PIE Themes Overview

To further develop the unique perspective that PASCAL International Exchanges (PIE) represents for its contributors and participants, this THEMES section highlights a number of major issues which have evolved since the inception of the project.

Initially, PIE was established with a core set of Stimulus Papers from key contributors representing cities and regions from around the world. This has provided a rich pool of information, experience and innovative ideas that all participating cities have benefitted from. Through this public web space we hope that a wider audience has also found the dialogue an interesting and valuable resource.

For a comprehensive review of the development of the PASCAL International Exchanges project, please see Building Inclusive and Sustainable Learning Cities by Peter Kearns, Michael Osborne and Denise Reghenzani-Kearns.

We now invite extended contributions and discussions on the following PIE Themes:

Cultural policy and cultural institutions as arenas for lifelong learning;
Responding to social change;
Preserving the environment;
Mobilising civil society to build successful cities;
ICT and media as vehicles for an inclusive learning society;
Healthy Cities;
Special Country Papers;
Sustainable Opportunity Cities.

To participate in the PIE project, contribute materials or simply to join in the discussions, please contact Peter Kearns.

PIE Themes Activity

Title	Author	Replies	Post date
The City of Dar es Salaam striving to resolve environmental problems	Godfrey Kamukala	10	Sep 4 2011
Hume Intercultural Project – Heritage for All	Marea Ekladious	1	Aug 29 2011
PIE Discussion Paper 3 - Culture, Learning & Development	Peter Kearns	9	Aug 23 2011
Riots and the breakdown of society in England	Peter Kearns	1	Aug 22 2011
Lifelong Learning and the Riots	John Tibbitt	8	Aug 18 2011
PIE Discussion Paper 2 - Making Learning City Development Creative and Innovative	Peter Kearns		Mar 25 2011

Latest Posts

ICT and lifelong learning in Europe

In the first years of the new millennium most people in education and training were very optimistic as to the revolutionary impact of ICT on education and learning. The wide opportunities to learn in different ways, to include disadvantaged learners, to make the educations learner-centred, etc., were celebrated by very many educational stakeholders. Large teacher training programs on the use of ICT were launched.

ICT and Media As Vehicles to Build an Inclusive Learning Society

The Digital Education Research Network demonstrates the importance of highlighting and disseminating quality research into the use of digital technologies and media in schools, training, higher education and life-long learning.

Social enterprises for disengaged young people

It is only a year since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) plunged most wealthy nations into recession. Australia escaped a ‘technical recession’ but unemployment rose by one third. Young people were among the worst affected because employers put new hires on hold, waiting for the economy to improve. This meant that many education leavers could not find work and many young people lost their casual jobs. Many young people who were unable to find a secure job last year are still out of work, because employers are reluctant to hire people who lack recent work experience.

David Peake's blog
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Xploit and LABlearning approaches

Peter Kearns:

I would welcome your comments on the Xploit approach and the basic concepts of involvement and empowerment and some applications with disengaged youth, unemployed, migrants perhaps with some reference to the Scandinavian adult learning tradition. I would also be interested in the MIT Media Lab in Boston media learning concepts that you mention.

Responding to social change: The Ipswich context

This note from the Director of the University of Queensland Boilerhouse Community Engagement Centre in Ipswich comments on some responses to disadvantage in Ipswich a city west of Brisbane that has suffered a number of forms of disadvantage and adversity, including floods in 2010: