REPORT

Continuing education at schools of higher learning – data on developments in the context of the Bologna process

Wide-ranging, different and at the same time diverging factors are having an impact on schools of higher learning, causing uncertainty among staff as well as institutional insecurity. This also goes for scholarly continuing education. In general it would appear that there is a trend towards commercialisation of universities linked with a growing autonomy of sub-units, faculties and departments. Scholarly continuing education is by the same token subject to countervailing forces: on the one hand, the reform of studies programmes in the Bologna context is being included in the structural changes and losing its marginal status; on the other hand, schools of higher learning are under extreme pressure to commercialise. This is why empirical material, which we have summarised in the following, are particularly important in discussing future prospects.

Learning from other countries? International perspectives on participation in continuing education at schools of higher learning

This article adopts an international comparative perspective to identify the conditions favouring or impeding participation in university continuing education and seeks to answer the question of what we can learn from other countries. To this end, data selected from seven countries through secondary statistical analyses is presented and systematically compared to the specific national institutional context. Our analysis shows that the current situation and future development of university continuing education is highly dependent on pathways and context and that this systemic nature applies constraints on the adoption of individual elements from other countries. Nevertheless, one can learn from the comparative countries.

Continuing higher education: International comparison of organisation and business areas

While the relevance of lifefelong learning is growing internationally and is reflected in a changing and growing range of programme and course structures, German continuing higher education (CHE) institutions are unable to use this increased relevance to strengthen their own positions. An international comparison of CHE in six countries shows that types of organisation, responsibilities and the range of ”business areas” vary greatly. Especially in Finland and the United States, CHE has a more important status both within and outside schools of higher learning due to professionalised internal structures and a stronger presence in the market. This article looks ”beyond the rim of the teacup” to show how CHE is positioning itself in the countries compared and what the implications of this are for the German situation.

The product clinic – a method to plan demand-oriented planning of courses and programmes for continuing higher education

Continuing higher education is facing the challenge of having to react to heterogenous target groups and having to position itself in the competitive market of further education. In order to be able to plan demand-oriented programms for further education, knowledge of the addressees´ specific educational needs is required. Product clinics as an innovative method of market analysis provide the means to integrate addressees in the planning of programms, determine their educational needs and analyse possibilities for new developments to position themselves within the context of their self-image. Product clinics may thus contribute to the development of a specific profile of scientific further education.

Can continuing university education be "internationalised"? Factors conditioning success and constraints on the export of continuing education programmes from German, Austrian and Swiss schools of higher learning

In the context of a general expansion of the university sector through an ongoing differentiation and new regulatory models, the international orientation has become a key differentiating factor and quality aspect. This article shows that possibilities for greater internationalisation of continuing education at schools of higher learning depend on the type of programmes, the organisational context and structural factors in the labour market. Moreover, GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) is contributing to a general opening up of the market for foreign and private providers, thus posing a challenge to public providers. This far it has not been possible to forecast, however, whether GATS will lead to any lasting changes in the sector of continuing university education or not.

Vocational continuing education by gainfully employed persons – the explanatory power of activity-related features for continuing education behaviour

Socio-demographic, company and employment data is often used to explain continuing education behaviour of individuals. Even though continuing education needs arise directly in the job context, job-related aspects are less frequently taken into account – not least due to the availability of data. This has been made possible, however, by a representative survey of around 20,000 employed persons conducted in 2006. The following multivariate analyses show that these traits have a significant influence on individuals’ participation in continuing education. In particular job qualification requirements, but also occupational activities as well as learning requirements or demands for creativity in the job environment are positively correlated with participation in formalised continuing education in courses and studies programmes, but also in informal continuing education such as e.g. learning at conferences, trade fairs or by reading the trade literature. Factors which appear to be less important with respect to job-related forms of learning include familiarisation with a new job or task or on-the-job training, supervision and coaching.