How lifelong learning projects can learn from each other

Enabling learning across projects and domains. Our learning approach.

A fundamental question to our project was, how DISCUSS could support learning across projects, working in different domains or under different thematic strands of European education & training programs. Different to previous program generations, projects increasingly are supposed to actively collaborate on the overarching strategy of building a “European area of lifelong learning“ and the development of concrete applications for the policy instruments associated with this strategic goal.

In order to systematically approach this new condition, in-depth investigations were undertaken into the learning process of CoPs. On the background of the research findings it can be argued, that VCoPs will need to learn about each other and their ‘boundaries’, involve themselves in ‘knotworking’ to work through difficulties and use their third spaces to create their own new collectively focused ‘shared objects’ for new activities created through expansive learning. And, DISCUSS can play a crucial role for the VCoPs in facilitating successful boundary crossing. It does this by creating, developing and propagating appropriate tools and helping the VCoPs employ them. In this way, DISCUSS facilitates the expansive learning in which the VCoP members will need to engage if they are to cohere, develop and sustain themselves.

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