Education day to make learning more social

“Learning is a dimension of everyday life. Often we think of learning as something that happens between the ears. The only reason why we are who we are as a species is because of social learning.”

So says Etienne Wegner, a learning theorist, known for his harsh critiques of education and his theory that learning is created between people as a social concept.

He spoke at the Ceremonial Hall, on Thursday 26 September, where educators, administrators, and students were all gathered to discuss University of Copenhagen’s development of new learning strategies.

A Call to Action

The University plans to revitalize learning methods for both students and teachers, using DKK 80 million from the University of Copenhagen 2016 group.

Prorektor Lykke Friis, who held the morning introduction, discussed the importance of continuous improvement in education. Friis believes the initiatives reflect what students want: a more social approach to learning. To this end, UCPH plans to incorporate online learning and the establishment of a Teaching Academy.

“The University has issued a number of new rules that will require a paradigm shift,” she says.

Etienne Wegner’s speech, titled “Professional Learning in Landscapes of Practice: Recent Developments in Social Learning Theory” was a call to action for educators. Wegner wants them to reevaluate the academic nature of learning.

“The problem with universities is that you gain credit for the production of knowledge, but you exclude [student] experience,” he says.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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