Learning communities
In the Roadmap Human Capital Top Sectors 2020-2023, the ten Top Sectors agreed to jointly realise 100 learning communities in 2023. In a learning community, companies, knowledge institutions, civil society organisations and government bodies strengthen each other and optimally connect working, learning, innovation and research. Innovations develop more quickly and find there way more easily within companies and education.
A learning community is a relatively new concept, first introduced by the Top Sectors in 2016. What exactly is a learning community, how is it organised and what er the benefits? In order to gain more knowledge on this, the Network Learning Communities, an initiative of the Top Sectors and NWO (led by the Taskforce for Applied Research SIA) has started. This network also organises and stimulates the targeted dissemination and application of this knowledge in practice.
In March 2022, the network published a national Position Paper Learning Communities. The aim of this position paper is to integrate the existing theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of Learning Communities into a widely accessible document that can be used in the definition of Learning Communities and in setting up, further developing and making Learning Communities more sustainable.
An action scan tool is developed to more precisely operationalise the concept of learning communities and to facilitate existing learning communities. More information on the Network Learning Communities, the action scan tool and other aspects of learning communities can be found on the website of Human Capital Top Sectors.
Top Sector LSH strives to realise 4 to 6 learning communities by 2023. The foundation for these learning communities lays in the fieldlabs, also known as GROZzerdammen. In these fieldlabs, citizens, professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, educational institutions and policy makers work together in local and regional networks to achieve the missions. The knowledge gained in the fieldlabs can then be transferred and altered to other regions, for instance through education for citizens collectives of patient organisations. But it also works the other way around: citizens who are experience experts can teach professionals what is necessary on a local level.