It is important to have an opinion and participate actively if you want to be influential! Use the opportunity this workshop provides to form you own opinion. Seize the opportunity in this workshop to be creative and to imagine the future you would like for you and your friends to share in 2030.

This was the call by the Minister of Education, Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, to participants when she opened the workshop CleverCompetence in the Reykjavik City Theatre recently. The workshop was hosted by NVL in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, EPALE and the Education and Training Service Centre on the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 4.7; Quality Education for all in 2030. The workshop is part of Iceland's  Presidency 2019  for the Nordic Council of Ministers. The target group were young people aged 18-30 years. Young people from all the Nordic countries participated actively in the program and presented several ideas and suggestions for taking action and finding solutions. Representatives from the Ministry of Education and NVL will summarize and present the conclusions for respective authorities.

CCP Computergames

The program started with a visit to CCP. This company was founded in 1997 in Reykjavik. With the launch of the business's most popular game, EVE Online, in May 2003, CCP established itself globally as one of the most innovative interactive entertainment companies. CCP claims that their mission is to create virtual worlds that are more meaningful than real life. In the presentation, participants gained insight into how this virtual world can be created and the opportunities that video games can offer for educational and training purposes. This was followed by interesting questions and discussion from the audience about the players and the computer games and how they are developed.

Workshop/s

Participants had the opportunity to choose two out of three specified workshops: Flying carpet, My Future School, and Citizens of the Future.

Flying Carpet is a project about the cultural interaction that takes place at the intercultural encounter. The aim is to nurture the view that diverse cultures and ways of living our lives make us richer, rather than seeing them as a cause for conflict. Different forms of culture were discussed in groups. Beforehand, participants were asked to include things that make them proud and happy or to share their strengths. Open your treasure chest, bring out your treasures and let them shine. The basic question was: What makes you flourish?

My Future School is series of practical activities through which participants work with their ideas about education in the past, present and, most importantly, in the future. They worked individually and in groups to find common ground for students of the future and learning. Combining practical activities and creative concepts, they work both in groups and online and put forward their ideas and suggestions on learning for sustainable development and global citizenship at padlet.com and   menti.com. They also did this the old-fashioned way with drawings on paper.

Citizen of the Future The future is not something that just happens - we create it with all our actions and decisions. In this workshop, the concept of citizenship was explored, especially how citizenship might appear in the future. How is citizenship portrayed in science, fiction, movies and TV shows. Participants were encouraged to try to determine the essential aspects of citizenship in the future and consider how education can possibly prepare us to be active and effective as citizens of the future.

Smart Learning

It is not only working life that is characterized by rapid technological changes and the resulting pressures on education and training. The entire field of education, from kindergarten to university and adult learning, is undergoing extensive change. There was quite a broad consensus among the young people who participated in the workshop on how they would like the future of learning to evolve.

Independent of time and place. New digital learning forms will have taken over. Tablets, smartphones and computers connected to the Internet enable students to actively participate in learning where and when they choose and at a pace which best suits each and every one of them. With new applications, apps and social media, it is possible to collaborate across boundaries and subjects. Teachers can record lectures and teaching materials so that students can study independently of their location, but when they get to the classroom, physically or online, they have to be active, think, and contribute to the process of co-creation.

Location specific. If learning is location specific, the physical environment must be radically changed, offering more light, larger windows, connection to nature, better air, a greater choice of furniture, adjustable desks, screens, chairs, sofas, yoga balls and Fatboy furniture. There should be more colors on the walls and an abundance of green plants everywhere. The atmosphere should be relaxing and meet the needs of some students who require more privacy.

Games and simulations. Gaming experiences include computer games or game-like tools that simulate tailored learning, tied closely to real tasks or work situations. Games can increase motivation for learning. CCP presented among others the SPARC game that is a virtual, exciting and demanding sport. It can be played individually with relevant challenges or online with friends in an exciting social competition.

Adapted to the individual. Whether we are talking about a book or a method, ‘the same for all’ does not apply. A variety of offerings at all levels becomes available online. In addition, digital learning situations make gathering and analyzing quantities of data possible. This can help improve both understanding and learning processes. Thanks to analyses, adaptive learning systems can continually adapt lessons to each participant's level and needs.

Globalization. English was the common language; the second language of the majority of the participants, a language which they have mastered well. Several participants wanted to learn some more of the "major" languages such as Spanish, French and German. However, the Icelandic participants confirmed that they find it helpful to have had to learn Danish, Norwegian or Swedish in school.  

Critical and creative sense

Going back to the opening of the workshop by the Minister of Education, Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, the goal is for everyone to have access to quality lifelong learning by 2030. Now is the time, to take action if the situation is to change. Changes are often systematic; everything is connected with everything. Youth should above all be encouraged to use their critical potential to create change! They should also continue to be creative and find new ways and means to influence development. Through collaboration and coherence, the problems facing the world can be solved. At the end of the workshop, several participants said that they had had an exciting and interesting day, and that they would like to take part in developing similar gatherings in the other countries!

The article is from NVL (Nordic Network for Adult Learning). NVL promotes collaboration on lifelong learning across the Nordic region and contributes with knowledge to decision makers and practitioners. The network is a program under the Nordic Council of Ministers. More about lifelong learning can be found at NVL.org (www.nvl.org).

Facts:

Iceland´s Presidency for the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2019

Youth, sustainable tourism and the marine environment are the priority areas under the Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2019. Nordic priorities for gender equality, digitalization, sustainable development and the UN's global goals are integrated into the projects of the Presidency. The United Nations Sustainability Goals are the world's joint work plan to eradicate poverty, combat inequality and halt climate change by 2030.

Goal 4: Obtaining a quality education is the foundation for creating sustainable development. In addition to improving quality of life, access to inclusive education can help equip locals with the tools required to develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest problems.

By 2030, to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development by means of, among other things, education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development