Description of Themes
- Theme I: Concepts and formats of young people’s learning mobility
- Theme II: Quality, standards and their implementation
- Theme III: Quality aspects – Approaching target groups
- Theme IV: Qualification for and through young people’s learning mobility
- Theme V: Comparative youth work
- Theme VI: Impact research and evaluation methods
- Theme VII: Current debates and challenges
Theme I: Concepts and formats of young people’s learning mobility
Within the last 50 years different concepts were used to describe and underline the importance of international youth mobility: international understanding, intercultural learning, respect for diversity etc. Recent EU documents connect youth mobility with life-long learning requirements. Furthermore we have to keep in mind that youth mobility takes place in various settings using different formats, e.g. long stay voluntary service, short term exchange seminars and work camps.So what do we mean when talking of young people’s learning mobility? This theme will concentrate on approaches, concepts, theories, ideologies and related settings in the field of youth mobility.
Theme II: Quality, standards and their implementation
The impact of European mobility programmes (EU and Council of Europe) as well as some national youth mobility schemes have enhanced the quality of international youth mobility activities. But what does quality mean within this field? What is the current quality level of learning mobility? Which are the underlying criteria? Some attempts have been made to create quality standards. The evaluation of youth mobility activities nowadays belongs to these standards and many best practice examples in international youth mobility activities have been gathered. What are the requirements for an appropriate evaluation with the aim to assure and improve quality?This theme focuses on current quality debates, the question of the quality level and criteria of young people’s learning mobility and to present some best practice examples.
Theme III: Quality aspects – Approaching target groups
Young people in Europe are a heterogeneous part of the European population. Learning mobility activities have to take into account that young Europeans are diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion and spirituality, urban and rural living conditions, life-styles and their expectation of international activities. Learning mobility activities must reflect this diversity and therefore we must develop different learning settings for different target groups.This theme aims to describe the target groups we are dealing with and to present best practices to deal with the consequences of these complex problems. What are the current debates in this field?
Theme IV: Qualification for and through young people’s learning mobility
The personal capacities and competencies of teamers and responsible practitioners play an essential role for the quality of young people’s learning mobility activities. Which competencies and qualifications are necessary to successfully prepare, implement and evaluate mobility projects? Are there formal qualifications qualifying for learning mobility? What is the current handling for organizers of mobility projects, e.g. are there minimum requirements for teamers?From another point of view, qualification can be seen as one outcome of learning mobility. How do mobility projects initiate learning experiences? How can these qualifications be described? Which possibilities are there to get them acknowledged?
Theme V: Comparative youth work
In the international arena comparative approaches of research and practice are crucial. Cooperation, transnational networks and cross-border activities are currently bringing together different perspectives and views. Which are the different perspectives to be used for a comparison of developments in different countries? What are the different realities we are dealing with speaking of youth work and learning mobility in Europe? Are there conceptual frameworks that form the basis of effective international comparisons? An analysis of the comparison of concepts, activities and phenomena form the core of this discussion. Different models of comparative youth work are therefore the focus of this theme.Theme VI: Impact research and evaluation methods
For some years youth mobility activities have been accompanied by quantitative and qualitative research showing the sustainable success of these activities for participants and society. The outcomes of evaluations show the requirements for responsible actors in this field as well as for policy makers.What are the different models concerning the methodological access to the field of different target groups (e.g. leisure time, apprenticeship, school/student exchange)?
How can we describe the impact of young people’s learning mobility?
What are the implications for stakeholders?
These are the questions this theme wants to deal with.
Theme VII: Current debates and challenges
Volunteers vs. professionals, European administration vs. pedagogical conviction, East–West-differences, North-South decline, European programmes vs. withdraw of national/ regional activities, deprived areas and access to mobility schemes, exchange for the young elite vs. promotion of disadvantaged young people, digital divide, learning mobility between empowerment and investment - these are only a few of the current debates and challenges learning mobility is confronted with.We will try to consolidate the essential discourses of the previous themes in order to provide a platform to discuss and reflect upon them. Therefore this theme is not open to the call for contributions but will be filled with content by the emerging debates during the conference.