A new seminar series on “Researching learning in changing contexts” at Warwick Institute of Education

During the academic year 2008-2009 a series of high level, international research seminars on researching learning in changing contexts will be held at Warwick Institute of Education. At the end of the series, the presentations will also be published as a major international research handbook.

The seminar series is a joint effort by Warwick Institute of Education and CICERO Learning. Researchers from CICERO Learning Network will be contributing to the content of the seminar series and assisting with the production of the handbook.

Rationale of the seminar series
Traditionally learning has been treated as an institutional practice: children learn while at school, young adults learn in other institutions dedicated to learning. It is apparent, however, that in the modern world this is no longer adequate as a framework for considering learning. Children in fact spend most of their time outside the school. The nature of their learning during that extra-institutional time depends upon the environment, their parents’ resources, and the information links available to them. Other groups, such as workers and other adults, including those beyond the traditional formal learning age, are also confronted by the need for continuous learning, most of which will not take place in institutions of learning.

There is a need to develop a keener understanding of the ways in which extra-institutional, informal learning can be integrated into formal education at all levels so that we can help avoid unproductive divisions in the promotion and development of learning processes. This is a two way process: the world of formal education needs to adapt to new modes of learning, but informal learning opportunities might also be enhanced by a deeper understanding of the nature, both social and individual, of learning processes.

Multidisciplinary research collaboration
This seminar series will act as the initiation of a major, internationally collaborative programme of research into aspects of the relationship between formal and informal learning. The key importance of learning in society also underlines the importance of research into learning. Whether we are talking about individual, team, community or network learning, this is always a multidisciplinary process. Research into learning needs to adopt an equally multidisciplinary approach, and there is a need to develop and refine a range of methodologies to find answers to the key questions about the nature, place, extent and effectiveness of learning in a range of contexts. The main aim of the seminar series and the subsequent handbook is to take some significant steps towards this goal by bringing together the expertise of a number of internationally leading researchers in the field.

Learning in communities at the heart of the seminars
Each seminar will be concentrating on the crucial methodological issues involved in carrying out research into learning in a particular community. Different communities in this context include extended schools and care settings, families and homes. Multi-cultural and multi-faith communities as well as work places and digital communities will get a closer look too.

Each seminar will last for a half day, during which time there will be two presented papers (30 minutes each) plus ample time for discussion and the development of ideas. The presentations will be given by Warwick academics and international contributors.  The seminars will involve a number of invited participants, drawn from Warwick academics, researchers at other UK Universities with a known interest in the field, key personnel in national agencies (e.g. DCSF, QCA, TDA), and local authority and school personnel.

The first seminar of the series is scheduled to take place at University of Warwick in October 2008. For more detailed information please contact Professor David Wray
(d.j.wray()warwick.ac.uk) or Professor Kristiina Kumpulainen (kristiina.kumpulainen()helsinki.fi)

The scientific leaders of the project
Professor Carol Aubrey, University of Warwick
Professor Yrjö Engeström, University of Helsinki and University of Warwick
Professor Kristiina Kumpulainen, CICERO Learning, University of Helsinki and University of Warwick
Professor David Wray, University of Warwick