As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office[10], seventeen percent of the adult population in Switzerland took some form of further training outside their working context between April 1992 and April 1993. Taking this into account and considering the high level of use of PCs and telecommunications mentioned above, despite the relatively high telecommunication costs[11], one would expect considerable use of learning technologies by the general public.
Studying the use of learning technologies in on-going training for the general public was not the objective of this report. We would, however, like to give one example, amongst many, of adult education for the general public using learning technologies. This example, ProNet, struck us because of its pedagogical approach and the discourse of its organisers about the influence of network technologies on learning.
ProNet[12] is a training programme designed to help women acquire the necessary skills in information management. The one-day course, of which some twenty sessions have already taken place is held at the cnlab of the Intercantonal Technicum of Rapperswil. Each course is attended by ten to fifteen participants most of whom are in their thirties or forties and active professionally. The course is jointly organised by the Offices for Equality of the Cantons of Zurich and Basel as well as the Office for Women's Rights of the City of Zurich, with financial support from the Federal Action for Further Training (WBO).
According to the organisers, the enormous quantity of fact-based knowledge currently available on the Internet points the way to a shift in the role of teachers from the provision of facts to the moderation of the learning process. As a result, the ProNet course is put together in such a way as to allow participants to concentrate on those subjects which interest them most. The preference is generally for e-mail and the World-Wide Web. According to written feed-back at the end of each course, participants perceived this flexible learning context very positively.
An introductory CD-ROM has also been prepared by a group of four women so as to provide an easily accessible tool for learning about Internet as well as examples of the uses made by women of the network for those unable to attend the course.
[10] Op Cit.
[11] The cost of local telephone calls in Switzerland is higher than in any other of the world's higher income countries. Monthly residential telephone subscriptions are also higher than any other European country. Residential installation charges are however around average. In Europe only the UK and Sweden have higher monthly business telephone subscriptions. (Source World Telecommunication Development Report, ITU, Geneva, Oct. 1995).
[12] For further information, contact: Dr.
Lucia Kleiber, ProNet, cnlab-ITR, Rapperswil.
Phone: 41.55. 23 47 19 E-mail: Lucia Kleiber