Higher Education and Lifelong learning A research on

Higher Education and Lifelong learning A research on “non traditional” students at University Andrea Galimberti - Ph. D andrea. galimberti 1@unimib. it

Knowledge as a “grey capital” Since 90 es the political agendas of the main western international organizations (EU, UN, OECD) have been enlighting the lifelong learning as a key factor for the development of a more productive and efficient workforce and social cohesion. So “effort and resources are being devoted to promoting the idea of lifelong learning as a solution to society's current ills” (Field, 2006 : 1)

“(…) For those who are excluded from this process, however, or who chose not to participate, the generalisation of lifelong learning may only have the effect of increasing their isolation from the world of 'knowledge-rich'. ” (OECD, 1997 quoted in Field, 2006)

University Third task Research Teaching Lifelong learning programs Life skills Community services

Population élite niches Mass higher education (Trow 1999) Lifelong?

Non traditional students in HE Students under-represented, and whose participation in higher education is constrained by structural factors. • students whose family had not been to university before, • students from low-income families, • mature students • students with disabilities

These students are considered at risk in terms of access, retention, active participation, academic success and social integration. http: //www. ranlhe. dsw. edu. pl/documents. html

“This interest in integration led us in turn to explore what promotes or limits the construction of a learner identity among non-traditional adult students. Such an identity is itself part of the integration process which enables people to become effective learners and which promotes or inhibits completion of HE. ” (Field, Merril & West 2011 p. 2)

Research design 1. Auto/biographical workshops (50 students) 2. Co-operative inquiry (6 researcher-students)

1. Auto/biographical workshops The workshops, articulated in three meetings (three hours each), promoted writing and sharing, in small groups.

Purposes - give voice to individual learning stories within the university; - highlight differences and connections between the participants' experiences; - develop meaning and understanding through dialogue; - foster reflexive processes, and possibly deliberate actions.

The workshop activities were structured in order to allow an exploration of students’ experiences from new perspectives. The dimension of “new” was gained through proposals based on cognitive displacement (Munari & Fabbri 2005), aestethical experiences and group debates. All the autobiographical activities were meant to trigger sensemaking processes.

“Explicit efforts at sensemaking tend to occur when the current state of the world is perceived to be different from the expected state of the world, or when there is no obvious way to engage the world” (Weick et al. 2005: 409)

Learning “Side effect”: possibility emerging from the workshop constraints Learning biography (Dominicèé 2000): reflective thinking and transversal competences (learning to learn)

“Transformative learning refers to the process by which we transform our taken-for-granted frames of reference (meaning perpectives, habits of mind-sets) to make them more inclusive, discriminating, open, capable of change, and reflective so that they may generate beliefs and opinions that will prove more true or justified to guide action (…) (Mezirow 2000)

2. Co-operative inquiry (Heron & Reason 1997, 2008) • Research is conducted with people rather than on people: a group of researchers come together to explore an agreed area of activity. • All the subjects are fully involved as co-researchers in all research decisions • The co-researchers engage themselves in the actions they have agreed

• When had I the feeling that university was eager to meet me? • When did I feel that university was a place useful for me (a place where I can play)? • When did the university allow me to dream? • When did I feel recognized as an adult, with his/her own proper learning interest?

Conceptual framework to analyze stories about students and university in relation Sensitising concepts structured in couples. The two terms are considered complementary, not opposites (Keeney, 1983). Two polarities of a continuum in order to create“open concepts” (Morin 1980): concepts able to connect ideas and open semantic spaces, not intended to define discrete qualities.

Mapping students’ experience Structure/agency; Real/imagined social capital; Self/mutual recognition.

New call for tenders with a little surprise: the coordinator must have a degree in educational sciences. The fever to level the diploma of the school for educators and the degree explodes. Will that be enough? Not any answer from whom in charge. You can’t always risk, therefore I’ll enroll at the Bicocca university and will graduate by the end of the next mandate

It’s unbelievable, that’s what I needed to justify a desire. It was necessary that it was a duty, history repeats itself, if it’s only for pleasure it has no validity. Because it is not valid to say “I like too much studying, I want to enroll at the university because I would be happy”. Not after wasting mommy and dad’s money some more than 10 years ago, when I left literature, not after failing.

University as a political and symbolic space

“Political” (Arendt 1958) Action, to the extent that it requires appearing in public, making oneself known through words and deeds can only exist in a context defined by plurality. Human plurality has the twofold character of equality and distinction Such public space of appearance can be always recreated anew wherever individuals gather together politically

Symbolic space “I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace. ” (Bachelard, 1957: 44) Renegotiation of aspects of self in relationship to others and the cultural world of the university. (Transitional Space – West, 1996)

In my experience the university is a sort of cinema that is willing to offer a kind of movie but this thing it doesn't work. Sometimes this cinema becomes a theatre and we are invited on the stage as actors: it's the situation I prefer!(Sara)

Year after year I remained Veronica, “counselor”, but without a degree. This is an important point in my personal and professional life. I felt not up to others. Before going to the university I couln't see my skills, even if other people aknowledged them. (Veronica)

It’s time to restart, looking for something new, time to confirm and disconfirm what I’ve inside me, my past. I’m still from so many years. . . I help others to grow up. . . now it’s time to take back my space for growing up. I’m sure that this experience will be a renovation for me; I’m thirsty and I’m no more able to give water to others, I’m looking for my spring. (Silvia)

A space for critic, for imagination, for reverie that sometimes is difficult to find out. A space able to give meaning, to enlighten the day by day life. It’s about maintaing an unblurred gaze on the world in order to not become old in the soul. (Rosanna)

Shelter “fragile”, “at risk” And if I had start this new experience only because I was looking for an escape? And if it was only a way to escape the adult life? (Tiziana) I don't have the courage to dive in a wide space. . . I need my orientation points. . . the university for example. And then? What is it going to happen? What I'll have to invent again? (Giovanna)

Self/mutual recognition The necessity of being recognized by others in our identity can produce a series of different effects. For example Honneth (1995) is interested in the struggle for recognition, Ricoeur in the possibility of gratitude.

• Actual. Carla: I would like to say that you enrolled at university! You can’t believe it right? But you asked and obtained a time off work, you took a first level degree and now you’are studying for the second level degree! • Past. Carla: Are you sure? ? ?

• Actual. Carla: Yes, and now you don’t work anymore at the bank! You left that job for good two years ago • Past. Carla: Beautiful! And all these things happened in eight years? I can’t believe that!

“So, Luca, now you are a music-therapist. What are you going to do in the future? ”. No hesitation in my answer: “I’m going to the university”. Imagine my colleague look and her reaction: “What? !? But you are old!!! Are you going to live forever with your parents? ? ? ”

Few weeks ago the same professor was invited as speaker in a convention held in my company. I was tempted to speak to him but I felt ashamed. A sense of failure grew inside me and I hid behind my colleagues. (Simona)

I'm no more the same person of two years ago. My husband too says that I'm a different person: I'm more reflexive and more critical (sometimes too much!). Even my friends, my relatives, everybody says that now I'm a better Anna and this fact is a joy for me.