On 19 May 2022, the interdisciplinary TRANSIT community met at the Photobastei in Zurich to finally think together again about the future of adult education after the pandemic-related break. The transition from stressful everyday life to creative visioning was facilitated by the new TRANSIT card set “Future Questions” (which, by the way, can be obtained from the SVEB from around mid-June).
Topic of the year: Flexibilisation
This year’s TRANSIT focus topic was at the centre of the event: flexibilisation. The topic had been selected by the TRANSIT community in a broad survey as the focus for 2022. For this purpose, the TRANSIT team prepared a working paper that outlines flexibilisation processes in three areas – lifestyles, new work and knowledge sources – and serves as a basis for this year’s TRANSIT events in all language regions. The working paper outlines social trends. The aim of the TRANSIT events is to grasp or anticipate what these mean for the future of adult education.
Input
Chris Bühler, philosopher and digital ethicist, presented a stimulating introduction to the topic of flexibilisation and introduced the areas of work, life plans and sources of knowledge. In doing so, he also made it possible to experience why flexibilisation is a demanding undertaking: Flexibilisation processes achieve diverse effects that are hardly predictable and can only be planned to a limited extent. Accordingly, the ability to accept the unknown and to improvise from time to time is valuable.
Flexibilisation in adult education?
It is undisputed that social flexibilisation processes are underway. But how these influence the future of adult education has hardly been discussed yet. In a “Silent Discussion”, the participants in the Photobastei explored precisely this question: What does flexibilisation of lifestyles, work and knowledge mean for adult education?
What could a adult education system look like that would be oriented towards the model of increasing flexibilisation?
After the visionary, general questions of the “Silent Discussion”, the participants discussed concrete conclusions for adult education in small groups. In addition to conclusions, new questions also emerged: Which learning opportunities are still up to date? How can access be guaranteed for all? How can an understanding of the complexity of the world be created? How can learners be supported in making sense of it all? And many more.
The results of the lively discussions were recorded in words and pictures. In keeping with the location of the Photobastei – which is a “house of photography” and at the same time a place of experimentation and encounter – the results were not summarised at the end, but exhibited.
What next?
The conclusions from the events in all three language regions will flow into the trend report “Flexibilisation”, which is planned for autumn 2022. The trend report will also be developed in a collaborative process. Some participants have already registered their interest in thinking and writing about the trend report. Other interested parties are welcome to contact the TRANSIT team: info@thinktank-transit.ch.