We All are Europe - AESAEC

Authentic Location Learning, Multi-sensorial Learning and Learning by Doing
III.2. Authentic Location Learning
Learning at an authentic location is – as a deliberately applied methodology – still relatively new
amongst general educational concepts. It is true that in the school and university sectors during the
last few decades it has been forcibly encouraged. However as a rule its application has been limited
to certain subjects and activities (e.g. including visiting museums for history or politics teaching,
excursions for geography, visits abroad for learning foreign languages). The situation is somewhat
more positively structured in vocational training and further education, in which learning and practical
periods spent at places of work represent a traditionally fixed integrated component of career
development.
In general adult education however, Authentic Location Learning – with a few exceptions – is not
widely applied at all, with the reasons for this varying considerably: they include participants having
limited time, the significant amount of organisation required by educational providers in terms of
preparation and implementation, the related high cost to course participants, the often low acceptance
level of this form of learning amongst learners and teaching staff, but also due to the lack of
interest shown by learning groups to spend time together outside of the educational establishment.
In the AESAEC training concept there is a distinct awareness that every available meaningful opportunity
should be used to leave the “usual” learning location (educational establishment or classroom),
to convey learning subject matter and learning objectives. At the same time formal as well
as informal learning activities can and should be moved to the following locations:
museums, libraries, exhibitions, cultural events
public discussions, seminars and lectures
national and EU public institutions that are of relevance and interest
other EU project groups, institutions or networks which may be relevant or of interest
production units working with professional texts, marketing of products, projects etc. (e.g.
newspapers, publishers, advertising agencies, project managers etc.)
possibly restaurants and public houses with European flair
internet (much of the learning content – e.g. programme information, application and reporting
forms etc. – are easily accessible via the internet, so the internet should be used
actively and intensively as a virtual learning location.)
These are just a few suggestions and ideas which have been taken into consideration by our training
course and which can be expanded or completed depending on demand and opportunities. In addition
it is important to ensure that Authentic Location Learning (as also with all other learning
forms) is not implemented as a L’art pour l’art, but instead is deliberately embedded in the pedagogical
concept and provides concrete learning results.
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