a fulfilling old age. This presents a two-fold learning challenge that addresses the skills and training of this target group and also raises awareness within the greater community.
This issue of eLearning Papers explores what teaching methods and learning environments are being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people. Enrichment and skill building educational programmes for older people must be continuously supported, promoted and facilitated as part of the active ageing process. This issue will also consider ways in which civil society, governments and employers support learning and active ageing.
Environments can be made much more age-friendly by increasing the public's sensitivity to the needs of older citizens and fostering an awareness of what they can contribute and why we need to mobilise all the human capital they represent. Public campaigns like the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012 are giving rise to new initiatives that need to be shared and analysed.
eLearning Papers seeks submissions about learning and active ageing in the 21st century, for both sections: In-Depth and From the Field. We specifically invite contributions which address one or several of the following issues:
- Bridging the digital divide among older people paying due attention to specific challenges faced by older persons with impairments, ethnic minorities, low incomes, older women, etc.
- Open educational resources for non-traditional students
- Age-friendly environments, goods and services
- Fostering technical skills to create adept senior e-learners
- Learning environments for older learners
- Challenges for teachers and developers working with older students using ICT
- Policies and practice: institutional innovation supported by ICTs
The article submission has been extended to 27 April, 2012. The provisional date of publication is May, 2012.
For further information and to submit your article, please contact: jimena.marquez@elearningpapers.eu
Guest editor: Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General, AGE Platform Europe.
- See the complete guidelines at: Instructions for writers
Call for Papers on Learning and Active Ageing Open until April 20, 2012
This issue of eLearning Papers will explore innovative teaching methods and new learning environments being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people in Europe.
The ageing of the European population raises issues in almost all aspects of life: the employment and housing markets, pension schemes, health and welfare systems, transport networks, goods and services which will have to adapt to new needs and new social and financial realities. The way European society as a whole addresses these challenges will condition our future, its capacity to create smart and inclusive growth, strengthening knowledge, creativity and innovation that will benefit citizens of all ages , while at the same time reinforcing solidarity between generations to reinvent a new way of living together.
Active ageing in Europe calls for a new vision of older people and their social roles that are more in line with the reality of the 21st century. Lifelong learning is a key component of active ageing, ensuring to develop up-to-date skills right to the end of one’s professional career and continuing post-retirement to improve an individual’s social functioning and well-being and increase the potential for older adults to contribute actively to society through paid employment, volunteering, active citizenship and self-help for independent living. The relationship between higher educational attainment and living longer with improved health has been established in many countries. Furthermore, the roles of older people in workplace, or as volunteers or informal caregivers, contribute to their personal health and the wellbeing of communities.
In order to foster active ageing, older citizens need to have access to quality employment, the means to participate fully in society and the ability to live independently a fulfilling old age. This presents a two-fold learning challenge that addresses the skills and training of this target group and also raises awareness within the greater community.
This issue of eLearning Papers explores what teaching methods and learning environments are being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people. Enrichment and skill building educational programmes for older people must be continuously supported, promoted and facilitated as part of the active ageing process. This issue will also consider ways in which civil society, governments and employers support learning and active ageing.
Environments can be made much more age-friendly by increasing the public's sensitivity to the needs of older citizens and fostering an awareness of what they can contribute and why we need to mobilise all the human capital they represent. Public campaigns like the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012 are giving rise to new initiatives that need to be shared and analysed.
eLearning Papers seeks submissions about learning and active ageing in the 21st century, for both sections: In-Depth and From the Field. We specifically invite contributions which address one or several of the following issues:
- Bridging the digital divide among older people paying due attention to specific challenges faced by older persons with impairments, ethnic minorities, low incomes, older women, etc.
- Open educational resources for non-traditional students
- Age-friendly environments, goods and services
- Fostering technical skills to create adept senior e-learners
- Learning environments for older learners
- Challenges for teachers and developers working with older students using ICT
- Policies and practice: institutional innovation supported by ICTs
The article submission closes on 20 April, 2012. The provisional date of publication is May, 2012.
For further information and to submit your article, please contact: jimena.marquez@elearningpapers.eu
Guest editor: Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General, AGE Platform Europe.
- See the complete guidelines at: Instructions for writers
43rd EUCEN European Conference - Universities’ Engagement in and with Society. The ULLL contribution
The 43rd EUCEN European Conference takes up two major aspects of University Lifelong Learning (ULLL): its diversity (the "lifewide" dimension) and its potential for providing learning opportunities throughout one’s life (the "lifelong" dimension).
ULLL in all its diversity...
Universities all over Europe are at present intensively developing institutional strategies for Lifelong Learning, thus progressing to a Lifelong Learning University. All the individual strategic development processes and the results of European strategic projects supporting universities show clearly that there is no single definition or approach to University Lifelong Learning and that the concept covers a wide range of activities. Best and good practices also demonstrate that this diversity is positive because it allows institutions to find their own answer, at institutional and regional level embedded in an international university environment, to positioning themselves when it comes to ULLL. EUCEN developed a wide definition for ULLL which is more an encouragement for an institution’s development than a definition in the traditional sense:
"ULLL is the provision by higher education institutions of learning opportunities, services and research for: the personal and professional development of a wide range of individuals – lifelong and lifewide; and the social, cultural and economic development of communities and the region. It is at university level and research-based; it focuses primarily on the needs of the learners; and it is often developed and/or provided in collaboration with stakeholders and external actors." (EUCEN BeFlex Project)
With this 43rd EUCEN European Conference we would like to offer an open and stimulating forum for practitioners, policy makers and researchers. We will explore this wide spectrum of contributions University Lifelong Learning is making to societal development. We will look at the contribution ULLL is making to stimulate and accompany innovative processes in regional business and industry, in NGOs, and in the public sector. We will also look at the contribution ULLL is making to Civil Society in a more general sense, providing learning opportunities for individuals and groups for active citizenship and community development, aiming at a democratic development in our societies. Developing ULLL successfully means that more and more "new faces" are knocking at the doors of Higher Education – learners who were usually not considering Higher Education but pursuing other educational and professional paths. As institutions we need to look at how welcoming we really are – marketing is not enough. What do we do with these "new learners"? How can we support them efficiently and effectively?
Universities as "learning spaces" throughout one’s life...
2012 is the European Year for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity promoted by the European Commission and other stakeholders; it is intended to raise awareness, identify and disseminate good practice and to encourage policymakers and stakeholders at all levels to promote active ageing. Within the framework of this conference, we would like to look more closely into this topic by exploring the role of ULLL in individual wellbeing, civic engagement and second careers in later life. Here Higher Education Institutions need to act in a responsible way to include all groups of society and encourage older people to take an active part in society in all areas. However, it is our sincere opinion that the future challenge is "mainstreaming ageing" – learning in later life is not only referring to learning after retirement, but also to people still in employment who want to actively shape their career at a later stage. As ULLL institutions we need to develop new learning opportunities for this group. This is not only to support those wishing to pursue individual career paths, but it is a necessity in view of the decreasing labour force within the next decades in almost all our European countries.
eLearning Papers topics for 2012 announced!
Cyber Security and Education; Learning and Active Ageing; 21st Century Teachers and their Workplace; The Worlds of TEL: Scientific and Cultural Perspectives; Mobile Learning, Cloud Computing and the Promise for Ubiquitous Learning are the topics of eLearning Papers for 2012. Read more!
eLearning Papers 28: Cyber Security and Education
With the rapid evolution of online media, new technologies have become more targeted and more sophisticated. This new context has been widely recognized in relation to its educational, social and even economic benefits. Wide use and popularity of social media also brings to the fore the notion of security and concerns regarding the management of the personal information circulating and stored on the web. Schools are an important resource, now that young people's use of the Internet is growing, and smaller children are quickly gaining access to and becoming proficient users of technology. Publication: April, 2012.
eLearning Papers 29: Learning and Active Ageing
Inspired by the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations 2012, eLearning Papers will investigate how eLearning affects the lives of senior citizens. As a population at risk of marginalization, the elderly appear particularly suited to benefit from open educational resources. What is being done to make sure these digital immigrants can use and benefit from new educational technologies. Publication: May, 2012
eLearning Papers 30: 21st Century teachers and their workplace
This issue looks at how new learning technologies and other recent innovations have affected teachers' professional environments. 21st century learners has become a buzz-word in the field of educational research. This issues applies that term to the teachers, seeking practical examples and prospective visions that analyse what it means to be a teacher in the knowledge society. Publication: July, 2012.
eLearning Papers 31: The worlds of TEL - Scientific and Cultural perspectives
Technology-enhanced learning is not a new topic but the more normalized it becomes, the more we are able to develop nuanced critical perspectives on its development and impact. This issue will invite contributions that present a diverse range of practical and theoretical examples in order to discuss the state of the art regarding this topic, with special attention to areas that seem to be more problematic, or in particular need of further research. Publication: September, 2012.
eLearning Papers 32: Mobile learning, cloud computing and the promise for ubiquitous learning
While learning has always expanded beyond the walls of the classroom, the proliferation of devices and applications, which have greatly expanded when, where and how information can be accessed and stored, brings this issue to the fore. How have such devices had an impact in learning, and what role may they play in the future? This issue hopes to showcase practical examples and generate serious reflection on an emerging topic. Publication: December, 2012.
To know about the dates planned and to see the the Calls for Papers (to be published) click here
To know more about eLearning Papers click here
CIP Workshop: Funding opportunities in ICT for Health, Ageing Well & Inclusion
In the frame of the Competitiveness & Innovation Programme ICT Policy Support Programme (CIP ICT PSP) the European Commission is organising a one-day information and networking workshop dedicated to Theme 3 of the CIP ICT PSP (ICT for Health, Ageing Well and Inclusion).
The workshop provides an excellent opportunity for prospective programme applicants to put their questions directly to the European Commission, present their ideas to stakeholders, meet potential partners and learn more about the state of the art and the broader policy context.