Conference Topic

The theme of the XIII International Scientific Conference of Lifelong Learning ICOLLE 2021 – The development of competences relevant to life and practice in the 21st century follows the Strategic Intention of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Education of the Czech Republic for the areas of universities for the period from 2021, which includes the expectation that higher education institutions will create opportunities for regular meetings of staff involved in teaching within and across higher education institutions and will create platforms for the exchange of experiences, open formative discussion on innovations in educational activities and the sharing of good practice. However, the topic is also relevant for other levels of education in the Czech Republic and related areas.

The ability to set educational objectives correctly, to adequately choose educational methods, to articulate abstract knowledge in an understandable way, to use educational technology, to evaluate fairly, to communicate with a diverse group of learners and to provide adequate support to the disadvantaged is not a foregone conclusion. The professional erudition not only of academics in their field is only one prerequisite for quality teaching and therefore other relevant competences for quality teaching must be adequately developed.

At the level of schools and universities, the systematization of requirements for initial and continuing education of teachers in teaching methods is expected. The aim is for all employees for whom it is relevant to have access to professional support for their training activities and to continuously develop and update their competencies. This requirement is particularly important for early-stage teachers (often also doctoral students) and for those who are using new educational technologies or practices for the first time, or innovating the content and organization of study subjects or programs. The development of not only pedagogical competencies of employees can be linked to their evaluation, or career advancement.

The strategic plan of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for the period from 2021 assumes that universities will gradually ensure the development of pedagogical competencies of beginning academic staff and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports will subsequently evaluate the experience gained and consider their system anchoring at the national level. The result of this evaluation can be not only a non-binding recommendation, but also the creation of a nationally recognized certificate of initial training (a kind of "pedagogical minimum" for university staff) or the anchoring of minimum training requirements in the relevant regulations.

To what extent is this vision current and will it be possible to fulfill it in the environment of Czech schools and universities?

Academic culture is built on openness, critical thinking, collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge and experience both between universities and with society at large. In this context, a number of core themes can currently be identified, the solution to which is increasingly important for the further development of the academic profession as it emerges:

• engineering pedagogy, university pedagogy, university didactics

• modern education technology, blended learning and flexible forms of education

• current issues of higher education and higher education policy in the international comparison

• academic culture, academic profession and motivation for the academic profession

• amendments to the Higher Education Act and its implications for the academic environment

• quality in higher education and its complex characteristics

• personally social and professional development of an academic

• academic's work-life balance

• using coaching and mentoring in an academic setting.

• taking into account the specific educational needs of university students

• competencies relevant to the current and future labor market

Who is the conference intended for?

The conference aims at all those who deal with the issues connected to education in their professional activities and who are interested in the chosen topic – university staff,  scientific workers, teachers, counsellors, managers, master‘s or doctoral programme students, professionals in the field of further and non-formal education including the wider professional community.

We welcome contributions of theoretical, empirical, methodological or practical nature dealing with the given topic as well as outcomes of the ongoing or already finished student research or projects (diploma or dissertation theses).

What will be the output?

Reviewed proceedings with the contributions will be the output of the conference.

Further, the participants have the opportunity to offer their expanded papers for publication in the reviewed scientific Journal of Lifelong Learning.

The conference organizers reserve the right to choose the contributions.