Switzerland has one of the best ecosystems for entrepreneurship. However, there is a blind spot with regard to vocational colleges: A systematic integration of the topic is currently missing. The initiative "Entrepreneurial Thinking and Acting in Swiss Vocational Colleges -- Economic, Social and Ethical Dimensions" aims to address this…

Based on ethnographic observations in a programme on job search training in Fribourg, Switzerland, I discuss the regimentation that is expected from job seekers on how to 'sell the self' in the labour market, i.e. on how to successfully manage a job interview. I will show how in attempting to narratively package their trajectories, the coaches'…

Far from following a linear process from its conception to its implementation, an educational design often involves discrepancies between what its promoters intended and what the participants actually do. In this paper, drawing from a sociocultural perspective to learning, we focus our attention precisely on some of the discrepancies observed…

This paper will describe pedagogical approaches for re-purposing an open educational resource (OER) designed and produced by the Deutsche Welle. This free online program, "Deutsch Interaktiv," consists of authentic digital videos, slideshows and audio texts and gives a contemporary overview of the culture and language in Germany, Austria…

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a comprehensive yet detailed account of the current giftedness and gifted education situation in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. It is concerned with four main research questions: (1) How is "giftedness" defined in German-speaking countries? (2) How are gifted children…

Education in the 21st century is diverse not only in content and discipline but also in format and delivery. Today's students have access to a broad range of information, knowledge, ideas, and opinions well beyond their classroom. Never before have learners been able to interact so closely with instructors, mentors, subject-matter experts, and…

This article introduces a tri-national research and development project which aims to develop indicators for the cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary educational task "education for sustainable development" (ESD). These indicators are meant to help monitor the implementation of ESD efforts in schools and institutions of higher education…

Half of all adult education programs in Switzerland are conducted through Migros, the country's largest cooperative and largest private company. Migros' educational network principle specializes in teaching languages but also offers 174 subject areas as well as other activities and services. Some Migros adult education innovations are described.…

This document presents a brief, personal look at school governance in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. The author, a former teacher in Zurich, describes the close relationship between the community and an educational system in which teachers are appointed temporarily by a lay school board and must be confirmed in their positions by periodic…

Since 2002 the "Zurich E-Learning Certificate" offers lecturers and academic staff from the three main universities in Zurich the possibility to take part in a professional development program which supports the acquirement of eCompetence. The program is the result of a cooperation between the University of Zurich (UZH), the Swiss…

The domain of inter-university network services intended for the non-specialist is presented. "Network" and "telecommunication services" are introduced and the activities and prerequisites necessary to implement the services needed by the users are described. The provision of telecommunication services for the academic…

Asserting that exploration of the role of higher education in community building is not unique to the United States, describes examples of collaborative efforts involving universities and communities working together in the United States, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, and Mexico. (EV)

This volume, the first in a series of three, contains the reports of four European experiments that were part of a process of cooperative monitoring of a project on adult education and community development. The theme of these experiments is "participation of women and men in decisions affecting their daily lives over a wide range of local…

In 12 brief chapters, a view is provided of elementary school improvement efforts made by participants in the Contact School Plan of the Council of Europe's Council for Cultural Co-operation. The Contact School Plan created a network of 12 schools implementing innovative educational practices in as many nations. Chapters 1 and 2 describe the…

Reports results of a study comparing 15 engineering schools in the United States and abroad, focusing on undergraduate programs for the first degree beyond secondary education. For the United States, only programs leading to the B.S. in engineering were considered. (CS)