Lernalltags

Lernalltags is a term used in German-speaking education discourse to describe learning that takes place regularly in everyday life and is recognized as part of formal education. It refers to processes by which individuals acquire knowledge, skills, and competencies through daily activities, work, media consumption, family life, volunteering, and social participation. The concept emphasizes that learning is distributed across contexts and times, not confined to formal instruction, and that meaningful learning often arises from authentic tasks and real-world problems. It is a compound of Lernen and Alltag (everyday life) and is used to frame how education can connect with learners’ lived experiences.

In practice, Lernalltags informs curricula and pedagogy by linking school tasks to students’ real lives, employing project-based and experiential learning, and supporting reflection through portfolios or learning journals. It encourages involving families and communities in the learning process. Assessments may include portfolios, performances, and self-assessment to capture informal learning outcomes. Digital tools and media literacy are central to leveraging Lernalltags for learning, enabling access to information, collaboration, and feedback across contexts.

Policy and research on Lernalltags emphasize its alignment with lifelong learning and education for sustainable development, aiming to promote inclusive education by recognizing diverse contexts and backgrounds. Critiques note challenges in measuring informal learning, potential inequalities if access to resources is uneven, and the need for teacher professional development to recognize and credit informal learning without fragmenting curricula.

See also: informal learning, everyday life, lifelong learning, project-based learning.