Two years ago, when WISE launched the research project “Local Learning Ecosystems: Emerging Models”, in partnership with the Innovation Unit, we asked ourselves how the models of learning ecosystems featured in the report could evolve as a significant new driver in education on a large scale.
Since then, WISE has observed enormous growth in appetite for the concept, including in Qatar where we are based. While the 2019 research provided the conceptual framework and analyzed nine case studies from various parts of the world, this new project focuses on the opportunities and challenges in developing learning ecosystems in Qatar.
Rather than solely mapping the rich landscape of formal and non-formal education stakeholders in the country, our team invited those stakeholders to envision the most suitable model(s) for Qatar’s local needs.
This research aims to better understand the potential of the learning ecosystems concept in Qatar, focusing on five core areas. The study was conducted through a participatory action research approach, encompassing surveys, interviews and co- designed workshops with stakeholders, including learners, in Qatar.
Approximately 150 local stakeholders (as well as a selection of global experts) were engaged in the process; the findings speak to their insights, perspectives and hopes for the future. Those young learners we collaborated with spoke of their desire for purpose, for fairness, for their voices to be heard, to be successful, and to be able to make change in the areas that they are passionate about.
