Learning on the Edge.

Edgeryders learning and educational experiences

Prudencia Gutirrez-Esteban1 and Piotr Mikiewicz2

Abstract...................................................................................................................................... 2 I. Transition and educational pathways ...................................................................................... 2 1. Transition what do we mean by that? .............................................................................. 2 2. The expansion of education and its consequences for the transition .................................. 4 3. Education vs Learning or Learning and Education .............................................................. 6 II. Educational and learning policies in Europe ........................................................................... 9 III. What can be said about Education and Learning from analysis of Edgeryders inputs? ........14 1. Edgeryders who are they, how and what they can contribute? .......................................15 2. Educational and learning experiences of the Edgeryders ..................................................16 3. Proposals for educational change......................................................................................20 IV. Conclusions and recommendations - how the ideas presented by the Edgeryders can inform educational policy of the European Union .................................................................................22 References .............................................................................................................................255

University of Extremadura, Spain. pruden@unex.es. Founder Member of Educ8 Group http://www.educ8group.org/ 2 University of Lower Silesia, Poland. piotr.mikiewicz@gmail.com. Founder Member of Educ8 Group . http://www.educ8group.org/

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. (C.Darwin)

Abstract
Learning is nowadays a process that implies change, updating, transition, but also enjoying, creating, sharing and developing. Young people are characterized by being a part of New Learners Millenium that learn from everyplace and everywhere by their own and/or in community, as well as in real world as online. So, learning can be provided by educational institutions as as well as informal online scenarios, where information is freely distributed at any time. The paper presents findings about educational and learning experiences of participants of the project Edgeryders. We present shortly the nowadays conditioning of youth transition processes by educational expansion and changing learning environment. Additionally some information about European educational and learning policies are presented. Furthermore we focus on presentation of educational and learning experiences of Edgeryders as presented on the online platform and during Living on the Edge conference, as well as proposals to improve educational settings to make it more supportive for learning. We conclude with questioning whether proposals of Edgeryders community could be implemented into European education and learning policies, with several direct recommendations in that respect.

I. Transition and educational pathways

1. Transition what do we mean by that?
Speaking of transition we are talking about moving between phases. The very notion of transitions suggests the move between the two spheres, the two stages, two points in time. We assume the existence of a phase A and phase B - process of transition is supposed to lead us from A to B. In the context of the Edgeryders Project, we are talking about entering into independent social life professional, familial, cultural. We ask how young people build their lives, their biographies, pass from the phase of "the preparation" for the phase of "the implementation". How this process looks like and what problems are linked to it it seems the basic question of the project. It can be breaked down into three more specific questions: 1) How are people responding to the challenges/ problems presented by it? 2) Which stakeholders have an interested in our ability to navigate those challenges succesfully? 3) What is the role of various stakeholders in helping them as they deal with those challenges? The purpose of this 2

text is an attempt to look at the issue from the perspective of education both formal as informal. We, therefore, state the question of how education (in its different forms) constitutes an element of processes of shifting into independent life of Edgeryders community members. Positioning or finding the place in society by individuals constitutes one of the fundamental topics of sociology. Classical sociological question is: "what are the processes to achieve a final position in the social structure?". It is a subject of classical status attainment theory (see: Duncan, Blau 1967). The way of explanation presented in this kind of theory presupposes the existence of a relatively permanent social structure. New members of society are prepared by processes of acculturation and socialization for entry into the world of already existing position and rules3. We ask then, on what it depends who will take what position. How is the preparation and the possessing of the target position structured what is required, what kind of competence, habits, attitudes, etc. are necessary to meet the expectations to be placed in certain locations? The basis of social structure organization is a structure of professions or labour market. The work (or in wider sense the economy) is the basic social structure which determine functioning of others stratification, culture, politics (it is one of the core sociological ideas originated in works of classics, like M. Weber and K. Marx, and present in all modern theories of social structure (Breen, Golthrope, Giddens, others). Social life can be seen as an arena of competition for resources (such as the authority and prestige or wealth) that are achieved through the occupied position. Our occupation provides economic resources, organize our activity during the day and in the framework of our biographies, stimulates participation in social groups and reception of culture (see i.e. P. Bourdieu 1992). Regardless of the dynamic changes in the world of work, professional life is the axis of life of adult members of society. Speaking of transition we talk, therefore, about the entering into the working life. In modern societies, this process involves the completion of formal education and undertaking the first occupation. From the angle of education we can talk about this process in three ways. In the broader sense, this term will involve general mechanism of conditioning of social mobility, which is shaping the individual biographies according to a certain pattern. In the narrower sense, transition means brief moments between phases in the biographies, which is often accompanied by symbolic rituals: for example, accolade for student or graduation celebration. We can talk about this in the third sense, indicating that the process of entering into adult life is not a short phase of transition between clearly defined stages of the preparation and implementation, but is a continuous process of creation of own biography in this sense,

This way of analysing the social structure and allocation processes has been questioned several times (see Baker 2009, Ball 2003). In modern theories of structuration (Giddens 1986) the existence of rigit structural positions is questioned directly and the chape of social structure depends on rules and resources used by individials in their actions. However the implicit idea of external structure of position is the starting point of sociological thought in this respect and still is present in many modern analyses. Moreover it is an element of political thiking about society. We discuss it later in the paper.

the process of transition never ends (see: Turner 1960, Durkheim 1956, Hopper 1974, Bertaux Thompson 1997, Lareau 2003). Education especially the formal education, but not only may be perceived as a mechanism of moving up to the position (i.e. in the most general sense, as the mean of transition). Originated in families of different economic and social status, in theory we have the possibility to address each position in the structure, if we are competent enough and meet the criteria. Pitrim Sorokin (1959) at the beginning of the 20th century indicated several basic social channels of mobility: army, politics, religion (institutional), professional organizations, the family and the school. All of these channels were present in societies throughout history. They all are at work today. It seems, however, that in the 20th and 21st century formal education became a basic tool of social motility. The key issue, therefore, is how the educational structure and processes occurring in them influence the processes of building individual biographies (transition in the broad sense).

2. The expansion of education and its consequences for the transition

The 20th century, especially its second half, can be undoubtedly called the age of the progress of education. In all societies one might observe steady growth in the number of persons covered by formal education. After prevalence of primary education, and the introduction of the compulsory schooling, the expansion of education at further levels follows secondary (general and vocational training) and then the training at a higher level (tertiary). The school is now part of biography of each member of society of the Western Civilization. It also takes more and more space in biography (we stay at school from 9 to 19 years depending on what stage we finish formal education). Observed process of the expansion of education has two independent drivers: on the one hand, the logic of the market and the need to adapt the workforce to changes on the labour market raised by technological progress (including ideology and theory of human capital), on the other, the discourse of equal opportunities and open access to all levels of education. The effect of these two ideological pressures which drives the expansion of education is consistent increase of numbers of people with educational credentials of higher and higher levels. Subsoil functioning of both motors is an idea of formal education as a kind of sorting machine. According to the classical functional vision, education is the result of rational ordering of society and is coined to organize in the most efficient way the training, selection and allocation of individuals in the structure of the profession (and hence in the social class structure). For representatives of the logic of human capital the more educated people the more effective economy. For advocates of equal opportunities equal access to education at all levels for the greater number of people will eliminate inequalities resulting from the social origin. Overstating perhaps a little, we can say jokingly that if everyone will have a higher education degree, then the economy will be maximally effective and social awards will be distributed only and exclusively in regard to the competence and personal characteristics, and not the social characteristics.

Aside from the fact that this kind of vision is difficult to achieve, and the selection mechanisms are not possible to be eliminated (see Shavit 1993, Hadjar and Becker 2010), it is important to note that the progressive expansion of education severely affects the processes of transitions. Most commonly stated problem resulting from the expansion of education is the unemployment of graduates. The two aforementioned drivers of the educational expansion produce hope for a good life. Given the fact that the younger generation gain higher education than their parents, this is the promise of a better life. Meanwhile, the opening of the road to higher education causes the phenomenon of inflation and devaluation of the formal education diplomas on the labour market. As it was captured by U. Beck (1992), education becomes a "ticket to nowhere". Reaching the highest level of education is a necessity, as the fulfillment of a condition of a minimum not to fall out of the game. However, it is not the guarantee of the success anymore. These phenomena already observed in the 1980ies of the 20th century, are even more effective at the beginning of the 21st century. Throughout Europe one might observe protests of frustrated young people who have believed in the promises of good future if only will work hard at school. Described a phenomenon substantially determines the processes of coming into maturity. Formal education was meant as a rational mechanism for placing in the adult (independent) life. As assumed, gaining the education, being equipped with the appropriate competence, one should be positioned in the structure. Under the concept of "education as a sorting machines," we should not have a problem to find space for ourselves, because we are prepared to meet the needs of the labour market. If there are problems in this respect, the reasons could be:

the sorting machine does not work well the sorting machine works well, but our individual infirmity (lack of competence)
makes us incompatible with the structure. Such thinking obviously leads to a logic of educational policy as:

improve the efficiency of operation of sorting machinery

support for people, who does not fit the market by providing them a proper type
of training (again in the machine of preparation and sorting them). This way or another, it is expected that someone (imagined social actor) manages this process as the director of the factory. Meanwhile, it appears that nobody manages this process. This is not so, that if finish this school, certainly I will work in that profession, and in this particular place. Instead, the message is: "solve your problems by yourself"!. Of course, this state of affairs does not derive from the fact that some bad people have cheated on other people. It seems, this is the effect of incapability the rule of the traditional (rational by modern masters) education system to conditions of late modernity. Without detailed analysis, we indicate here primarily on lack of rigid occupational structure in today's societies. Technological progress causes the continued transformation of the labour market and the deficit

professions in one period of time become overrepresented within five years. Meanwhile, the system of education works in its pace and "produces" graduates who prove to be prepared inadequately. Lack of firmness, the short duration of employment, uncertainty, variability of working conditions are today the most often indicated characteristics of the labour market. The modern system of unity of place of work, working time and stability of employment for lifetime is already a past. Of course, this causes problems of adaptation, especially for older generations, and social tensions, although risks and uncertainties are today an element of the biographies of representatives of each social layer.In addition the uncertainty is escalated by the worldwide economic crisis and fluctuations in the global economy. We are living in a social world soaked with the sense of the lack of transparency and uncertainty and we are obliged to seek individual solutions in order to control this risk (see Beck, Giddens and Lash 1994, Bauman 2000). Transformation in the sphere of economy is accompanied by transformations in the sphere of culture and lifestyle. One of the effects of the longer period of training is stretching the concept of youth for a people previously treated already as adults. According to the definition adopted in the EU, as young people are considered persons at the age of 15-30 years. In one of the recent government reports on youth in Poland, it was considered that these are persons up to 35 years of age. This seems to indicate the fact that we stay longer in the phase which can be called not-yet adulthood. For an adult (mature) person is considered individual who have completed 18 years of age. Yet, not so long ago the age of 18/21 years old was accounted for caesura of maturity taking over full responsibility for individuals life. In this age, it was expected to have already profession, family, the specified plans and sought independence from the family of origin. The period of the moratorium (referring to the concept of Ericson) was the period of secondary schooling treated as a preparation phase to the final decisions of someones life. Today, at the age of 18 years, nothing is decided yet (at least in some social circles). The moment of the decisive choices moves at the end of tertiary schooling (24 year old) or even later. Going back to the concept of transition, we notice that today it is unclear itself. This is due to the fact that the stage B, to which we go after the completion of phase A, is indeterminate. Young people do not know how supposed to live, what is the model of the normal biography. They know, however, as "they don't want to live". The expansion of education apart of providing the professional competence is also a process of gaining a social education increasing awareness, new habits, reflexive and critical attitude to patterns of living presented by earlier generations. Freedom, self-actualization, satisfaction in work and personal life here are the basic values and determinants in direction. But how to get there? And whether it is possible, when the direction is so generally defined?

3. Education vs Learning or Learning and Education

Learning is a growing concept: it is always developing, it is a continuous process in which you do things to get what you are interested in. We could even talked about a new learning culture

that breaks traditionally offered situations for learning there are new forms of being productive and of learning. In fact, there are many different new ways and kinds of learning. The most popular: formal, informal, online and lifelong learning and the lately born: edupunk, edupop, incidental learning, ubiquitous learning the key idea is that with the introduction of ICT and mainly Internet in our lives, we could learn at any place and at anytime (everywhere&everytime learning; EEL), what by some scholars have been labelled as mobile learning. Citizenship has been moved from Formal Schooling Paradigm to Do It Yourself (DIY). In addition to this new social, economic and cultural scenario, the development and infrastructure improvement of Information and Communication Technologies (hereforth ICT) , led to emergence of a new set of technologies used in distance learning called Virtual Learning Environments, not only for the implementation of mixed systems of education, which brought distance education to traditional school, but also with the inclusion of particular online methods for training.Consequently for last years, it has been taking place a profusion of b-learning, elearning and m-learning training where classroom teaching is complemented by virtual spaces offered by universities for the development of formal education (Mikropoulos and Natsis, 2011). This takes place primarily through the so-called virtual platforms. Thus, e-learning has been defined as delivery system for distance learning supported by ICT (technology, telecommunication networks, video conferencing, digital TV, multimedia) which combines different pedagogical elements: classical training (face or self-study), practices, real-time contacts (face, video conferencing and chats) and delayed contacts (guardians, discussion forums, email) FUNDESCO (1998). It is obvious that all these can be offered recorded or asynchronous, although the learning possibilities would be increased with the addition of synchronous uses. This is possible thanks to e-learning environments, provided by new concepts / models of learning that are going further than Virtual Learning Environments; we are referring to customisable and personalisable environments (easy to use), providing a learning set of learning tools, an unrestricted number of actors, and an open corpus of artefacts, either preexisting or created by the learning process freely combinable and utilisable by learners within their learning activities (easy to develop) (Wild, Mdritscher and Sigurdarson 2008: 5). Some of them are: - Personal Learning Environments, Institutional Personal Learning Environment and MashUp Learning Environment - Open Course Ware - Open Educational Resources - Social Networks - Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) On this way, thanks to media inclusion in Education and Learning, knowledge is everyplaced and not located, as historically was in Educational Institutions. Now, knowledge is much more

distributed, even it has no time either space defined because media allows you to learn what you want without timetable. As Moravec (2008) noted we are referring to knownomads. To explain what is happening with Learning in this new Digital Society Scenario we could use the concept invisible learning, coined by Cobo and Moravec (2011), in which they describe how young people use media and how do they learn. In fact, following with their theory, new learners are knownomads because their knowledge is acquired through a process, moving from one place to another; picking up ideas from different places and using different media for this; putting all together in their Personal Learning Environments (Casquero et. al., 2010). To sum up, the whole thesis of a new ecology of learning is explained in depth by five key issues: 1) Skills non evident appears like invisible in the formal environments 2) ICT makes invisibles 3) Skills acquired in informal environments are invisible 4) E-skills appears as invisibles 5) Some practices used in the school/universities that is necessary to make invisible Thereby there is a need of new training pathways and models of learning for different people and different situations, different ways of learning and different learning styles, where formal and informal learning belong to the same sphere, creating our Personal Learning Environment (PLE). One of the key questions of education is the idea of people learning to think critically, changing the way in which students communicate each other. This could enable students to learn at their own schedule and pace, thanks to disruptive education (e.g. the MITxs proposal: http://mitx.mit.edu/) by using for instance the flipped classroom (http://www.flippedclassroom.com/). On this way, we are referring to a generation of New Learners as it is referred in the OECD programmes where a research Project New Millenium Learners, show how young people, characterized traditionally as digital natives are in fact what authors called routine experts. As some reports made in a group of European countries show, this generation uses ICT for many spheres of their lives, although we can not say they are properly e-skills citizens or e-citizens only because they have acquired some of the e-skills. We could affirm this only if NML would have acquired all the dimensions of the e-competences or e-skills (cognitive, attitudinal, instrumental and political). Thus it is widely known that, in this context, it is not enough to have a very good training (because this does not mean to be very well educated) but also having knowledge. So where is knowledge? Where is Education? Who has got enough skills? Who is capable? Who is able to do something on basis in their knowledge? How/when/where knowledge is distributed?According to the results of a study developed by Anderson, Boyles and Rainie (2012), the 60% of HEI scholars questioned, about the likely impact of the Internet in such

institutions, concur that by 2020 will take place a widespread and massive adoption of distance learning, based on teleconferencing systems (synchronous) that will combine online learning components with on-live class sessions. Whereas the assessment of learning will bear in mind more individually-oriented outcomes and key competences relevant to subject mastery. Actually, the prediction for Higher Education Technology concerning ICT is Open Educational Resources, Labour Issues, Adaptative Learning, Accreditation and Peer to Peer Learning4. For doing that the Digital transformation is required.This means development of new ways of usage of innovation and creativity instead of increase and reinforcement of already established practices. Furhtermore it means the top stage of digital competence development and digital literacy of young and adult people by ICT understood as the third stage of embracing digital technologies (first is digital competence and second digital literacy).

II. Educational and learning policies in Europe

By using an expression, the European education or Education policy in Europe, we are making a kind of overstatement. Such wording suggests that there is a single European system of education and one coherent education policy, in all the Member countries (if we narrow the concept for the European Union). Meanwhile, there are as many educational systems as the Member States, and even more, because the Federal States have independent systems of education in each region (e.g.. Germany). The same we can say about the educational policy. Each Member State (or even region) has its own educational strategies, differently sees the link between education and the labour, differently affects public administration, in different ways treat the educational and training institutions. Detailed analysis of various systems of educational policy exceeds the framework of this text (see report presented at Eurydice and the OECD5). Operating, however, at some level of abstraction, we can indicate several characteristics, specific analytical generalisations for all (or most) of educational systems in Europe:

1. All systems are divided into levels: primary, secondary (divided into two stages: the
lower and upper secondary) and the tertiary.

2. In all systems, there is a distinction of separate paths of education and training

differentiation for general and vocational education (early selection)

3. All systems experience the expansion of education at all levels 4. A key moment of for shaping ones biography seems to be at the level of upper
secondary education, when individuals are targeting a further career.

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/5-predictions-higher-ed-technology-2012#.UA_pmks26zl

Education at glance 2011, OECD indicators, available at: http://www.oecd.org/education/highereducationandadultlearning/48631582.pdf

5. In all systems we observe the processes of selection driven by social factors (class,
ethnic origin, gender).

6. In all the systems one might observe significant growth of students and graduates of the
highest level, which inevitably leads to changes of the function of this level of education the professionalization of higher education.

7. In all the systems the importance of Lifelong Learning and different form of non-formal
education grows steadily. It can be stated, that the functioning of contemporary education in different countries is conditioned by similar mechanisms of social change and all systems must deal with similar problems: on the one hand, the requirements of a constantly changing labour market, one the other hand the promise of leveling social inequalities of opportunities. All systems seems not to cope properly with these tasks, and may never be able to do so. The European Union is trying to stimulate the transformation of educational policy through monitoring of education processes in Member countries and by estimation of directions of development. Education policy at European level is therefore supporting and assisting in character does not impose ready-made solutions: The EU has a supporting role in education and training policies. Member States are in charge of their own education and training systems, but they co-operate within the EU framework in order to achieve common goals6. In practice, however, the directions given by the European Commission are becoming a point of reference for Member States Governments. On the official websites of the European Commission, we read: Politicians at the European level have recognised that education and training are essential to the development of today's knowledge society and economy. The EU's strategy emphasises countries working together and learning from each other. EU education and training policies have gained impetus since the adoption of the Lisbon Strategy in 2000, the EU's overarching programme focusing on growth and jobs. The strategy recognised that knowledge, and the innovation it sparks, are the EU's most valuable assets, particularly in light of increasing global competition. For generating such actions, EU Member States and the European Commission strengthened co-operation in 2009 with strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training ("ET 2020") a follow-up to the earlier Education and Training 2010 work programme launched in 2001. The approach recognises that high-quality pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher and vocational education and training are fundamental to Europe's success. However, in a rapidly changing world, lifelong learning needs to be a priority it is the key to employment, economic success and allowing people to participate fully in society7. When adopting such approach at the European level, the main objectives and directions to which individual countries should strive of the development of education are formulated. Execution of these tasks is a

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/treaty_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/framework_en.htm

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criterion for the assessment of individual Governments and the criterion for the granting of supporting funds. The European Union is therefore a viable force affecting the shape of the educational systems. It is so especially for the new Member countries, which hope to catch up in the quality of life of the old countries of the Union. They adopt formal and institutional instruments in the hope that it will be a good way for the realization of aspirations for convergence. Adoption of these solutions, for example the Lisbon Strategy and the Bologna Process is often very imitative in nature. Their adaptation in different economic, social and cultural conditions causes a kind of hybridization they are symbolically adopted by the already existing cultural patterns and do not produce such effects as it was expected. For example, the rapid expansion of higher education in Poland has not brought changes in the occupational structure. Masses of young people educated at universities must therefore seek employment outside the country or in occupations below their qualifications8. Notwithstanding the complex process and the effects of the activities of the European policy in the field of education, we can indicate the official assumptions and objectives of that policy. So, the long-term strategic objectives of EU education and training policies are: Making lifelong learning and mobility a reality; Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training; Promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship; Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training9.

There are also indicated the main activities, aimed at the achievement of these objectives: EU level activities are being developed to address priority areas in each of the different levels of education and training early childhood, school, higher, vocational and adult education based on these overall aims. These include, for example, expanding opportunities for learning mobility or enhancing partnerships between education and training institutions and the broader society. Other actions are relevant to all levels of education, such as promoting multilingualism, innovation, creativity and adoption of ICT (Information and Communication Technology). The effect of these actions are to be monitored through the observation of basic indicators of achievement of educational policy. Submit them in the form of benchmarks to achieve in a

A separate problem is what in the relation between education and labour market constitutes the cause and what is an effect. Whether the changes in the structure of the profession affect changes in the structure of education, or the large growth of the numbers of individuals educated in certain fields affects professional structure. Probably this is a two-way process, but the insight into this field goes beyond the scope of this text. See. E.g. D. Baker, 2009.
9

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/framework_en.htm

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specified time interval. The latest benchmark was established by 2020. The direct effects of European policy are: at least 95% of children between the age of four and the age for starting compulsory primary education should participate in early childhood education; the share of 15-years olds with insufficient abilities in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15%; the share of early leavers from education and training should be less than 10%; the share of 30-34 year olds with tertiary educational attainment should be at least 40%; an average of at least 15 % of adults (age group 25-64) should participate in lifelong Learning

Specific objectives are then the subject of expert teams which prepare programmes at European level, which designate the main activities in the framework of the specific priorities. Taking into account recent economic crisis situation, it is demanded a stronger impetus to cope with the negative impact of the crisis and support to foster economic development in terms of Education Policies. For that, it is performed Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) with the purpose to respond to a need for more dynamic action, that covers fields from early school leaving, tertiary education attainment, equity and pre-school education and school education up to the role education and training can play in reducing unemployment. They span a broad spectrum of sectors (including lifelong learning, VET and skills for the labour market)10. Consequently, to fulfil these aims regarding Education and Training in Europe, options offered to young people are covered by the following programmes and actions included in this table:

Lifelong Learning Policy

Lifelong Learning Programme

External Programmes and Policies Co-operation with industrialised countries Erasmus Mundus

Other training actions provided

Strategic framework for education and training Mobility and lifelong learning instruments School education

Lifelong Learning Programme

Ploteus (information about working and studying in Europe)

Erasmus for HEI

Europass (learning and working in Europe through qualifications) eTwinning (the community for schools in Europe) Study in Europe (at HEIs)

Leonardo da Vinci (VET) Comenius (School Ed.) Grundtvig (Adult

Tempus

Higher education

Vocational education

ELearning Europe

10

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/doc/joint11/wp_en.pdf

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and training Adult learning

Education) Transversal programme Jean Monnet

(http://www.elearningeurope.info/)

Research and analysis

Source: European Commission Education and Training (http://ec.europa.eu/education/index_en.htm)

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With regard to Lifelong learning Programme12 the idea is to facilitate training such as workers in service, pre-service as initial training and unemployed people. Mainly, in order to respond to one of the most critical periods of the individuals life, which traditionally was finished with the training period and the subsequent access to the labour market but now it is for ever opened. This transition has recently become harder with economic and social crisis, although from midseventies it is one of the concerns of societies in general, because of the transformation undergone by labour market in Europe, with higher unemployment rates for young people,. where received training and its quality is in question due to it is consider as a priority to find a job in accordance with it. It must be added that recommendations and common principles have been developed in the areas of key competences for learners, quality assurance in higher education and in vocational education and training, quality of mobility, validation of non-formal and informal learning, lifelong guidance and the recognition of qualifications abroad13 (according to EU Qualifications Framework). In order to develop such institutional framework is required to translate national qualifications, regarding to what has been learnt, into an European general common reference pattern of competences in order to facilitate workers mobility all over Europe and fostering lifelong learning. Since 2008 this EQF has been put in practice and coordinate at national and

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More information of training programmes can be viewed at: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/education_training_youth/general_framework/c11086_en.htm Actually, there are many the policies, programmes and actions of the EU for working for the Youth. A summary of them are contained in: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tLDrfqivqTT5oAvuLycj1MiYxzCVniwN6PG1sxM2KSA/edit and http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/education_training_youth/index_en.htm Some of this actions/issues/trends related to Learning are also Teacher Training (http://ec.europa.eu/education/trainingdatabase/) , New Learning Enviroments, Learning Management Systems, Digital Literacy and ICT Infraestructure plus National Reforms and Strategies (Compendium of Good Practices Cases of e-Learning, 2008), translated in such as Institutional as Alternative (non organisational profit).
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See more at: http://ec.europa.eu/education/llp/official-documents-on-the-llp_en.htm; http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/framework_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc96_en.htm

13

http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/mobility_en.htm

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European level, emphazising learning inputs such as the length of a learning experience or type of institution to what the learner has acquired by the end of the learning process14. So much so that is clear the concernings of EU to evaluate skills and competences acquired in nonformal and informal settings to promote and validate them. For that reason, it is needed to know what kind of invisible learning are produced in these scenarios. As stated by EU Qualifications Framework, we make a differentiation among the different kind of learnings that could take place: formal, non-formal and informal learning15. Indeed, the European Union provides the institutional framework for the creation of an European area of Education. Formal education becomes a planned unification through the introduction of the same principles, objectives and forms of organization and through the formation of similar social and cultural habits among EU citizens. This process assumes that the introduction of similar organizational solutions (such as those arising from EHEA) will develop similar cultural patterns in every country. However profound cultural and social differences between countries and arising from it different ways of adaptation to the "new" institutional solutions are overlooked. In effect, we have similar organizational structures in the framework of formal education, but different cultures of use of these institutions and, consequently, different social effects also in processes of transitions. Detailed analysis of these adaptive variations are beyond the scope of this text. However, this is an essential point of reference for the interpretation of experiences and expectations of the young people involved in the Edgeryders project.

III. What can be said about Education and Learning from analysis of Edgeryders inputs?
The following ideas are in accordance with what we have found in Edgeryders platform regarding their thoughts, ideas, feelings, concerns, dreams, experiences and proposals We ask whether the group participated in the Learning Campaign could be labeled as New Learners Millenium members: how they understand their learning, how they use media for doing this (online learning), how they are knownomads (formal and informal learning) and how they perceived social demands in regard to transition processes and education/learning. In order to analyze data we used the qualitative software WSA QFT and went through comments, ideas, replies and proposals made by participants on Edgeryders Plaform and the debates made during Living On the Edge conference, especially the discussions during Learning Breakout sessions and reports made by participants afterwards. Hereafter we present basic findings about Edgeryders educational and learning experience, and the way they see possible improvements of educational conditions of transition into adult life.

14

http://ec.europa.eu/eqf/about_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-policy/informal_en.htm

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1. Edgeryders who are they, how and what they can contribute?
Who are the Edgeryders? The project consisted in the invitation to discussion and sharing their experiences concerning the transitions of young people around the world (not just in the European Union). Recruitment to participate in the project, seems to have the nature of networking each invited to participate in community, invited other people who contributed with their experience and further promote the idea of Edgeryders. In effect, on a platform of Edgeryders more than 2,100 participants logged in from very different parts of the world. Such a way of recruitment to the project, which also has the diagnostic ambitions, resulted with certain advantages and disadvantages at the same time. An advantage is that the project involves motivated to participate in the discussion. Weakness, however, lies in the fact that there are only those motivated, those who reached a network of contacts and information, along with those who had a fairly technical competence and language skills, to participate in the community. This is not, therefore, a representative group (in the sociological sense) in relation to any population. Edgeryders are a group itself, the specific form of community built by contacts online and focused around the theme of common interest. Despite the large size, we are willing to assume that this is a relatively homogeneous group. Homogeneity results not from national or ethnic composition of the group in this respect, we deal with a very diverse set of participants. They are, however, bound by a certain kind of social and cultural experience, which makes them similar to each other, despite differences of nationality. This common element of the experience involves the education and experience of the transition from education to the labour market/adulthood. Referring to the terminology of P. Bourdieu, we could call it a habitus, formed on the basis of similar conditions of socialization and experiencing the successive transition through the system of education and entry into maturity. Unfortunately, we have no detailed data on the social origin of the members of the Ederyders community, but given their statements at the platform and observing them during the LOTE Conference, we may risk several characteristics of them:

1. They are educated people all participants have higher education or are in the process
of completing it.

2. They are people who have rather rich volume of cultural capital they speak at least two
languages, using English as lingua franca to foster their social networks all over the world. They have skills to use social media.

3. They are the people who possess the social capital in the form of international contacts
and networks. In fact, some of them come from families with different cultural backgrounds and attended to international schools. Their voices are valid and certainly shall be taken into account in the creation of European educational policy. The members of the Edgeryders community are reflexive, critical, have a lot of expertise in the fields of their professional activity. It cannot be stated that they are lost and

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helpless. On the contrary, thanks to their competence and resources they know how to deal with non-transparent situation of contemporary transition. How Edgeryders can help educational policy? Some applications for educational policy could be developed in different ways. First, we can try to look at the educational experience of Edgeryders, as this is in their utterances on the platform within particular missions and campaigns. Secondly, we can treat them as experts who directly formulate conclusions and recommendations. Thirdly and finally, we consider how the experience of participation in the project Edgeryders has educational character and may be the sort of solution or proposition as a part of European educational policy.

2. Educational and learning experiences of the Edgeryders

Not much can be said about the concrete educational paths of Edgeryders. The main impression, deriving from the utterances about formal education (e.g. in the mission "Reality check") is that a significant number of them finish their compulsory training (respectively) in their country and went or are attending to University; even more, in some cases they are doing Master studies or a PhD meanwhile others are working (after HEI studies too). However, their views offer an opinion that school is hostile, limiting force, essentially extraneous in preparation for adult life; where acquired knowledge is not always welcomed either useful for life, even not related with society around them. In some way, a metaphore about having a disease and being at school (for compulsory education at least) is done; a disease that you should have learn/ should learn how to pass over. Mother will surely ease his pain during the long, boring school years! () So it makes things easier having a mother to tell you that the school system might not be perfectly, but if he knows exactly what to take from it and what to leave behind in the classroom, it won't seem as dismal anymore. (Adria) Although, they recognized not being able to advance without some kind of basic floor learning basis. It's a very outdated and rigid school system (...). It's an advanced oppressive machinery that intends to spit out mere robots. But I am confident that this will change (...) So I kept looking for a rigid pattern to lean up to because I felt completely lost without them. (Adria) In fact, participants at the platform know and use theoretical approaches and thesis for explaining some facts taking place in their lives, such as staff behaviour at work place, relations between employers-employees, violence demonstrated at relationships (of any kind), manipulation and feelings. Furthermore, making references to some note authorities on these topics: Jung, Adezi, etc. This can be explained by some comments lead to join theory and practice. As a matter of fact, they ask themselves whether theory helps you to understand practice or knowing practice helps you to build theory. The traditional dilemma, plus some new thoughts: what happen when your training is made of theory and practice but not in an equal and/or related way:

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The educational model you are talking about: coupling theory with practical knowledge in a way that makes sense depending on the field of study or learning patterns, I think generally it is quite spread. That is, in theory it should work like this, but most often it is not adapted to unique learning settings (...) you do have internships coupled with theory, but somehow there's not much connection between the two, meaning that students very often end up doing the internship but only for the paper proof, and work in activities remotely connected to what they study. (Adria) These comments help us to understand what does Learning mean for Edgeryders in two opposite ways: Firstly, learning is seen as not related with education and/or teaching (training?) and these last usually are perceived as negative, because do not allow to develop you in the natural, proper and excitable/interesting/ enjoyable way: We are learning junkies, because that's how we survived. We managed to learn before the formal education kicked in, through the environments and the peers. Studying sometimes does not provide a learning environment, but a huge amount of data which is not to be confused with learning. () Education has it's dangers: Get stuck in a subject bubble: when only your fellow researchers can understand what you're talking about. When studying is exciting there is a risk to become biased and to start collective polarisation amongst your fellow collegues/classmates. (K) And secondly, Learning is perceived as a pleasant and valued activity (in the whole sense, with all the implications that it has, plus all factors around it) but not the Education / Training either Teaching (itself): I am confortable with the idea of learning as a hobby () I guess learning is just a great hobby, and if you do it as a hobby you can learn about fascinating things that are difficult to monetize. (Alberto) Moreover, the teaching method is questioned because did not offer any kind of interests by students in order to help them to learn (mainly at HEIs). After being in Educational System, they manifest being more fostered to learn. (At A. University) I thought much of the theory () we were taught was presented in a really dry, insipid manner that didn't help me process and internalize it, so that I could hang on to it long enough to apply it later. And out of all the educations possible I'd imagined that studying what I study now. (Adria) Effectively, it is quite awesome also to check the way in which they describe how do they learn. But who are these people following online courses? What are their learning styles? What are their reasons for doing it on this way? Socially, I feel part of a community & we seem to all support each other well. I think the fact that the majority of us are not stereotypical students & have to juggle other responsibilities makes us all quite respectful and encouraging. Everyone seems to have perspective & their eyes on long-

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term goals, which is satisfying. People are (generally) studying for explicit reasons rather than doing it because it seems like what you're meant to do. (Hec) To better understand what are the learning styles of Edgeryders, it is important to read their descriptions about what educational institutions offer them, what resources they use and what kind of social relations are created in order to learn, creating collaborative knowledge, parallel to formal education; enriching, completing this: There are super helpful (unofficial) Facebook groups as well, running parallel to the course forums. I only bothered looking recently & must have missed out significantly () as there's a lot of valuable discussion there () Re synchronous contact - for the design modules, there's been a focus on practical skills (...) alongside the more academic, and I haven't felt limited by the tuition format. There have been companion manuals/workbooks to work through () and for me the main benefit of this kind of study is that it is self-directed () I think it's more valuable to learn these kind of things by trial and error rather than being shown & getting it right first time. Maybe that's just how I learn best but I've been surprised by how well me & my coursemates have got on with "harder" skills. (Hec) But what kind of social relations are generated within learning enviroments? Is it the same an on live than an online/virtual scenario? How do they help? What kind of learning are facilitated thanks to this? With regards to socialisation and the power-relationship between student and tutor - for many young people, this will be the first chance they have had where they can socialise with someone who has a superior position to them in terms of power-relationships. When students get to know a lecturer well, the power-relationship becomes demystified and the superior party humanised. In future, this will hopefully allow them to be more free-thinking (...), rather than being easily cowed into silence when they have something useful to say. (...) This experience, I think, can be offered at a distance-learning institution. If you ever have had acquaintances with whom you have been in contact for a long time solely through email/forums/phone and with whom you eventually met in person, then you may recognise that the act of meeting does change your experience and interactions with that person. Regularity of meeting helps with this. I don't think it's an insurmountable barrier, but neither is it one that can be easily overlooked. Main question on this note is whether or nor socialisation is an actual part of the purpose of university. If it is not, then it isn't something that needs be worried about with regards to distance-learning institutions (or digital, or virtual, or remote). If it is, then it's unfair to easily dismiss such concerns as handwaving. (Joye) Therefore the topic which is worth noting is the idea of sharing: knowledge, ideas, thoughts, experiences. Even some new practices are arising: co-authorship, collaborative, co-creation. All of them generate a good atmosphere for discussion, creating new perspectives and ways helping to make new projects and proposals, in a job environment highly competitive and were

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the markets and society establish our individual ( as well as professional as personal) pathways, where the rational is more important than affecting dimension, participants at Edgeryders platform talk about soul, trying to create a balance between states and individuals, the self and the society how does learning/education contribute to it? () between institutions and citizens, co-governance. Aligned on principles of the soul. Renowned authors have written about the soul of leadership. But the idea of the soul of open government makes many cringe. How do you imagine governments announcing initiatives, or experimental projects, with a goal of bringing more balance between the self and society? Could it be positively received? Which of the two, policymakers or citizens, would have the greatest aversion to this type of project? How can we sell it? (Lyne) Also, some examples about how to learn by your own (Do It Yourself, self learning) are possible; in this way, it is discussed self learning, flipped learning and inclusive learning I would say that curiosity has probably been my drive (of self learning). From watching my young brothers go through the process of school their curiosity seems to be quashed somewhat. Even some examples about learning in community are given; how they understand Education and learning(learning everywhere and everyplace, from each other by sharing, interchanging information and creating): But there is time for everything, this is why I'm here, to improve my skills! :) (Florina) I really agree that all of us we have to learn how to learn and that we could learn anything (Daniela) It is quite interesting indeed to discover their views about online learning. Besides the positive values and/or benefits given to studying formal education through internet. Whats more, the ideal pattern model of online education offered by these participants, includes formal and informal learning (official and non official discourse, tools and methods, but they both- work): The use of technology in course delivery & design is pretty innovative, the first course I did won some sort of award for this. Lots of video, audio files, realtime communication, interactive systems (we had an online portfolio/design studio for one, so we could all feed back on each other's work). I think this is a large part of what makes it effective. (Hec) This leads them to consider online learning as the future for changing Education Paradigm, including it in formal learning, creating what authors called PLE : So are digital learning establishments the future?" If they are the future or they might be a larger part of the future, then the differences between the two models need to be split into those differences necessitated by the model (my concerns for vocational subjects and subjects requiring access to expensive equipment), and those which can be resolved through the application of emerging technologies (socialisation, access to resources which can be virtualised). (Joye)

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But the situation recently has changed (regarding loans, reducing grants and increasing tuition fees for university students) which makes it difficult for young people to follow their studies properly.

3. Proposals for educational change

One of Edgeryders Mission was aimed at the problem how to change Education Paradigms is made (what also implies chaning the way in which and how we learn: http://edgeryders.ppa.coe.int/reality-check/mission_case/changing-educationparadigms#comment-1368 ) in order to adapt to Digital Society and face learning and educational challenges, reshaping Educational and Learning models and giving answers to social diversity in Education. This needs to be added to the concepts of training and what learning were generated thanks to this teaching; this means, to question its relation to jobs and with some particular skills demanded at labour market: It's quite obvious that doing the basic mandatory studies isn't enough anymore. We live in a very competitive and dynamic world, which changes every day. For this reason, I firmly believe that we should do our best to acquire all necessary skills to resist in this globalised world. But which are those skills? (Amalia) I think school is not the only way to learn. I think that while someone goes to school, he/she must have other experience like work, social services etc... that can help to understand the real world, what you want for your future life and what you don't want, the importance of moneys, and so on..... When i think about my children and their future, i would like to discover a place in wich teorical and pratical approach to the way of learn is applied. And than, i think if i will be able to encourage them to go.... because i know this approach is not here....... (Renato) There is something very important in these statements: all those who just went through a higher education, spent much time at school, have a formal credentials enabling them the location in occupational and social structure, everyone consider formal education as meaningless. All indicate that the formulation of specific competences and skills is made in the environment outside the schooling system. It is like they were disappointed and irritated, that all this effort to cope with educational system and moving up all these levels does not translate simply into a further path in a social life. However, for many participants, learning is a way to develop your mind and personality, but they do not forget the social need of job, for being independent, having your own house and incomes that allows you to live To train to be ready for facing the adult world. As a student, I loved studying and it made me proud of myself. My intimate goal of learning was and still is gaining knowledge, becoming better as a person after all But it would be hypocritical to say I went to university because of my love for studies. I went there because it was the formal path designed to study for a profession, and curiosity, and idealism of course. (Noemi)

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Education not Learning also has some implications for social mobility, as a mean of social recognition, where we need to hear and see how others value what we are doing; our efforts, merits and work in doing this (studying), which is seen as the basis for being happy (when adult), followed by the benefits that (it is supossed) gives you having an university degree at the labour market (such as Bachelor as Master degree), good social position (thanks to profession/ job placement/ work post) and salary (incomes) that will allows you to buy as many goods as you want to look like more than you are (to increase your reputation). () Actually for me, higher education=good income. And with that, I could for instance buy myself a big house, where I feel good and where I feel happy () need of being recognised as an intellectual or as a person who has climbed the social ladder. (Florina) Edgeryders clearly distinguish education from learning. Education is identified with the school system, formal education, as a process of obtaining credentials. Learning is understood as the activity of an individual, not necessarily related to school activity. Most of the comments are indeed about acquiring skills (through learning, so person decides) but not thanks to teaching (education, where others are responsable of what you learn). At the same time the critical remarks are stated against the education system as it fails and does not pass what is needed. It can be shortly summarize like this: look, how much do I know, but is not you; who teach me, but I learned it by myself. Formal education is therefore treated as something working improperly, inadequately, hinder rather than help. No one, however, does not speak directly that the school shall be eliminated. The school is treated as something obvious, natural, necessary in biography. What is proposed is a change of its form to become a place of learning how to learn. The main question arising from Edgeryders discussions is how to create more flexible school?. Making the very general diagnosis, that the school is oppressive force, not flexible enough, not providing the appropriate knowledge and above all not preparing to the realities "of life after school" protrudes a series of demands, which are aimed at just more flexibility, better correspondence with real life and subjective relationships in school. A major role is in this is given to teachers conceived as guide and assistant. Teacher should help students to be navigators and explorers of knowledge, informed citizens and skilled actors in large and small groups. This is associated with disrupting education, re-organisiting school work, that is flipping the classroom, and changing teachers role, allowing them the realization of individual projects and take individual responsibility. One of the most important solutions to solve some recognised problems of educational/learning system is networking and dense social relations. And, since we do live in a network society, I would also encourage really making use of that network. Don't be shy to ask people around you even if you don't know them well, maybe they know someone who can help, or how to point you in the right direction in another way. Send a message to that 235th friend you have on Facebook whom you never talk to but who just might know something useful to you. If all else fails and you do not have a network of people within the desired field, you can make a clandestine visit to the uni's Friday bar and share a beer with someone who can give you a hint ;). (K)

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I think that there is benefit in blogging (even just on a micro scale) alongside working out your thoughts within academic communities of enquiry. There is so much to gain from extending your queries to a wider circle. It boosts your confidence and you are challenged by people with very different perspectives. I encourage children to do it as a method of studying, rather than see it as something you do once you have studied. (Bridget) Schools could also play an important role, working closely with local associations they can better direct students where opportunities in line with their interests are, creating a more active community and giving kids a chance to prove themselves, feel passionate about a cause or help people in need. Incentives should be put into place to encourage students to take up these opportunities, also building on programs already into place, giving preferential treatment to students that enriched their education through languages and volunteer experiences. (Brightfutureforall). On this way the implicit concept of social capital is being brought into the discussion on education and learning. Dense social relations are perceived as a mean for gaining required knowledge, skills, and information. This is particularly interesting in the scope of initial interpretation made by Rebecca and Valentina about individualisation of Edgeryders transition processes. In fact, the nowadays concept of social capital (especially by Coleman (1991) and Putnam (2000)) can be perceived as a quest for lost community and in entries of Edgeryders we can trace some clues of such sentiment. From the other side the strong emphasis has been given to importnace of weak ties, which again brings the concept of social capital developed on the basis of network theory (Lin 2001).

IV. Conclusions and recommendations - how the ideas presented by the Edgeryders can inform educational policy of the European Union
The basic problem around which proposals of Edgeryders are focused is the flexibility of teaching in school and teaching to learning shift. Distinguishing learning from the education, a number of allegations against the education system is posted. As it can be seen in the attached comments, there are postulates to deal with the training of social competence and flexibility. General question, which is at the heart of all ideas, is whether it is possible to transform a system built in accordance with modern rationality of production into a tool for shaping of flexible, open-minded, self-developing and able to critically select knowledge individuals? The main idea of Edgeryders proposals, is a departure from the model of a factory and to the divergent thinking paradigm (proposed by K. Robinson) or Scenario for digital Society: flexible learning enhanced and forced by the development of digital society based on open access to educational resources already available in the Internet. It is a profoundly different fact that today a kid in Africa lucky enough to have a computer can access more knowledge than a professor travelling round the world's best research libraries could when I was that age (Gelada)

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Is this possible to implement these elements into European educational policy? It seems that it is difficult to find simple way of implementation of Edgeryders ideas into direct educational policy. The main problem is probably the fact that, in politics and in perceptions of policy we are dealing with the domination of the functional thinking. The main allegations against education are such that it is not preparing for the entry in the contemporary labour market. It is allegation put by representatives of equaly by economics, and employers and beneficiaries of education that is pupils and students. They all perceive the formal education as the factory, evaluate it as factory, and they allege its industrial nature. At the same time they postulate that factory should change its modus of operating. Policy (each kind, not only educational policy) seems to be based on functional perception of the institutions. It is assumed that the school is an institution responsible for the "production" of relevant "products". Therefore the solution is to find the way how to change the modus operandi of this factory. Education policy involves the appointment of its new tasks and goals under the somewhat magical thinking that if all pass through the higher education they acquire certain quality expected/required on the labour market and in today's society (as it can be seen in European Union education policy strategic goals). Effects of such policy are monitored by usage of a standardized tools (summaries, benchmarks, diagnoses) what causes that flexibility as called for by Edgeryders, may not be entered. This happens because the culture of educational institutions shall be adjusted to the ways of measuring and monitoring the effects of policy, which ends with standardized methods, and procedures. This is also the reason that the public, and therefore, those who benefit from the system need a standardized information. This is also because the social world is based on inequality and creates inequalities. The system of education is a key tool for creation of social division, therefore, a more flexible nonstandardized methods simply will not be supported. However still new attempts to change the situation and improve the interrelation between education and the system in terms of stimulation of transition processes are relevant. We could propose some ideas to take into consideration by european educational policy derived from Edgeryders Expierience. a) Flexible learning stimulation by European guidelines for national educational policies. The basic idea derived from the Edgeryders discussions is to increase the flexibility of the education and the creation of an environment favourable to acquire social and digital skills in schools, useful in transition processes. This requirement may be fulfilled by programs of education and training financed by the European Commission. Greater emphasis in these programmes should be given to changing the culture of education/student, than to increase value of indicators of participation in formal education as it is now. This can be accomplished by the exchange of good practices based on Digital Transformation that provides more autonomy to educational institutions. It also necessary to put the emphasis on projects that aim at increase of competence in order to use social media and use of online resources - both by students and teachers. b) Networking and social capital support in order to build learning communities also with schools/universities as part of it. Open schools to society.

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Edgeryders despite the functioning in the paradigm of individualization, perceive the necessity of action in the sphere of local communities. Therefore, we believe that European education policy should support regional programmes and in those the local communities in order to build learning communities, creating a space of continuous improvement of skills required in the modern world. Formal education institutions could be one of the partners as the driving force of ou-of-school education and provider of technical facilities. In this way, social capital could be built around education and, on the other hand, social capital would allow the improvement of the quality of education and learning. c) The Edgerydersas a proposal itself Perhaps the best recommendation for educational policy could be the proposal to apply the methodology of Edgeryders as a space for informal education. The experience of The Edgeryders project shows how you can use modern communication possibilities for educational purposes (in the broad sense). The Edgeryders is not only a source of knowledge about the experiences of young people in the process of coming into maturity, it is also the educational experience for themselves. Projects like this, based on involvement through Internet, people from different backgrounds to discuss some relevant problems, causes creation of new contacts and networks, enhance development of pre-existing or gaining of new communication skills, practice language skills, stimulates gaining skills of using social media. Therefore in the programmes financed by the European Union there should be more space for this type of propositions. For this, however it is also a necessity of technical education and the development of competence in the use of social media at the elementary level otherwise, once again proves that, in such ventures will take part only selected, already in possession of certain resources and potentials. Nothing is impossible, the word itself says: I'M Possible:) (Daniela)

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