9 PRACTICAL QUESTIONS TO ANSWER FOR BETTER LEARNING EXPERIENCES (EDUCATION 2.0 CONFERENCE IN DUBAI)

Here are a few selected practical points/questions, which, among others, were discussed at the Education 2.0 Conference in Dubai last weekend from an international, multi-disciplinary and inter-generational perspective.

How would you answer?

1. If learners (including learners with special conditions) do not understand how we teach, then we should make ourselves understood. Do you agree that communication is the sender’s responsibility (not the receiver’s)?
2. Peer-to-peer learning is about students teaching each other. How could you use this approach more at our organization?
3. The cell phone offers a (low-threshold) possibility to report difficult topics to address in person, if necessary. Could we use the cell phone constructively and even more in our education work? There may be a fun way to reward more regular contact, even during absences? Perhaps we could also use apps for tele-counselling/supervision more often?
4. To promote creativity and the openness required for it, it is important to prevent judgments as much as possible for the time being in the process. Are we (at any time) sufficiently judgment-free to make this possible?
5. Often ideas and solutions are judged based on our educational and cultural background. Do we always ask “why” to be aware of this?
6. For example: autistic people may stand out at school/work but be “normal” at home/recreation and learn more successfully there. Do we ask this environment enough about how learning happens otherwise?
7. The Institute for the Future predicts that about 80 percent of technology jobs in 2030 are unknown today. So how/what needs to be learned to keep up with the reality of work? Is there still a need for school/education in its current form?
8. The people concerned (e.g., people with ASD) are always the real experts on their condition. Are we using their expertise enough?
9. Psychological services/approaches in everyday life can help clients. Should/could we promote even more mindfulness training, meditation, and similar methods?