The City Learning Experience as Sustainable Educational Opportunity
Abstract
In recent years, the Learning City paradigm has established itself as a strategic framework for promoting lifelong learning, social inclusion and sustainable urban development. However, the evaluation of Learning Cities is still mainly based on structural and output indicators, which are not very sensitive to the quality of the experience of citizens. This study proposes an experience-based and citizen-centred evaluation approach, aimed at exploring the urban learning experience through the integration of User Experience tools and participatory qualitative methodologies. The research adopts a convergent qualitative-quantitative design and involves a sample of 357 adult citizens, residents of the city under study and participants in urban learning activities. Quantitatively, the experience was measured using the User Experience Questionnaire – Short version (UEQ-S), while qualitatively, 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. The activities evaluated include an integrated urban learning programme consisting of cultural events in public spaces, educational courses in museums and libraries, civic and digital workshops, and an online platform providing access to training opportunities. The quantitative results show overall positive assessments of both the pragmatic and hedonic quality of the experience, indicating high levels of effectiveness, accessibility and engagement. The qualitative analyses confirm the perception of the city as a widespread and meaningful educational space, but also highlight critical issues related to real inclusiveness, orientation skills and the misalignment between stated educational policies and actual practices.
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