Kursinformation

Ludwigsburg University of Education, Germany

and

Ambedkar University Delhi, India

 

Concept Note on the Summer School on

Resilience in Education

held September 30^th - October 11^th, 2019, in Ludwigsburg, Germany

 

1. Background

This Summer School is planned as a part of the understanding between the Ludwigsburg University of Education (LUE), Germany, and Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), India, under the framework of the joint project “Schools of Education as Agents of Change. Coping with Diversity in the Digital Age” funded by the Baden-Württemberg STIPENDIUM plus. The Summer School will strengthen the ties between the two collaborating institutions while meeting the overall objectives of the BWS plus-project. It is planned during September 30^th to October 11^th, 2019. During these two weeks, eight students and three faculty members from AUD will collaborate as exchange visitors with seven faculty members and fourteen students of LUE. The activities will be focussed on developing students’ capacities and intercultural understanding on the theme ‘Resilience in Education’. The further sections of this note introduce the theme and present an overview of the programme, the learning format, the completion requirements, and the expected outcomes.

 

2. Introduction to the theme

Resilience is a multidimensional concept explored in different disciplines from varying vantage points. Literature on resilience is found in positive psychology, social-psychology as well as in sociology. While there are a range of ways in which resilience can be defined, in general it is understood as “the process of, capacity for, or outcome of positive adaptation and ongoing professional commitment and growth in the face of challenging circumstances” (Wosnitza et al. 2014, p. 2)^[1]. It is seen as the ability - shaped by a host of factors - of individuals to “bounce back” and thrive personally and professionally in the wake of adversities.

 

Applying this understanding to education, the LUE-AUD Summer School under the framework of the BWS plus-poject is focussing on the theme of ‘Resilience in Education’. The Summer School moves beyond understanding resilience as a skill demonstrated by individuals only in difficult circumstances. It imagines resilience as the capacities and processes by which school students and educators collectively negotiate everyday situations and dilemmas in educational contexts. Based on this imagination, the Summer School aims at:

a)     engaging with different theoretical and practice-based perspectives on resilience in education drawing from the German and Indian educational contexts; and

b)     developing the participants capacities to nurture resilience in their educational practice.

 

3. Overview of the Week

To achieve the aims, the two-week-long Summer School will be organised around sub-themes covering different aspects of resilience in education. These sub-themes include:

• Understanding resilience in education
• Resilience and political systems
• Inclusive and diverse classrooms
• Resilience, resistance and critical pedagogy
• Language learning and resilience
• Off-campus intercultural exchange among participants around the theme

 

Each of these themes will be anchored by a team of LUE and AUD faculty members who will work with the participating students from both the institutions around the specific issues in a variety of learning modes. Each theme will span over one or two days. A detailed plan of the week is at Annexure 1.

 

5. Learning Format

The Summer School will comprise of a variety of teaching-learning modes. A Moodle classroom will be set up in advance to connect all the participants and for pre-arrival activities and discussions. During the Summer School, depending on the theme in focus, workshops, lectures, film discussions, site visits and group projects will be planned and organised by the faculty anchoring the day’s events.

 

In order to facilitate deeper discussions and sustained engagement even after the Summer School, intercultural teams/groups comprising 3 students (including 2 students from LUE and 1 student from AUD) will be formed. Each of the groups will be mentored by a faculty member so as to have guided conceptual discussions and more nuanced intercultural exchange of ideas.

 

6. Requirements for the Completion

Each of the student participants will be required to complete the following criteria to be able to successfully complete the Summer School:

·       Pre-Preparation: Completion of the tasks assigned prior to the School

·       Participation: Attending every day of the Summer School and meaningfully engaging in the activities

·       Coursework: Completion of the tasks assigned during the School

 

7. Expected Outcomes

After the completion of the Summer School the students will be able to:

• Critically engage with the concept of resilience and its applications in education
• Demonstrate intercultural awareness on the various aspects of education addressed in the Summer School
• Develop a nuanced comparative picture of the German and Indian socio-cultural-political context and the location of educational thought and practices therein
• Have a first-hand experience-based understanding of educational diversity, inclusion and exclusion in the two countries
• Develop sustained collaborations and networks in the mentored intercultural groups between LUE and AUD