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F. Klaus Koopmann

EFFECTIVE CIVIC LEARNING BY REFLECTIVE CIVIC DOING Theory and Practice of Experiential Civic Education. F. Klaus Koopmann. Faculty 08 / Dept. of Political Science. (1) Introduction. We should do better preparing our students sustainably for their roles as

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F. Klaus Koopmann

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  1. EFFECTIVE CIVICLEARNING • BY • REFLECTIVE CIVICDOING • Theory and Practice ofExperiential Civic Education F. Klaus Koopmann Faculty 08 / Dept. of Political Science

  2. (1) Introduction • We should do better preparing our studentssustainably for their roles as • enlightened and autonomous citizens • Making the case for •  experiential civic learning

  3. John Dewey: overcoming traditional dualisms of mind and body mind and world individual and public community knowledge and experience (2) The Rationale of Experiential Civic Learning

  4. David Kolb: learning: an active, self-directed process knowledge: through transformation of experience experiential learning: concrete experience  reflective observation  abstract conceptualisation  active experimentation (2) The Rationale of Experiential Civic Learning

  5. 3.1 Sustainability of Early Civic Participation Early public engagement fosters ... social and politicalparticipation (3) The Increasing Need for Experiential Civic Learning

  6. (3) The Increasing Need for Experiential Civic Learning 3.2 Youth Attitudes on Society and Politics  Youth volunteerism rates are high – it is focused on apolitical social services Civic education consequences: • fostering youth volunteerism but • gradually ‘politicizing’ social activities

  7. (3) The Increasing Need for Experiential Civic Learning 3.3 De-civilization – Re-civilization • Phenomena: • Society at risk • Individualization • Globalization / De-nationalization of politics • ‘Thin‘ democracy • Symbolization of politics

  8. (3) The Increasing Need for Experiential Civic Learning 3.3 De-civilization – Re-civilization Effects: • People become objects • Impeding democratization • De-civilization

  9. (3) The Increasing Need for Experiential Civic Learning 3.3 De-civilization – Re-civilization • Social answer: • Reclaiming citizens as subjects • Citizens should experience their ability to act as citizens

  10. (3) The Increasing Need for Experiential Civic Learning 3.3 De-civilization – Re-civilization • Civic education answer: • Offering young people the possibility • to • experiencetheir abilityacting as citizensand • learn actively theprocess ofpolicy-making by • developing and organizinglearning strategies • being oriented towards the notion of • action as experiential learning

  11. (4) Essentials of Experiential Civic Learning Thesis: Experience-oriented learning processes, aiming at the sustainable acquisition of competences which are relevant in politics and civil society, will particularly unfold in the course of the (inter)active, reflective dealing of the individual(s) with the authentic public problems and processes that surround and concern them.

  12. (4) Essentials of Experiential Civic Learning Core idea of the thesis: 5 essentials of experiential civic learning: • Subject-orientation • Action-orientation • Problem-orientation • Authenticity • Policy-orientation . . .

  13. (4) Essentials of Experiential Civic Learning • Subject-orientation • Youngsters control • their learning processes themselves . . . .

  14. (4) Essentials of Experiential Civic Learning • Action-orientation • Youngsters solve • public problems by acting and reflecting. .

  15. (4) Essentials of Experiential Civic Learning • Problem-orientation • Youngsters’ activities • are focused on • identifying and solving public problems.

  16. (4) Essentials of Experiential Civic Learning • Authenticity • The problems to be solved are • not simulated but • real-world problems .

  17. (4) Essentials of Experiential Civic Learning • Policy-orientation • Youngsters do not deal with private but • with public problems • that have to be solved politically. • Doing so, youngsters learn about • political content (policy), • institutional frameworks (polity) and • decision-making processes (politics) • in a functional way. . .

  18. (5) Experiential Civic Learning in Practice: ‘Projekt: Aktive Bürger‘/ ‚Project Citizen‘ The project’s aim is to help youngsters learning • to identify public problems within their environment • to develop and present problem-solving strategies (gathering and evaluating relevant information included) • to decide which political institutions and which branches • of public administration are adequate for the implementation • of the problem-solving approach developed by the youngsters • to actively monitor and to influence public policy processes

  19. (5) Experiential Civic Learning in Practice: ‘Projekt: Aktive Bürger‘/ ‚Project Citizen‘ Projekt: aktive Bürger recommends the following ten steps of reflective action: Step 1: Identifying public problems Step2: Selecting a problem to study Step 3: Gathering information about the problem Step 4:Examining alternative problem-solving approaches Step 5:Developing a policy to solve the problem Step 6: Developing an action plan Step 7:Preparing a portfolio Step 8: Presenting the portfolio as an exhibition Step 9: Getting actively involved in the policy process Step 10: Reflecting the experiential process

  20. (5) Experiential Civic Learning in Practice: ‘Projekt: Aktive Bürger‘/ ‚Project Citizen‘ All in all, ‘Projekt: aktive Bürger’ and ‘Project Citizen’ offer  10 steps of reflective action combining core-elements of  experiential civic learning Students are learning by • interacting • cooperatingand • reflecting in the context of an authentic policy-process dealing with an authentic public problem

  21. (6) Conclusion • Effective civic learning by reflective civic doing • [>experiential civic learning<] • meets • advantages of early public participation • twofold youth attitudes on society and politics • the challenges of de-civilization • because this learning strategy offers young people the possibility • to reflectively act as citizens and • experience their ability to be citizens

  22. (Addition) What Is a Public Problem? A problem is defined as a gap between the unpleasant current state of a specific situation and its desired future state. The tension between the gap of what you have and what you want initiates problem-solving motivation. A problem is defined as a public problem if it is not only concerning individuals within their private environment but groups of people as part of the public. Public problems concern the common good.

  23. (Addition) What Is a Public Problem? Public problems are to be solved by public policymaking. Public policy strategies and processes include political institutions. Some characteristics of public problems: • unpleasant quality of the current situation • public character of the problematic situation • (groups of) people being concerned by the problem • desired future situation

  24. EFFECTIVE CIVICLEARNING • BY • REFLECTIVE CIVICDOING • Theory and Practice ofExperiential Civic Education F. Klaus Koopmann Faculty 08 / Dept. of Political Science

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