Understanding

With this toolbox we want to unleash civil initiative with competency based learning approaches. We think, that learning and education can much more contribute to the ideal of a society shaped by active citizens than the traditional model of cognitive education. Education understood as empowerment lays the foundation for an active attitude towards lifelong learning and helps people to apply their power and skills for something purposeful and for the public good. Helping people to gain competences is a collaborative task of families, schools, initiatives and other organizations providing learning.

 
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Key competences as a goal,
empowerment as a learning approach

Competence based learning shifts the focus of education and learning on the indidvidual needs and the applicability of the learned. It defines learning outcomes wider than knowledge. It includes as further equal aspects the practical skills of learners and their competences to act in complex social situations. Our idea of facilitation focuses on two main aspects. As a fundamental goal of education and learning we shape and strengthen key competences. The fundamental didactical approach we promote is the idea of empowerment - helping each individual to act self-responsible, purpose- and powerful.

Competencies

Introduction: For applying complex knowledge we need more than learning from books and in classes. Competence based learning processes cover the broad range of skills, knowledge and attitudes, which one needs for successful action in a modern society. They help inidviduals to develop their key competences and an active attitude to the idea of life-long learning.

Empowerment

Introduction: Equip individuals with skills, knowledge and competences for feeling, using and sharing their influence and power as self-responsible individuals. This active and autonomous attitude towards social challenges and social groups is interconnected with the ideas of democratic citizenship and civil involvement.

 
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Theoretical aspects of learning and groups

Following the idea of competence based learning and empowerment we need to reflect the learning conditions, our idea of education, and the role of the trainer or teacher. And since social life is shaped through group and intergroup collaboration, we need to reflect the specifics of social groups as collective spaces for involvement and as learning spaces.

Experiential Learning

Introduction: Experiential learning sees learning as a process of individual development, holistic in a sense as it appreciates knowledge, skills and attitudes of learners as relevant. It combines learning opportunities in everyday life, school, and all activities beyond classrooms in the civil society.

Teamwork and Group Dynamics

Introduction: Personal cooperation is a management instrument and a learning opportunity for enhancing soft skills. The more diverse groups are, they need to reflect and to apply cooperation models or ways of decisionmaking. These necessary reflections include a more detailed understanding of group processes and team roles.

Communication

Introduction: Communication skills lead in the best case to understanding, efficiency or appreciation of the involved communication partners. This section introduces models that illustrate conditions for successful communication and offer models for gaining communicative competence.

Conflict Management

Introduction: The capacity to conflict resolution influences the quality of collaboration and cooperation in the group in a positive way. With conflict management we improve the quality and efficiency of communication and equip our participants with conflict management skills.

Understanding: Sources & Glossary

Introduction: On this peage we collect links to external glossaries and sources.

What's inside this section?

• Empowerment
  • Power
  • Participation
  • Affirmative Action
  • Cooperative Learning
  • Active Citizenship Education
  • Citizenship Education: Definitions

• Competencies
  • Knowledge Society
  • Transversal or Key Competencies
  • Civic Competences
  • Citizenship Education: Definitions
• Experiential Learning
  • Self-Directed Learning
  • Non-linear Learning Progress
  • Circular Learning Model
  • Holistic Learning
  • Learner in the Focus
  • Motivation

• Teamwork and Group Dynamics
  • Model of group development
  • Belbin Team Inventory
  • 4 Player Model
  • Myer Briggs Type Identicator
  • NEO Personality Inventory
  • Cognitive Style Index
  • Motivational Style
  • Time Management Styles
  • Personality Styles
  • Management styles

• Communication
  • Interpretation
  • Four Sides of a Message
  • Habitus: Grammar of the social framework
  • Language without words: Body language
  • Powerful Listening
• General Introduction: Diversity
  • Diversity: Definition
  • Diversity Consciousness
  • Interculture and Transculture
  • Anti-Bias and Anti-Discrimination

• Conflict Management
  • Conflicts: An Introduction
  • Conflict Analysis and Prevention
  • Behavior in conflict situations
  • Conflict sources
  • Conflict Management - Extended Theory
• Formal, Non-Formal and Informal Education

Methods

• Facilitating Competences
• Doing

"Feeling, gaining and sharing power."

What's empower ment?