Center for General Scientific Further Education

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Logo of the ZAWiW

The Center for General Scientific Further Education ( ZAWiW ) is a cross-faculty facility at Ulm University .

It was founded in March 1994 due to the growing demand for general, interdisciplinary training for adults of all ages, especially senior citizens. The ZAWiW is on the one hand a university institution with offers of general scientific further education with a focus on the third age (senior education). At the same time, it is a leading institute in Germany that carries out third-party funded (model) projects in the interests of action research at regional, national and international level. Carmen Stadelhofer was the managing director of ZAWiW until the end of 2012 .

The main tasks of the center are the development of new curricular and methodological concepts in adult education , i. H. of innovative educational programs, especially in the advanced training of older people, which are scientifically supported by the ZAWiW. These offers are based on the interests and further training needs of the participants and are intended to strengthen their own activity in terms of research-based learning. The development and updating of related curricular and didactic concepts and offers play a central role. In addition, the ZAWiW is responsible for the organization and implementation of "seasonal academies", which take place twice a year and each focus on a socially relevant topic.

The aim of the ZAWiW is to promote the exchange between science and citizens, the generational and intergenerational dialogue on central social issues and social participation as well as the qualification of older people for new tasks and fields of activity. It also aims to promote self-directed learning with the support of new information and communication technologies, the development of new communication technologies for older people and for organizations involved in senior education, and the networking of existing resources in the field of general scientific further training for use by organizations and for self-study prescribed.

Projects and initiatives

International

In 1995, the ZAWiW initiated the merger of advanced training institutions for senior education and older people interested in education to form the international network “Learning in Later Life” (LiLL). It is against this background that specialist conferences take place, such as the “web4seniors” conference in October 2007. In addition, the ZAWiW coordinates European cooperation and learning projects or is involved in them, for example "eLearning in Later Life" (eLiLL), SeniorLearning, ICT4T, "PEER - Dare to be wise!", G&G Update and Third Age Online (TAO) .

The ZAWiW has been actively involved in the European Danube Strategy since 2008 and has initiated the European educational network Danube Networkers within this framework . The statement “Lifelong learning programs for older adults as a societal necessity in the Danube Region” submitted by ZAWiW to the European Commission in 2010 was supported by over 60 organizations from the Danube region.

National

The ZAWiW carries out national model projects that are geared towards sustainability:

  • “Learning together over the Internet” (2000–2005): Within this project, learning and cooperation opportunities for older adults over the Internet were tested and evaluated in various courses and learning groups. The ViLE association , the “virtual and real learning and competence network for older adults eV”, was created in connection with the model project and, as an online community for older adults, continues the ideas of “learning together”. Since 2005, some new self-directed virtual learning projects have been created.
  • From 2000 to 2002, the ZAWiW designed the “LernCafe”, the first online journal for older adults interested in continuing education, and built it up.
  • In the model project “Senior-Online-Redaktion” (2003–2006) older adults were trained to learn editing work and to work together cooperatively via the Internet. The resulting editorial group took over the creation of the LernCafe.

Regional

The ZAWiW also works at the state level, regionally and locally. Intergenerational approaches and intergenerational learning are also pursued, for example with the model projects of the Ulm learning network "KOJALA" (skills of young and old in learning exchange) or the "u3gu" (Ulm three-generation university).

The three-year model project KOJALA (2006–2009) supported the exchange of knowledge between young and old with an internet-based competence exchange and established a lively intergenerational learning exchange in learning projects, courses and learning events, in schools, at the university and at many other learning locations. Together with the city of Ulm , a learning network was established that has been coordinated by the education office of the city of Ulm since the model project expired.

Intergenerational and intercultural at the same time are the care programs designed by the ZAWiW for older adults for international doctoral candidates (M4M) and students (ASSIST).

Completed Projects

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Monika Holthoff-Stenger: Restless in retirement - seniors become web professionals . In: Focus . 16, 2005. ( online )
  2. ↑ AK Alt Jung, coordinated by the Education Office of the City of Ulm ( Memento from December 13, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Südwest Presse: "We are a family" ( Memento from October 12, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Südwest Presse: "Integration Minister Öney: Supervision of foreign students important"
  5. ↑ The working group is finished! ( Memento from September 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive )