Pedagogical Innovation in New Learning Communities: An In-depth Study of Twelve Online Learning Communities

The main aim of this study is to collect evidence on the learning innovation emerging in online communities and to draw conclusions on the lessons learnt and on emerging models and features that could eventually be transferred to Education and Training systems to support Lifelong Learning, innovation and change in Europe. The results presented are based on an in-depth analysis of the pedagogical and organisational innovation emerging from twelve online communities belonging to one (or more) of the following categorisation: Organization-driven communities; Production-driven communities; Topic-driven communities; Socially driven communities.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

Learning Individuals and Learning Communities: Informal Learning in 2025

PublicationThis Paper presents the Learnovation vision within and around the area of informal learning, and more specifically it concerns three “eLearning territories”: individual development through e-Learning, nonprofessional learning communities, and communities generating learning as side effect. What these three territories have in common is that learning is not organised or structured, nor necessarily intentional from the learner’s perspective. A key assumption to understand the Learnovation Vision of ICT for informal learning is that the internet is no longer seen a “medium” for learning, but rather a “learning playground” where people can search for the tools and contents they prefer; and, more importantly, with the aid of web 2.0 technologies people can create, share, exchange, remix their own contents and learn through knowledge and experience exchange and sharing. Peer-learning and changing roles of “who teaches whom” are also typical for these three territories. The roles of provider–consumer are altering: learning isn’t anymore about “consuming” the learning products but about collaborating in an exercise where each learner can create his/her own knowledge patrimony and learn within the aid of tools and peers. Also, these territories are characterised by the speed of development and adaption of new technologies and trends. Furthermore, adoption, and even participation in the development of new tools and services is faster here than in formal learning settings. The Vision Paper is structured around three main blocks: state of art of innovation, expected future, and recommendations to reach the desired future scenario, the latter being composed of long term recommendations for 2025 and short term agenda on urgent actions to be taken starting from 2010 to let the desired scenario(s) come true

Social Seducement: Empowering Social Economy Entrepreneurship. The Training Approach

Long-term unemployment is a persistent problem in Europe, following the economic crisis suffered in 2008. This situation reveals self-employment as a good option for becoming re-involved in the working life. In this context, this paper presents a gamified educational platform to empower social economy entrepreneurship skills in long-term unemployed people. In particular, we present the training approach underpinning the motivational process supported by gamification, which has been developed using the ADDIE model. The learning path is developed according to a story that guides the work throughout the training process. It is based on the premises of alignment with reality, instruction from didactic material and real-life stories, in-game practice, work in groups and assistance from a facilitator. This approach covers the competence needs identified in a previous study and includes gamification techniques to improve motivation and engagement. Therefore, the training program comprises: (1) a set of materials and real social economy enterprise experiences, which are the basis for learning and getting inspiration; (2) activities to develop a business plan based on concepts learned from the learning materials and from real-life stories, as well as the help of a facilitator who walks with trainees during the process; (3) a set of individual and group, mandatory and optional assessment activities to evaluate the learning achieved; and (4) a three-views scoring system that shows learning progress for individuals and groups, and gives players the opportunity to exchange gamification points for benefits in the game. The results presented in this paper are based on a sample of two pilots run in Italy and Spain and involving five facilitators working with around 60 learners. About 60% of participants indicated their intention to apply knowledge obtained in a real-life entrepreneurship initiative

Seducción social: hacia los fundamentos de un modelo pedagógico

Introduction: Social Seducement is a project intended to ease the re-entry of long-term unemployed people into society by involving them in the development of a social economy enterprise. This goal will be reached by giving them the opportunity to develop necessary skills via a serious game, in which they will learn the primary concepts, skills and attitudes for developing an enterprise successfully. This article was written in the year 2016 in the Universidad Internacional Methodology: This paper focuses on the process necessary to develop a pedagogical model for this game and on explaining the foundations to be observed, i.e., the instructional model, the way the approach is related to the European Qualifications Framework and the specific competencies that a social entrepreneur must develop. Results: As a result of this study, we obtained a didactical basis on which to support the process of game-based learning. Conclusions: Our immediate focus is the development of each phase of the addie (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) model, developing external and internal material, placing content within the proper levels and testing the game in order to perform the piloting.Introducción: seducción social es un proyecto que busca facilitar la reinserción en la sociedad de individuos que llevan un tiempo prolongado desempleados mediante su involucramiento en el desarrollo de un emprendimiento de economía social. Este objetivo se puede alcanzar al brindarles la oportunidad de desarrollar las habilidades necesarias a través de un juego serio, en el que aprendan los conceptos primarios, habilidades y actitudes para desarrollar una empresa de forma exitosa. Este artículo fue escrito en el 2016 en la Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. Metodología: el trabajo se centra en el proceso necesario para desarrollar un modelo pedagógico para este juego y en explicar los fundamentos que se deben tener en cuenta, es decir, el modelo instruccional, la forma en que el enfoque se relaciona con el Marco Europeo de Cualificaciones y las competencias específicas que un emprendedor social debe desarrollar. Resultados: como resultado de este estudio, obtuvimos una base didáctica para apoyar el proceso de aprendizaje basado en juegos. Conclusiones: nuestro enfoque inmediato es el desarrollo de cada fase del modelo addie (análisis, diseño, desarrollo, implementación y evaluación), desarrollando material externo e interno, colocando contenidos dentro de los niveles adecuados y probando el juego para realizar el piloto

Mapping and analysing prospective technologies for learning – Results from a consultation with European stakeholders and roadmaps for policy action

EU policies call for the strengthening of Europe’s innovative capacity and it is considered that the modernisation of Education and Training systems and technologies for learning will be a key enabler of educational innovation and change. This report brings evidence to the debate about the technologies that are expected to play a decisive role in shaping future learning strategies in the short to medium term (5-10 years from now) in three main learning domains: formal education and training; work-place and work-related learning; re-skilling and up-skilling strategies in a lifelong-learning continuum. This is the final report of the study ‘Mapping and analysing prospective technologies for learning (MATEL)' carried out by the MENON Network EEIG on behalf of the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies. The report synthesises the main messages gathered from the three phases of the study: online consultation, state-of-the-art analysis and a roadmapping workshop. Eight technology clusters and a set of related key technologies that can enable learning innovation and educational change were identified. A number of these technologies were analysed to highlight their current and potential use in education, the relevant market trends and ongoing policy initiatives. Three roadmaps, one for each learning domain, were developed. These identified long-term goals and specific objectives for educational change, which in turn led to recommendations on the immediate strategies and actions to be undertaken by policy and decision makers.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

ISSR markers show differentiation among Italian populations of Asparagus acutifolius L

BACKGROUND: Asparagus acutifolius L. is a dioecious and native plant species, widely distributed in the Mediterranean Basin. It is known for its fine flavour and could represent an important resource for cultivation programs in desert areas. Few molecular studies have been performed on this species. In the present paper, the ISSR technique was employed to study genetic diversity in Italian A. acutifolius. RESULTS: Twenty-three primers produced a total of 228 polymorphic fragments used to evaluate genetic variation. F(ST )(0.4561) and Theta B (0.4776) values indicate a wide genetic variation among the samples examined. The distance UPGMA tree grouped together the genotypes strictly according to their geographical origin, showing that each sample is genetically structured and can be considered a distinct population. AMOVA analysis further confirmed genetic structuring of the populations. Population-specific fragments were also detected. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that ISSR markers are useful in distinguishing the populations of A. acutifolius according to geographical origin, and confirm the importance of genetic studies for designing germplasm conservation strategies

Social Seducement: an experience of gamified social entrepreneurship

Social Seducement is an Erasmus+ project intended to promote social economy entrepreneurship in long-term unemployed people. As result of the shared work of partners from different disciplines, the gamified e-learning platform called Social PlaNet has been developed on the basis of the selection of a good pedagogical approach, the challenges of managing disadvantages groups of people and the need of increasing motivation while maintaining the process liked to reality. Nowadays, a piloting is being run in five countries in the European Union from which we will obtain the final feedback

Policy Approaches to Open Education - Case Studies from 28 EU Member States (OpenEdu Policies)

This study provides the first-ever EU-wide overview of the state of play with policies on open education involving all the 28 Member States. For each Member State, a full account of their understanding of open education and strategic policy approach is given.  JRC.B.4-Human Capital and Employmen

Alterations in Adenylate Kinase Activity in Human PBMCs after In Vitro Exposure to Electromagnetic Field: Comparison between Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Field (ELF) and Therapeutic Application of a Musically Modulated Electromagnetic Field (TAMMEF)

This study investigated the effects of electromagnetic fields on enzymes involved in purine metabolism in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro. Cells were obtained from 20 volunteers. We tested both low-energy, extremely low frequency (ELF; 100-Hz) electromagnetic fields and the Therapeutic Application of Musically Modulated Electromagnetic Fields (TAMMEFs); the latter is characterized by variable frequencies, intensities, and wave shapes. Adenylate kinase activity was increased after ELF field exposure but decreased slightly after TAMMEF exposure. Neither of the two electromagnetic field affected the activities of the purine metabolism enzymes ecto-5′-nucleotidase, adenosine deaminase, and adenosine kinase. We concluded that ELF fields may influence cellular electrical charge stability; stimulation of adenylate kinase activity could restore the cell to a state of equilibrium. In contrast, TAMMEF fields may be useful for maintaining and regulating the cellular electrical charge

The current state of OER in Europe: going beyond altruism. ENCORE+ OER Policy and strategy position paper No. 1

In summary, this paper challenges the sector to go beyond altruism and endorses the view that “...policy will be the lever by which open practice can become sustainable and mainstream” (Weller, 2014, p.201). The ENCORE+ project seeks to give “voice” to more stakeholders to support the development of OER institutional strategies in both academia and business contexts in order to promote their mainstreaming and a strong European OER ecosystem