This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
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Let's do it creatively ... for the benefit of adult learners

Introduction

This Grundtvig Lifelong Learning Project aims to promote ‘enjoyment in learning’, with a focus on the generation and sharing of innovative and creative approaches to adult learning. It gives adult education practitioners an opportunity for professional development and reflection on best practice. Through a series of workshops, participants can reflect on, share and design innovative approaches to support the development of key competences for education and training as identified by the European Commission.

Building on the 2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation, participants aim to become facilitators of learning rather than merely imparters of knowledge. Their work with learners will foster positive attitudes towards life-long learning, promoting access, transfer and progression for a diverse learning community with varied learning needs. This project involves a number of partners from a diverse range of organisations involved in adult education around the world who all have a depth of experience in developing key competences in learners.

Project partners

Partnership Objectives

Objective 1

To develop and share creative and innovative methods to engage learners so that they will develop the ‘key competences’ all individuals need for personal fulfilment and development, inclusion and employment.

In 2005, the European Commission identified 8 key competences that provide added value for the labour market, social cohesion and active citizenship by offering flexibility and adaptability, satisfaction and motivation:

  1. communication in the mother tongue;
  2. communication in foreign languages;
  3. competences in maths, science and technology;
  4. digital competence;
  5. learning to learn;
  6. interpersonal, intercultural and social competences, and civic competence;
  7. entrepreneurship;
  8. cultural expression.

The project will develop and share creative and innovative ways of teaching adult learners each of these key competences.

Objective 2

To encourage teachers to see themselves as facilitators in the learning process rather than just subject experts who disseminate knowledge.

There is an emerging consensus that the most useful learning in the modern world is learning how to learn. The emphasis in adult education should be as much, if not more, on the process of learning as on the subject matter being taught. Adult learners who can engage actively in their own learning process will learn more effectively and with more enthusiasm.

Objective 3

To encourage the development of a ‘joyful’ learning atmosphere.

It is the experience of the partners, and also borne out by academic studies, that many adult learners returning to education after a number of years have negative perceptions about education as a result of experiences from their earlier school days. It is therefore important to foster a welcoming and supportive environment for adult learners. By encouraging such active learning in a warm and supportive environment, the project partners believe that this will lead the adult learners to engage more readily in the process of learning and developing key competences. The desired outcome is that learners develop a more positive attitude to education and will therefore be more motivated to continue on the path of life-long learning.

The project uses workshops, presentations, seminars and discussions using practical examples to achieve these objectives, the results of which are uploaded on their website. The partners will then incorporate these into a framework throughout all aspects of designing and delivering adult learning in their own organisations.


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