The journey

My journey from the print media to online media did not happen from one day to the other. In the beginning there was my encounter with the” Zentrum für Allgemeine Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung (ZAWiW) “at Ulm University. Here I was motivated to work with the new media and to handle PC and Internet in professional manner.

In December 2002, we – a group of people with similar interests at Ulm University – have founded the ssociation ViLE e.V. “Virtual and face-to-face learning and competence network for older adults” with the aim to provide older people with a platform for the use of the Internet for education and experience exchange. Soon, introductory courses in the techniques of the interactive use of the Internet were offered to us and used by us intensively. Projects were initiated, based on different interests of the participants. And I found myself in the middle of a “lifelong learning” process.

The project idea

In July 2003, the ZAWiW of Ulm University started the model project “Senior-Online-Editors”. The idea of the project was to open to interested and engaged older people in their post-professional phase through specialized training and qualification a new learning and activity field. The model of “volunteer online editors” should demonstrate in an exemplary way how older people learn a creative and proactive approach to application of the new communication technologies and use it for active participation in a social dialogue. ZAWiW published at that time already the LernCafe, an online continuing-education journal for older people, and had therefore already practical experience. The model project for the qualification of older people to senior online editors was designed on the principle “from seniors for seniors”.

The qualification

In special training sessions that took place virtually, we have acquired the needed know-how for online editorial work.
And so also the future senior online editors who lived in various parts of Germany could participate in the training seminars. They all had the goal, once qualified as a senior online editors, to cooperate on the design of the LernCafe – from its conception to its publication.

The start

The mid-term training had not yet finished, when the future Senior-Online-Editors started. Our first online journal should appear in June 2004. The six new online editors were responsible for identifying subjects and for their processing. Since we lived in various places, all necessary steps such as task distribution, agreements, queries, and also editorial conferences, took place via the web. Research results, ideas and assessments were exchanged and mutual help and support were practiced with the help of mailing lists, forum and chat.

When the finished product appeared in time for publication on the web, this was not just the result of a successful team work of dedicated Senior-Online-Editors, who had got to know each other through their common task, but also the result of competent leadership and support.

The LernCafe

“LernCafe” is the title of Germany’s first online journal for older adults interested in continuing education. It was developed by ZAWiW of Ulm University and has been published for more than five years. Since July 2005, the LernCafe is published by VILE e.V. Editorial team of dedicated volunteer Senior-Online-Editors is responsible for the concept, content and design of the issues. Each issue has a main topic on which a number of current education projects as well as materials and background information are introduced. The main aim of the online journal is to report about projects, groups and opportunities for general continuing education for older people. Identified and illuminated are especially forms of self-directed learning, productivity and social participation in the third age.

All previous issues of LernCafe are available on CD-ROM from ZAWiW.

Motivation

What motivates older people to go back to the school bank to gain the necessary knowledge and practices for a professional new-start? Is it the desire for the new, for something different, maybe for interesting and challenging tasks? Senior-Online-Editors, who after a successful qualification – engaged in voluntary and a honorary way – cooperate on the creation of the LernCafe, name various motives, for example:
Fulfilling a childhood dream: to be a writer or a journalist,
Joy of Learning: “I learn constantly”,
Desire to write,
Pleasure: passing on knowledge and experience,
Constructive use of free time,
Qualifying for new tasks, applying own competencies.

Perspectives

My own motivation connects to my previous job as an editor of professional journals. I devoted more than three decades to information and knowledge transfer. I wanted to continue with it in retirement, although, due to the technical and social developments, under other conditions and new aspects.
As a Senior-Online-Editor I can impart knowledge and experience. But above all, I want to inform, inspire and, if possible, also motivate. The position of the older and the old people in the society depends on their readiness to inform and to educate themselves. Who wants to stay socially integrated and active, has to “stay on ball”, has to stay informed.
As Senior-Online-Editors, we will contribute that future generations recognize and know that old age can be lived and constructed in an active way.

Links

http://www.senioren-redaktion.de
http://www.lerncafe.de
http://www.vile-netzwerk.de