Strong competence basis and education as foundation for success – CSC gave a statement on the strategy for continuous learning
CSC gave a statement on the draft for a continuous learning strategy. According to the strategy, continuous learning is a wide concept that covers continuous learning before, during, and after degree-based education. We think that it is a good starting point while highlighting that competence develops throughout life and is centered on harnessing the information originating from learning, education, work and leisure to build a foundation for future’s competence basis. In addition, we emphasise informal and non-formal learning models and open learning sources in our statement. We also see that it would be important that the continuous learning strategy takes in to account the principles laid down in declaration for open science and research as part of continuous learning.
With digitalization and globalization, our lives are in constant transformation, marked by an increase in competence requirements as well as the acceleration of the new learning cycle. Therefore, in our statement we welcome the digital service environment as cross-cutting objective of the strategy. The digitalization of education, however, requires much more than just technology in order to succeed. We need strong strategic and pedagogic take as well as digital teaching materials and environments. Digital pedagogy must be learner-oriented and the teachers must obtain the possibility to strengthen their digital pedagogy competences continuously. Learning data have to be utilized as support of developing learning and teaching while making sure that the privacy and data protection are not endangered.
Furthermore, technical, semantic, organizational and legal interoperability of continuous learning must be ensured so that data flows seamlessly through different degrees of education. We suggest that the EU’s interoperability framework would be applied here. This way one can more efficiently monitor and measure the effectiveness of activities and promote knowledge management in the society.
We find it important that the strategy considers RDI-integrated learning as part of continuous learning objectives and that the combined skills development can form a much more significant way to meet the ongoing learning needs of corporate staff. However, we hope that in the further preparation of the strategy the partnerships in RDI-work and the learner-centered digital pedagogy as part of digital service environment are considered. In addition, attention must be paid to the interoperability of digital education tools and use of MyData.
The strategy must also acknowledge the different avenues of entering in to higher education. In the objective dealing with the path to development and qualification as an expert it is necessary to emphasise the individuality and tailorability of the path as well as the preservation and smooth flow of learner’s data. We also note that in the future, the individual’s understanding of their own competence and the ability to acquire and utilize new competencies is even more important.
We also stress clearer interpretation to the visions of the strategy and closer connection between the visions and objective on digital service environments. Additionally, the vision needs stronger perspective on the utilization of information. In general, the key metrics of the strategy are correct and adequate but they lack metrics of impact for learned oriented teaching and education.
You can read the statement in full here (pdf) (in Finnish).