UNESCO learning cities' responses to COVID-19
When the COVID-19 global pandemic hit in 2020, governments around the world temporarily closed educational institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. But how did learning continue for young and old during this time?
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) called on its network of 229 UNESCO learning cities to provide insights into their particular handling of the situation. During a UIL webinar series in 2020, they jointly developed strategies and exchanged information about good practices to ensure that learning did not stop.
In our new publication Snapshots of learning cities’ responses to COVID-19, we showcase local responses to COVID-19. The UNESCO learning city of Glasgow, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, provided one of them.
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) called on its network of 229 UNESCO learning cities to provide insights into their particular handling of the situation. During a UIL webinar series in 2020, they jointly developed strategies and exchanged information about good practices to ensure that learning did not stop.
In our new publication Snapshots of learning cities’ responses to COVID-19, we showcase local responses to COVID-19. The UNESCO learning city of Glasgow, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, provided one of them.
Glasgow, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
In response to government shutdowns of education and arts institutions, the City of Glasgow in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, launched free short art courses. The initiative is not only aimed at students but is intended also to enhance the well-being of society in general.
Mr Mike OsborneProfessor of Adult and Lifelong Learning and Director of Research, School of Education, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Something for everyone
The online programme, ‘Art is made in times of crisis or isolation’, includes a series of 20-minute presentations, which examine works from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including Francisco Goya’s The Dog from the artist’s ‘black paintings’, Jacob Epstein’s Rock Drill, and Duncan Shanks’s sketchbooks.
Talks on ancient history and archaeology, such as The Antonine Wall: Rome’s Final Frontier, in addition to a series of civic engagement lectures focusing on race and poverty are also available.
Talks on ancient history and archaeology, such as The Antonine Wall: Rome’s Final Frontier, in addition to a series of civic engagement lectures focusing on race and poverty are also available.
Communication and collaboration
Course tutors and administrative staff involved in the short-course offerings at the University of Glasgow communicated with each other using Microsoft Teams, Zoom and email, and the marketing team at the university provided advice and support. Generally, course tutors prepared the presentations and uploaded them to Microsoft Teams.
Staff working within the Short Courses department at the university uploaded related talks and presentations to Vimeo and embedded each into a dedicated page within the Short Courses website.
Staff working within the Short Courses department at the university uploaded related talks and presentations to Vimeo and embedded each into a dedicated page within the Short Courses website.
Initiating connections
‘Art is made in times of crisis or isolation’ gave participants a common point of departure to internalize what is possible during periods of difficulty and indirectly encouraged them to find some semblance of opportunity for positive outcomes. The short course further initiated a connection to the present via stories from the past.
Challenge: Working remotely
The need for collaborative action at a time when staff were working from home presented a major challenge and, working remotely, it was difficult for those involved in the initiative to prepare and develop high-quality online lectures. However, with the selection of effective platforms and support from the University of Glasgow’s marketing team, the initiative proved successful.
Learn more!
Find more cases in our publication Snapshots of learning cities’ responses to COVID-19
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) supports and improves the practice of lifelong learning in member cities by promoting policy dialogue and peer learning, documenting effective strategies and good practice, fostering partnerships, providing capacity development, and developing tools and instruments to design, implement and monitor learning cities strategies.
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Photos courtesy of © Getty Images / MarioGuti; Blair Cunningham, University of Glasgow; Getty Images / alanfin; Getty Images / MarioGuti; DAPA Images; Getty Images / byakkaya
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Photos courtesy of © Getty Images / MarioGuti; Blair Cunningham, University of Glasgow; Getty Images / alanfin; Getty Images / MarioGuti; DAPA Images; Getty Images / byakkaya
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UNESCO learning cities' responses to COVID-19
Glasgow, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Mr Mike Osborne
Something for everyone
Communication and collaboration
Initiating connections
Challenge: Working remotely
Learn more!
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities