A Post Event Report on Implications and Opportunities to influence learning in our Schools, Higher Education, Enterprises and Communities

"The only thing that interferes with   my learning is my education"

 

 Putting the learner at the

centre.

Self-directed learning

Education 2025

Report by Colin Campbell, Executive Director of Assist Social Capital

With support from

Pamela Galbraith

Alba Heritage Trust

Anna Roscoe and

Licia Claveria

ASSIST SOCIAL CAPITAL

Report sponsored by

Robert Rae

The Goodison Group

Contact Information:

Assist Social Capital

www.social-capital.net

info@social-capital.net

Event organised by

Assist Social Capital

in partnership with

Oatridge College and

CLD Standards Council for

Scotland

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the 18th century, Scotland gained a

world-class reputation for its free

education system that gave

opportunity to all. Learning to

learn was highly valued and

this led Scotland to produce

a long list of acclaimed

individuals such as Adam

Smith, David Hume and

Andrew Carnegie as well as

world changing inventions like the

Agricultural Reaping Machine and

the television. However, as with much

of the rest of the world, the case for a

revolution in our education system is

now overwhelming.

We are at a unique moment in history

as diverse factors converge to affect

each and every one of us. We are

becoming a global village,

interconnected through advances in

computers, the Internet and satellites.

We are the first generation to know

that people and societies are the

biggest drivers of global change. The

speed of change affecting our global

community is such that to keep up the

education system must respond,

adapting to the needs of the learner

and society. Deciding how to

balance the competing pressures and

demands is a major task facing policy

makers, and was the impetus for this

event.

This Conference Report is a call for

decisive action through collaborative

decision making across multiple

sectors - formal and informal

education institutions, communities,

businesses, the third sector

and government agencies -

to tackle the major

challenges that lie ahead.

‘Educational

Entrepreneurship’ invited

educators and social

entrepreneurs (from universities, Local

Authorities, schools, colleges and

social enterprises), people with a

background in formal and informal

learning contexts, to tackle the

question ‘What next for the future

of education and learning in

Scotland’s communities.’

The outcome is a clear desire to

create a new vision for Scotland’s

learning culture - non-hierarchical,

open and unfettered by

bureaucracy, where equality of

opportunity is a given right and where

formal AND informal learning

opportunities are highly valued. We all

wish to see an education system,

which produces multi-skilled adults

who can sustain themselves and their

communities in the economy of the

future. This system will be

decentralised and empower

communities to address the issues

facing them at a local level, to

encourage diversity and resilience.

“You cannot teach a man

anything; you can only help him find it

within himself”

Galileo Galilei

This vision calls for a fundamental

change to inspection procedures

prioritising wellbeing, confidence and

the application of learning rather than

the mere acquisition of knowledge.

By 2025 our education system will

provide skills for life and the barriers

between education and the rest of

society will have been removed.

People will be able to record their

learning from any environment and

have these experiences recognised

and valued. Social capital will be

applied to break down silos and

develop genuine meaningful

connections between learners and

educators leading to learner-centred

policy development, relevant to the

individual, their life and community.

Community ownership and values

based investments, which balance

economic development with culture

and creativity (as per the

Guggenheim regeneration project in

Bilbao), will be recognised as the

backbone of our economy.

In 2025, we will have an education

system independent from local

authority and central government

control, with new systems of

measuring attainment, where schools

and parents are trusted to deliver

learning.

Scotland’s communities will be linked

up to share ideas, skills and learning

methodologies. Social enterprises,

whose values complement

opportunity for all, will be seen as

natural learning resources and

partners in the delivery of education

and learning. Learning institutions will

be encouraged to set up their own

social enterprises and to use the

surplus created to fund their activities.

To realise this common vision we

must identify, cultivate and

propagate activities that are already

delivering this change in our

communities. This is what is meant by

“asset based development“

This report is offered as a resource to

help policy makers, and other

‘communities of interest’, think

creatively and decisively about how

to address the challenges ahead in a

way that is pragmatic and resilient to

future uncertainties. In doing so, we

should not lose sight of major failings

in the education system that exists

today, rather let us embrace the

opportunity to identify and invest in

social innovation and a new

approach. As Einstein said;

“The world we have created

is a product of our thinking; it

cannot be changed without

changing our thinking"

Introduction

Colin Campbell, Executive Director of

Assist Social Capital welcomed

delegates to the event, thanking the

sponsors and outlining the

programme for the day. He explained

the relevance of a social capital

approach to learning, highlighting to

participants that the day was

designed to look at ways of

connecting those present to pioneer

change for the better, by harnessing

local skills and talents in a wide range

of educational settings.

Colin introduced Adrian Kitchen,

Director of Business and Curriculum

Development at Oatridge College

and Rory Macleod, Director of the

CLD Standards Council, who in their

presentations outlined the challenges

faced, the scale of the task and the

need to work together to make a

difference to the lives of people in

Scotland. Adrian’s presentation

emphasised the non-linear nature of

learning and the importance of

understanding each other’s

language when collaborating to do

things differently. Rory encouraged

those present to join forces and start

new ventures, whilst acknowledging

the good practice which currently

exists, but is not yet recognised.

ASC connected delegates bringing them together to pioneer change for better harnessing local skills and talents in a wide range of educational settings

Presentations

Colin Campbell, Director of Assist Social Capital: Educational Entrepreneurship

Colin outlined that in a difficult

financial climate social

resources become ever more

important and called for a new

approach to education &

learning in Scotland, one which

would develop a learning

ecosystem that would

engender flexibility, self-

organisation and resilience.

He emphasised the need to

take a social capital

approach to ensure

consistency and cultural

relevance to local contexts.

The key to the process he

said, is building bridges

across silos and beyond

boundary lines, to bring

about social innovation in

the education system.

The responsibility for this lies

not with the established

institutions, but with each

and every individual

interested in building a

learning nation.

Link to Colin’s ppt http://tinyurl.com/EduEntrepreneurship

Adrian Kitchen, Director of Business and Curriculum Development, Oatridge College: Creative Education

In nature, linear learning doesn’t exist;

animals and children learn through

random exposure and make sense of

the world by identifying patterns and

finding solutions. We live and are

engaged in masses of systems; they

can limit us, we can influence them or

we can change them.

“a person does not have to be motivated to learn ....... in fact, learning cannot be stopped. “

Formal education

cannot deliver what students need for the

future

Adrian talked about the value of a ‘Flexibility Continuum’ where learning takes

place through networks, experiences, collaboration, enquiry, activity, solutions

finding, self management, any time and any place. But this means we need to

do things differently ... and that’s not always as easy as it seems!

Download Adrian’s power point presentation by following this link:

http://www.social-capital.net/docs/Creative%20Education.ppt

Rory MacLeod, Director of The Standards Council for Community Learning and Development for Scotland

Rory began his presentation with a short video, which can be found by following

this link: http://www.cldstandardscouncil.org.uk/Ideas_Academy/Index

He continued by explaining that CLD (Community Learning & Development) is

about change in lives, systems, processes and aspirations. It’s about an

individual’s right to make their own choices; about valuing equality; challenging

discrimination; influencing issues through individual and/or collective actions. It’s

also about maximising collaborative work between participants, learners,

communities and agencies. And most of all it’s about Learning for life..... when

you want to!

He invited delegates to find new fresh ways of responding to the challenges our

communities face, to create the conditions for people to grow and find a fair

world out there. We need to put our heads above the parapet, resist being

smothered by policies, be creative and make risk taking a cultural tool that

creates exceptional opportunities for extra-ordinary people and contributes to a

learning society that will...

be challenging, questioning, curious and risk taking

be compassionate, collaborative, caring and playful

promote social justice, be open to change and have an international

perspective

be open to all, accessible for all

be aspirational and inspirational

Where the learner will be at the heart of such a society with the natural human

desire to learn, acknowledged, affirmed and nurtured

Rory concluded his talk with an offer to work with anyone interested in working

with him to deliver this change agenda.

True education is something that people do for themselves with the help of others,

not something that is done for them by experts

Scotland had a world-class reputation for education and learning.

What led to this occurring?

We know some of the problems facing us now, but what are the

solutions?

Can we connect the different strands into a creative education

flow?

It’s 2025 and Educational Entrepreneurship has been a key factor

in Scotland once again being regarded as a world leading

learning nation. What conditions are in place to allow this?

What needs to happen now to achieve this transformation?

World Café

In organizing this event we gathered together a group of ‘doers’ to debate

the challenges facing Scotland in terms of our education and learning

system. We wanted to discuss how to face up to the challenges of the 21st

Century and how we might, once again, become a ‘leading learning

nation’.

The World Café – multiple groups of 4 or 5 people, all answering a series of set

questions - allows for everyone’s perspective to be heard. This in turn

provides a platform for new ideas to emerge and therefore for the possibility

of a future direction different than the status quo.

World Café Questions

Feedback From the World Café was organised into clusters. Five

dominant themes emerged and delegates were invited to choose a

group where they could share ideas and opinions, identifying common

ground and imagining new concepts. These more in-depth discussions

generated actions that could facilitate future activities and

collaboration.

Topics that emerged for the Breakout Sessions included:

Building Institutional Bridges/ Participatory Learning

Learning to Learn

Experimentation/ Creativity (including co-working with Social Enterprise)

Connect Community and Learning

Structure/ Power /Moral Ethics

Several people offered actions as a result of the event and details of

the first of these took place almost immediately; Action Cycle

organised by David Pinto on Wednesday 30th of November at 10 am

at Scotland's Colleges, Argyll, Stirling.

Colin and Adrian pledged to re-convene the group in spring 2012 to

review progress, align projects and look at future potential.

Action Sets

Action, Pledges and Next Steps

A vision of education & learning for the 21st Century that builds bridges between social assets

Long-term solutions that promote wellbeing

Ability to apply learning and confidence of learning

Give permission to be different

Give recognition to informal learning

Asses the ability to facilitate experimentation

Focus on emotional intelligence and application of knowledge

Teachers seen as educators and facilitators

The arts and culture imbedded in the system

Social capital and social enterprise taught in schools

 

Adopt a new purpose for schools – De-centralise!! Get away from hierarchy

Undertake fundamental changes to the assessment approach to enable the education system to become more participatory and democratic, rather than being exam driven

Cradle to Grave learning

Equality for all in learning

A learning system that can accommodate creativity and uncertainty

Move from hierarchical to collaborative structures, linear to person centred learning

An open system, which promotes sharing of ideas and collaboration

Learning institutions that recognise the value of soft skills and experiential learning

EDUCATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP - VISION FOR A WAY FORWARD

The outcomes of the action discussions have been summarized and collated

below to produce a vision for the way forward.

Communities empowered to understand themselves and take responsibility for their young people

Educational institutions are seen as community resources

Schools integrated with the community producing vibrant communities and learning cooperatives

Create learning asset maps of each community available online

Communities as centres of learning

Visions of the Future

Schools as cooperatives where the parents have a financial share in

the school – 70% experiential learning out in the world, 20% formal

and 10% informal Educators from different sectors collaborate to

share knowledge and expertise (teachers, lecturers, private and

social entrepreneurs, CLD staff and social workers)

Educators to be seen out and about in the community

Learning institutions unfettered by bureaucracy

Projects between education institutions and the community that

build trust between people and make the invisible visible (i.e social

capital)

An active network of educational entrepreneurs

“We must remember that the overall purpose of education and learning is not simply to enhance the skills of people in the workplace, but to enhance the quality of life”

Sir Andrew Cubie CBE

Adrian Kitchen Oatridge College Alex Stobart Mydex Angus Williamson Education Scotland Anna Roscoe Assist Social Capital Anneruth Strauss Independent Billy O’ Neill The Feuerstein Centre Blair Logie Clydebank College Bob McGovan Freelance Consultant Bob Waddell Borders Council Cath Tansey CLD Edinburgh (SW) Claire Pattullo West Lothian Council Colin Campbell Assist Social Capital Conrad Molleson Hoda David Hughes Hornlie Primary School David Pinto Independent Derek Catto West Lothian Council Douglas Noble Scotland's Colleges Fergus McMillan LGBT Youth Scotland Fiona Craig LWTT Frankie Hodge Recycle Fife Fraser Patrick Independent Freda O'Byrne Independent Ian McDonald Catch the Light Jackie Dunsmuir Recycle Fife Jeremy Lamb Social Enterprise Academy John Corrigan Rowanbank Community Learning Centre Josiah Lockhart Grassmarket Community Project Judith Lowes Fundraising & Voluntary Sector Consultancy Leigh Brown Scotland's Colleges Lesley Johnston Spartans CFA Linda Kinney Stirling Council Mike McCarron Keeping the Door Open Scotland Neil McLean Social Enterprise Academy Neil McMullen Coatbridge College Niall Evans Oatridge College Pamela Galbraith Alba Heritage Roger Pickering Forth Pilgrim Rory MacLeod CLD Standards Russell Parker Oatridge College Saba Khalid Independent Sarah Reay Oatridge College Sharon Anderson Oatridge College Silvia Sacchetti Stirling University Tila Morris Catch the Light Tom Kane Prescience Communications Limited

List of Participants

Appendix

World Café Discussions

Scotland had a world-class reputation for education and learning. What led to this occurring?

Basically we got in there first and did a few things well

We have one of the oldest universities in the world

Most people don’t know we had a world-class reputation for education and

learning

The history of our educational system is academic and not understood in the

street although there may still be some benefit today

Most of our institutions are historically based

We are still living on the past glory of the enlightenment, there are examples

of our belief in the positive power for education for all, which gave Scotland

a well educated working class

The likes of Robert Owen, John Muir, Adam Smith, Patrick Geddes, CH

Douglas etc. working class belief – powerful + positive. But there was a

negative aspect as well – class divisions, sectarianism, poverty. Nevertheless

a “useful and challenging myth”

We exported many of these well-educated hard working people (i.e.

Carnegie, Livingston)

We invented many things that have had global impact

Our system from the past was based on agricultural and industrial skill base

and is therefore outdated

In the past schools often served the needs of the community ie ‘tattie

hawking’

We need to build on our reputation not sleep on it

We need equality of access for ALL sectors of our modern society

1st formal education system

SQA – National remit (international demand)

Unique & resilient

Culture of stewardship. Can’t own anything, for the community

There was a sense the education was important and for all – shipyard

workers that were well educated

In the past night school and apprenticeship were popular

In the enlightenment period education was based in equality – mixed groups

of scientist, poets, artist, etc...

Learning has moved from learning to learn (Patrick Geddes “hands, heart

and mind”) to learning to get on in the economy

Scotland made education accessible

Adult education movement started in Scotland

Rural local schools – equality and access

 

We know some of the problems facing us now, but what are the solutions?

Promote generalist, ethical framework for public good, multi-sharing

education, cross curricular

Possibilities of curriculum for excellence

Working well in primary sector – knowing each pupil, real world in classroom

but no working so well in secondary

What about the relevance to community learning (out with schools) –

uncertainty

Use resources better

Invest in long term

Change emphasis to learner

Accept curriculum for excellence and make it work

Need to recognise ‘Street’ education

Pupils react about educational boxes. People should be free to use what

they know

Need to work on cognitive skills with individuals and emotional intelligence

Consider pre-school experiences – arguably the most important & formative

Focus on experiential learning – and a range of approaches to reflect learner

preferences

Create alliances between schools and real life (resources) learning

opportunities

Relax structures

Response – ability = responsibility – we are currently spoon fed

Sustainable development – triple bottom line

See & celebrate unity and diversity

Cuba – power of community when oil run out

Grow food, cooking & crafts

Make it easier for people to get learning

Education should become more participatory and democratic rather than

being exam driven

Education should happen where people live to provide them with what suits

them

Don’t just rely in formal learning, value informal learning

SCQF (Scottish Credit Qualification Framework) costs ££ but we can

notionally level too

Identify learning resources available to us in our communities (not just from

the most obvious sources & use them

Provide institutions with understanding of the value of other forms of learning

Refocus wanted resources (e.g. chasing up non-attendance) on creating

learning opportunities people want

De-centralise!! New values

Give power back to communities

Get away from hierarchy

Give a chance for experimentation

Need to call teachers, educators. As well as other educators in the widest

sense – get away from hierarchy

The arts and creative can be a new way of learning

Give permission to be different

Make more learning spaces open to public access

Increase the proportion of social learning

Change from the financial system being dominant to focusing on alternative

economics

We need our educators to know more about the way people learn and

apply this learning

Holistic whole community approach to education (from pre-birth)

Social capital for pupils in schools

Flexibility in the curriculum/timetable

Schools should integrate more with the community

Can we connect the different strands into a creative education flow?

Need to teach people (teachers/lecturers) how people learn

Can we get to the root of what learning is – then the different strands can

have common language and see roles

Give recognition to informal learning and value it. Need better

understanding of where and how learning takes place

Identify what the barriers to this are before we can achieve this and address

them i.e. hierarchical structures, linear learning

Need structural change at fundamental level in a community learning

partnership each member reports to line manager but is accountable to the

partnership

Usually need a radical/major event to effect major change

Creating shared understanding is key

Why just teachers in a class?

Even if get in, teacher normally leaves

Have to find places of common ground. Need trust and understanding eg

youth workers and politics, schools and community education, CLD and

social entrepreneurs and local business

Give a group of people this specific challenge and the authority to make it

happen in a community

Identify where the existing connecting points (or potential points) already

are and make the most of them

Revisit (seriously) the purpose of schools – information /knowledge

transmission vs emotional intelligence and application of knowledge

Teach learner how to learn, enable them to apply their learning

Consider fundamental changes to the assessment system – how does

success at exams prepare someone for life?

Aim for parity of esteem (value all skills not just academic)

Seriously revisit the community school model, move away from single age

groups

Individual institutions should take a consistent approach, adopt one

teaching strategy and stick to it

Freedom of travel between sectors

Change in cultural understanding of education

Take funding away to create freedom

Don’t reinvent what we are getting away from by creating a new set of

qualification to measure achievement

Curriculum of excellence is missing creativity

Joint responsibility – get rid of the strands

Need a new vision of education and learning that builds bridges between

social assets – examples include: festival of culture in Italy and Argentina led

by Stirling University

Money should go into the early stage learning

Train educators collectively broadening their understanding to what

learning is and where it happens

Value and recognise informal learning, life skills not just work skills

Bring others into schools and provide incentives for this ie make budgets

support of this approach rather than blocking it

Recognise the role each strand plays

It’s 2025 and Scotland is regarded as a world leading learning nation. Educational entrepreneurship has been seen as hugely important to that success. What conditions are in place in formal education, the work place and the wider community to allow this to happen?

Learning cooperative exist in each community as possible vision

Communities take responsibility for their young people

Communities understand themselves

Assess potential to learn for entry to FE/HE not what people know. Change

the assessment process.

People need to engage: have to be motivated. Currently we don’t always

do this.

People know their own communities

Community around a secondary school but is not led by the school

Assets

Building

Skills

Expertise (not just teachers)

Social networks

Wider community

Shared understanding of what the community wants for its young people/self

People at age 18 can engage well with others

Working context – individual learning is facilitated

Community context – co-learning and entrepreneurship connecting across

community/people and divisions in general

Kids/people learn very quickly as they are ready and want to learn

Dissolve governance and create LLL

Cascade peer learning – teenagers teach younger ones

Be radical in approach to health – drugs, drink, smoking, etc...

Only 20% of educational/learning takes place in formal education and that is

where the money is pumped

Open doors system free access of information

Anti-hierarchical, we should move to facilitation

Participatory, democratic learning process, non-age dependant

Institutions that are more aware of what is beyond their door step, that

recognise the value of soft skills, experiential learning (David Boud – experience

based learning)

Schools as cooperatives where the parents have a financial share in the school

– 70% experiential learning out in the world, 20% formal and 10% informal

What needs to happen now to achieve this transformation?

Do away with exams

Need to trust teachers and no ask them to collect endless evidence

Community as a whole needs to prepare its children for learning

Schools are not seen as only source of learning, eg citizenship practical skills,

etc.

More adults in the classroom – social entrepreneurs and other staff

Teacher is a facilitator to learning, inspiring pupils to learn

We need to build kinship and caring for the community by focusing on social

capital. We need to build resilience, opportunity and learn from strategic

action. Implementation is important, experimentation is important.

Use parent and community as resources for learning (running classes, sharing

resources, skills and knowledge, etc)

Connect top level education establishments as a first step

Find ways of valuing alternative paths of education alongside more formal

paths

Join up training of social workers, teachers, and community education workers

Develop a model of brining together CLD, HHS etc with a budget to decide

what needs to be achieved

Trust local people

Head Teachers to be seen out and about in the community

Unfetter learning institutions from bureaucracy

     

Some links sent to delegates prior to the event.

Changing Educational Paradigms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Sir Ken Robinson, Bring on the Revolution. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I

Salaman Khan, using video to reinvent education http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTFEUsudhfs

Professor Richard Baranuik, Rice University http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRymi-lFHpE&feature=relmfu

Steven Johnson: Where do good ideas come from? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU&feature=related

Warriors without Weapons: Learing to Live together http://www.facebook.com/groups/219724974712886/

Jude Kelly a creative economy http://blip.tv/artidea/jude-kelly-arts-as-catalyst-to-a-creative-economy-2513808

What motivates us? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

An interesting and relevant article on the success of the Finnish educational system.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/