Welcome to

e-mancipatory Learning:
Scientific Theory
and
Trade Union Visions

5-7 December 2001

….a Conference at Runö Folkhögskola
in the Archipelago of Stockholm
Sweden

The aim of the conference
After four years of experience in the Distance Supported Learning for Local Knowledge Needs (DLK) project and a number of papers presented at conferences and in scientific journals, is now time for conference focusing on the aim for DLK project – e-mancipatory Learning.

Background
Democracy is today a commonly used concept and many nations and organizations state that the are founded on democratic principles. However, exactly what is put in the term is not consistent. A usual understanding is that democracy means that the members of a community have the possibility to influence matters central to the their life and work situations and that decisions systematically are based on the opinion of the majority. However, if the members of a community really are to have an impact, each individual should have access to relevant information and be able to gain knowledge necessary to make independent decisions. In this spirit the DLK project was initiated. The project is since 1997 a collaboration between the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, LO, Runö folkhögskola and Linköping University (http://www.dlk.runo.se/english.html). The aim of the project is to develop teaching methods and technical applications to support IT-based distance learning. This learning is to be freely accessible and meet the needs for knowledge and information of local trade union representatives and members, i.e. an environment is created for e-mancipatory learning. The utmost goal of the DLK-project is that all the 220 000 shop stewards in LO experience that they have access to relevant information when it is needed, knowledge where it is needed and are able to easily communicate locally and worldwide via IT.

Session topics
The conference is divided in four sessions;

• e-mancipatory learning – vision and realization
• Learning
• System development
• IT as Knowledge Support
• Trade Union Implications

Key presenters

Prof. Anders Flodström, President at the Royal Institute of Technology
Ove Ivarsen, IT-ombudsman at the Swedish Trade Union Confederation
Sara Jägare, Project manager of the DLK project
Prof. Roger Säljö, Göteborg University
Prof. Staffan Larsson, Linköping University
Prof. Yrjö Engeström, the Academy of Finland and University of California, San Diego
Prof. Toomas Timpka, Linköping University
Prof. Barbara Wasson, University of Bergen, Norway
Derek Stubbs, Senior Consultant in Trade Union ICT and ODL Projects
Christer Marking, Director of the Swedish ICT-commission
etc.

More information about the conference and DLK project can be found at http://www.ida.liu.se/conferences/EmL or achieved via Berit Glemhorn (email:bergl@ida.liu.se).