The potential of ‘didactic mixing’ in Lifelong Learning

Abstract

In the expansion of Lifelong Learning (LLL) at Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), we suggest that our task, as teachers, is to develop democratic, experiential, emancipatory and imaginative initiatives. In line with this aim, this paper suggests an approach to lifelong learning in which students and practitioners learn from and with each other. Key to our argument is that this ‘didactic mixing’ occurs at three levels: 1) the mixing of practitioners and students from different backgrounds, 2) the mixing of different ways of knowing, in particular, combining scientific and professional expertise with experiential knowledge, and 3) the mixing of different settings both on and off campus. Drawing on our experiences, we present teacher reflections on two courses that we organized in parallel in the winter of 2022: i.) Techniques of Futuring, in which master’s students and societal practitioners engaged with the contentious issue of the future of the rural Netherlands, and ii) the Coalition of Hope, in which master’s students and societal practitioners reflected on their personal and emotional experiences in engaging with societal change for sustainable futures. In reflecting on our design choices, we conclude that mixing in participants, ways of knowing, and settings allows teachers to craft their courses to their pedagogical foundations by continuously asking with whom, how, and where and why one learns. Furthermore, we propose that no single ‘mix’ counts as unambiguous best practice, but rather hope that this paper inspires teachers and others in the LLL community to reflect and act upon the setup of the learning experience and explore the agency they could have in didactic mixing.