Page 4 - euroguidance-insight-newsletter-2015-autumn

”Learning mobility easily becomes a privilege for those who are

already privileged”
- Interview with Søren Kristensen, PhD, Denmark

it reactively – on request – rather opportunities available to the target
than actively promoting it to clients groups they deal with. They need
for whom the thought of learning to know something about common
by leaving does not suggest itself problems occurring in mobility pro-
naturally. Thereby learning easily jects and about the way learning
becomes a privilege for those who happens in situations outside of an
are already privileged, and this is a institutional setting and in a foreign
pity. Research shows that also young context. This is however no rocket
people with fewer opportunities can science and it can easily be integrat-
benefit substantially from a trans- ed into basic training programmes
national experience but they need for guidance counsellors or provided
encouragement and support to cross as a short in-service training course.
the threshold. Getting more people Ideally, a proportion of guidance
motivated for, and involved in, learn- counsellors in a given context should
ing mobility is arguably the biggest also have had a transnational learn-
challenge for guidance counselling ing experience themselves. It is often
with regard to this – but of course those who have been abroad at
Being a researcher on learning mo- not the only one. some stage and know what it takes
bility, what do you see as the main (as well as what it gives), who are the
challenges for guidance counsellors? What, then, is needed to overcome most effective proponents of learn-
this challenge? ing mobility.
The tasks of the guidance counsellor Secondly, there must be ready access
with regard to learning mobility are There are several ways to make to more specialised information in
in principle the same as for any other learning mobility more inclusive the shape of websites dedicated to
guidance activity in a pedagogical through guidance and counselling. learning opportunities abroad and
context, namely to enable access experts who can be contacted for
(i.e. match clients with opportuni- Firstly, all guidance counsellors – and more in-depth knowledge. Thirdly,
ties), survival (i.e. prevent premature not just those dealing with students there must be contact and coop-
drop-out) and enhance learning (i.e. in higher education – must have eration between guidance systems
help the client exploit the full learn- some basic knowledge on learning across national borders, so that
ing potential of the experience). mobility, and especially about the counsellors can draw on each other

Learning mobility, however, is a
complex phenomenon that cannot
be subsumed under a single category
or headline. There are many types
of learning mobility that address
different target groups and learning
objectives, and as a form of expe-
riential learning that takes place in
a geographically remote location, it
contains many so called “imponder-
ables” – factors which are difficult to
access or evaluate the significance of
from the guidance counsellor’s lair.
Therefore, there is a certain reti-
cence vis-à-vis learning mobility, and
many counsellors prefer to deal with

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