Pencho Mihnev

Lifelong Learning in the Digital Age

The growing importance of Lifelong Learning must be seen against the background of profound changes, reflected in all aspects of our living environment. These changes concern the global environment, but also our personal, economic, social, cultural and political environments. Lifelong Learning is a ‘must’ in the real-life context of the Knowledge Society and covers “all purposeful learning from the cradle to the grave” of very divers groups of learners. The Lifelong Learning environment has specific characteristics and is strongly supported by Information and Communication Technology. Sustainability of the learning environment is a critical issue. The growing demand for Lifelong Learning will force educational institutions to change.

Towards an organisational model of ‘interface’ university structure as a means of serving Lifelong Learning needs

The paper conceptualises on the experiences of the Centre of Information Society Technologies (CIST), Sofia University, Bulgaria, in serving the learning and training needs of non-university audiences who fall in situations that can be described as lifelong learning-determined. In developing this conceptualisation we use the research findings and policy agendas in two distinct areas — Lifelong Learning, and Higher Education Systems. More specifically we explore the organisational and management issues and challenges of the quite interestingsituation of a structure behaving “in between” the market shaped lifelong learning demands, and the rules and practices of “classical university” structures to which CIST is subordinated. As a result of these three streams of thought and practice we outline an ‘interface’ model of university interdisciplinary structure, which aims to explicitly meet the demands of the lifelong learning market.

Opportunities and Challenges for Efficient and Effective STEM Teachers’ Competence Development

In this paper the results from a study, performed in several European countries, are presented, aimed to identify the main challenges which teachers face when trying to implement innovative teaching methods, stressing on the situation in Bulgaria. The overall design of the study is presented and the used research method is described. The main research activities, performed during the study, are outlined and compared with similar research efforts and initiatives. At the end, systematic analysis of results achieved is performed and proposals for further improvement of the competence development of teachers were made.

STEM Teachers' Competence Development: When Opportunities Jump over Barriers.

In this paper we present a study, aimed to identify the main challenges teachers face when trying to implement innovative teaching methods, stressing on identifying the needed STEM teachers competence development. The overall design of the study follows the European Awareness Scenario Workshop methodology and aims to negotiate the teachers’ need, policy makers decisions and other stakeholders’ understanding of the resent National regulatory framework, related to the teachers’ competence development. The main research activities, performed during the study, are outlined and compared with similar research efforts and initiatives. At the end systematic analysis of results achieved is performed and proposals for further improvement of the competence development of teachers were made. The extracted requirements – mode, forms, topics, etc., for STEM teachers’ competence development are valuable for universities and other institutions offering teachers’ professional development courses. They are a base for further design of computer supported inquirybased education for teachers’ competence development.