They are often said to be more at home with a smartphone than a pencil. Their world consists of data, not the pages of books. And when they need information, instead of going to a library the younger generation goes on the web. 

Digital technology has changed lives, but while previous generations have had to learn how to use it, the members of Generation Z, born between 1996 and 2009, are true digital natives. Won’t young people, who take the digitalisation of their lives for granted, expect their education to be digital as well? And what challenges does this present for educational institutions and teachers? 

Online and totally networked 

If you can access information in the form of images and sound wherever and whenever you like as a matter of course, you will learn differently from previous generations - and more flexibly. Further education is much less tied to a time and a place than it used to be. And it has never been so easily accessible and so multimedia-based. It has also never been easier to process and share knowledge. This suits a generation whose members are totally networked with each other. 

So learning materials are changing too: e-books, e-learning, hybrid learning, simulations, learning management systems and learning apps are now part of everyday life alongside more traditional tools. Lessons that take place online instead of in a classroom - the coronavirus pandemic turned learning upside down. Learners are no longer just consumers - they take it for granted that they will shape their own individual learning process, selecting material, evaluating and sharing their own and others’ work, and creating something new. Rather than static ‘chalk and talk’ teaching, the emphasis is on dynamic, interactive learning environments that enable and encourage project based and peer group learning. 

This trend is far from over. What impact will artificial intelligence and augmented reality have on learning in further education? A brief insight into this is provided by the Meta advert, which enables young aspiring doctors to meet virtual patients and examine their organs. It is clear that in further education, as in other areas of life, digitalisation will bring ever greater individualisation and customisation. Content and learning pathways will be more closely aligned to the needs of the learners in question. 

Education as personal development

So what does that look like today? How are young adults learning and what do they expect from their learning programmes? Junge VHS (Young VHS) is a programme that is offered by adult education centres (in German Volkshochschulen, short VHS) across the country. “Each VHS develops its own programme - adapting it to their own target group,” explains Volker Heckner, Director of VHS Duisburg. The young people who take an interest in this programme are between 14 and 25 years old. 

“They can take any course they like, of course, but we have put this one together especially for them,” says Heckner. As well as working with schools in the city, Junge VHS aims to supplement the many basic training courses and school-leaving qualifications on offer.

“It’s not just about learning - it’s about you!” says the blurb. “We encourage you to be creative and curious, and we help you to realise your dreams. Are you ready to expand your interests? We have the course to suit you. Whether it’s a bike workshop, standup paddleboarding or upcycling - there’s something for everyone. With us, learning is an adventure where you can push beyond your limits, discover new things and develop your talents.”

Is this what young adults want? Learning as an adventure and an opportunity to develop their talents? “We deliberately asked two young people who are themselves members of our target group to write the text,” says Axel Voss, Head of the Department of Art and Cultural History, Philosophy and History at the Duisburg Adult Education Centre. The aim is to arouse curiosity and at the same time clarify how this offer differs from others, and how the young people’s inspiration and new ideas are always incorporated into the programme. “I call it edutainment,” says Voss. Or in other words, it’s about education as an experience.

VHS director Volker Heckner adds, “Participants come to us voluntarily because they want to further their education. Learning should be an adventure, it should be fun, and we want to be a place of encounter.” The courses, which are offered specifically for young people, therefore cover a wide range of subjects. These include “classics” such as programming, of course, but also hardware and software tuning, and participation in Digital Day 2024. So is it all digital subjects? “No, this is just an extract from the programme,” says Josip Sosic, Head of Politics, Digital Education and New Media at the VHS. 

Calligraphy and software tuning are both in demand 

As a rule, the motto in Duisburg is: Digital yes, but where it makes sense and not as an end in itself. So Junge VHS also offers courses in memory training, calligraphy and folk dancing. And not forgetting special programmes like “Maths in the Café”. What would once have been a traditional tutoring session is now a get-together for young people in a relaxed setting where learners support each other. 

It is clear that the teacher’s role has changed. “Our volunteer lecturer is a retired maths teacher who provides support, but does not direct or dictate anything,” explains Axel Voss. The most important thing about Maths in the Café is that the young people meet and learn from each other.

The importance of shared activities and experiences is demonstrated by two other programmes that are of course supported by digital technology, but where it is not an end in itself. “Behind the scenes into an unknown world. TXT@Night: Megazorn 3,” is a collaboration with Duisburg Theatre. The dramaturge from the theatre comes to the VHS to give an insight into how a production is prepared. And then there is a “read performance” (a kind of read-through) in the theatre itself. It combines a detective story with the theme of the climate catastrophe. The audience discusses the film with the performers afterwards. This is also further education - but a different kind.

Working in a team promotes social skills 

The youth editorial team at Radio Duisburg has been a regular feature of Junge VHS for 12 years, and was established as part of the Media Skills at Duisburg Schools - Pupils make a Radio Show project. Up to eleven young people meet every week to put together a one-hour programme, which is usually broadcast once a month. There is also a podcast on the www.nrwision.de platform. 

The young radio producers work as a team, planning, discussing, conducting interviews, editing and broadcasting. “Hundreds of young people will have taken part in it over the years - some of them for a number of years,” says Department Head Sosic, a former radio personality who is also in charge of the youth team. And sometimes this leads to a serious desire to pursue radio as a career. 

“The fact that these courses are so popular shows that, despite all the progress with digitalisation, social learning environments are still very important to young adults in further education,” emphasises VHS Director Volker Heckner. Here too, the focus is often on the joint project and group working.

Today, there is no way around digital training programmes. “We have the technology, but we use it in a targeted way, where it makes sense,” says Josip Sosic. His colleague Axel Voss adds, “It’s important for young people that we create quiet spaces that help them to focus and cope with the flood of information.” 

And the department heads are aware that the participants do not spend all of their lives online, despite being “digital natives”. Flyers providing information about Junge VHS and its programmes have been printed at the request of the participants - to be distributed in schools and shown to parents.

Photos:
Title Gerd Altmann, Pixabay
Youth Editorial Team, VHS Duisburg