News – Quality and Professionalization

AE-PRO e-training attracted thousands of adult educators

ae_pro_color_web-01Brussels, December 2015. The final session of the ‘European e-training for Adult Educators’, organised by the AE-PRO project between May and December 2015, was held on 15th of December 2015. During the eight months of the training over 5,300 people registered to the AE-learning platform. The main aim of AE-PRO project is to create a learning platform and offer e-training about European developments and adult education European countries for adult education staff. “The popularity of the e-training surprised the project consortium. It shows that a European e-learning hub for adult educators was clearly needed,” says Policy Officer Tania Berman from the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), the organisation behind the project. Juhani Pörtfors, a retired head of adult education centre from Finland, took the entire course. “My motivation to participate the AE-PRO e-training was to gain an understanding on European adult education in theoretical, political and practical levels,” he tells. He found the AE-PRO e-training as a unique chance to communicate with other adult educators from around Europe.  “I have realized that adult education structures vary in different countries but at the same time we have very much in common. It has been great to see that there are enlightened adult educators and active associations everywhere in Europe who are sincerely promoting the interests of the citizens.” The AE-PRO project consortium will organise a second e-training in 2016. More information will follow in February.

Background

The European Adult Education (Young) Professionals Learning Platform (AE-PRO) project offers a capacity building e-training for (younger) staff in adult education about European developments and adult education in other countries. We aim to increase the knowledge of staff about adult education in Europe and increase the exchange of innovation across Europe through intergenerational learning, and the learning of experts as well as peers. We also aim to provide opportunities for the professional development and training of staff in adult education through the coordinated use of Erasmus+ mobilities.

Support to the Functional Elementary Education of Adults programme

Donacija FOOOBelgrade, December 2015. Adult Education Society, for the second year in a row, supported programme of Functional Elementary Education of Adults (FEEA) in Serbia. In Jun AES has offered the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development support to programme worth € 10,000, assuming that according to the program needs, additional training for teachers will be organized. By the end of the year still no conditions for the organization of additional training existed, therefore it was decided to support the FEEA programme through the donation of the manuals for students. There is still no mechanism for providing these manuals for schools, and since these are the only material for programme participants the manuals are prerequisite for successful implementation of the programme. Nearly 60 schools were contacted and 38 of them sent requests. AES responded positively on all request and manuals were printed and distributed to larger centres. With this year’s donation 2160 participants of the program FEEA were supported.

 

The 4th AE-PRO partner meeting

aeprolismLisbon, November 2015. The 4th AE-PRO partner meeting was organized in Lisbon on 26th and 27th of November by partner organization from Portugal, Kerigma. The working day started with an open discussion about partner’s experiences on running the webinars. Furthermore, the results and the main outcomes of the project were presented. The first AE-PRO e-training was conducted between May and December 2015 and over 5300 adult education professionals have registered as users to the platform. Bearing on mind that the last session for this e-training will be organized on 15th of December on the meeting the partners talk about the future and the second e-training which will be organized in 2016. Representatives of Adult Education Society (AES) presented the general results of the participant’s evaluation of the sessions. For this report also was used participant’s self-reflections about learning process within each session and data that platform collected automatically about users. Also, the decisions about final evaluation were made and responsibilities for the next year defined.

The webinar about applied theatre methods in adult education was organized in Adult Education Society

webinartamsiBelgrade, November 2015. Adult Education Society organized the webinar Applied theatre methods in adult education: legislative theatre in prison on 10th of November within EU project The European Adult Education (Young) Professionals Learning Platform (AE-PRO). Tamara Nikolić Maksić, Ph.D. Assistant Professor at Adult Education Department, Faculty of Philosophy University of Belgrade, gave the lecture and made the concept for one week session at the AE-PRO educational platform (http://www.ae-learning.eu/course/view.php?id=64). Nikola Koruga, Adult Education Society project manager, had the role of producer during the webinar. The overall goal of this session was to inform adult educators about the potentials of applied theatre and the benefits of using interactive methods and drama techniques in educational setting, with an emphasis on legislative theatre and prison drama in penitentiary institutions. In addition, participants have opportunity to become familiar with some practical theatre techniques and try to use some of them during the webinar through proposed tasks.

The webinar about situational barriers and learning abilities of functionally illiterate individuals was organized in Adult Education Society

webinarbroadsasBelgrade, November 2015. Adult Education Society organized the webinar Situational barriers and learning abilities of functionally illiterate individuals participating in programmes of elementary adult education in Serbia on 3rd of November within EU project The European Adult Education (Young) Professionals Learning Platform (AE-PRO). Nikola Koruga, project manager from Adult Education Society, had the role of producer during the webinar. Aleksandar Bulajić, MPhil Research and Lecturer Assistant at Faculty of Philosophy Belgrade, Department for Andragogy, gave the lecture and made concept for one week session at the AE-PRO educational platform (http://www.ae-learning.eu/course/view.php?id=65). The overall goal of the session is familiarising participants, all around Europe, with key issues concerning the situational barriers and cognitive functioning characteristics of illiterate adults undergoing a process of elementary adult education. In addition, participants have opportunity to become familiar with Serbian model of Functional Elementary Education for Adults and researches in the field of working memory.

Training in project preparation for community learning initiatives

festival15Belgrade, October 2015. The first of three training, for supporting community learning initiatives, organized by Adult Education Society as part of preparation for the IX Adult Learning Festival, was held in the premises of the Red Cross Belgrade in the period 23-24.10.2015. Based on the needs analyses of the organizations that organize learning activities in community, done in July, a few topics were organized in three trainings: “Projects and Fundraising”, “Activating a community”, “Creation and facilitation of educational activities.” The trainings will be attended by representatives of 35 organizations from 6 towns in Serbia. In this first training participated 19 representatives of various learning initiatives in the community, from small informal groups through NGOs to institutions. Adult Education Society organized the training in partnership with the Civic Initiatives, and conducted by the trainers Snežana Stojanović and Đurđa Đukić. The aim of the training was to improve knowledge and skills of participants in fundraising and proposal writing, because most learning initiatives in the community and funded on the project basis. Participants rated the training as excellent, which is not often the case with training on this subject. There was only one dissonant tone in the evaluation of the seminar – to the question: To what extent have training met your expectations? one participant replied: “Not at all!” Explanation of the answers was: “I expected to be bored, and I did it.”

Adult Education Society supported ESREA conference in Belgrade

esreagenderBelgrade, October 2015. In the beginning of October, the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade held an international conference on Contemporary Issues and Perspectives on Gender Research in Adult Education. History, Philosophy, Methodology and Practice. The conference was organized by ESREA (European Society for Research on the Education of Adults) in cooperation with the Faculty of Philosophy, Adult Education Society and the Institute of Pedagogy and Andragogy. Participants from all over the world presented their researches and discuss about topics such as the role and status of women in the history of adult education theory and gender in lifelong learning, gender research in educational practice, etc. Participants had the opportunity to see the theatre play “Macho men” in Bitef theatre and then to talk with authors and actors about a process of creating this piece. Also, the last day of the conference, there was organized presentation of the book “Men’s Shed Movement” written by one of the participants Barry Golding. The idea of the organizers was, through the conference, supporting young and talented entrepreneurs who was engaged in catering and production of materials for participants. The next conference of ESREA Research Network on Gender and Adult Learning is in 2017 in Germany.

The Adult Education Society supported ESRALE Summer Academy

Belgrade, September 2015. ESRALESummerAcademyThe Adult Education Society supported ESRALE Summer Academy, which was realized at the Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy from the 14th to the 20th of September 2015. The host of the Academy was the Department of Andragogy and Institute of Andragogy and Pedagogy at the Faculty of Philosophy University of Belgrade. The aim of the Summer Academy was to strengthen the quality of skills and competencies in relevant subject areas/disciplines which impact on the interdisciplinary area of adult learning and education. This year the topic was Empirical Research in Adult Learning and Education (Conceptual and Methodological Problems). The conference was held at the Faculty on the first day. On the following days the workshops for MA and PhD students were organized by many professors from partner Universities. The Adult Education Society provided a half day study visit to self-organized learning communities and community learning organizations. This was an opportunity to rethink the practice and consider different possibilities for the future development of adult learning. The feedback from both sides shows that organizations received significant input from the students, and the students were satisfied with the possibility of being introduced to a community learning initiatives.

DIE included Andragogical Studies in their database

asznakBelgrade, September 2015. Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning of the German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) approached Andragogical Studies Journal in the beginning of September, with request to be allowed to take over and print copies of issues printed so far, and a future ones, in order to preserve it in it’s library in order to provide future generations of researchers with the journal’s issues. Having in mind the role and the importance of DIE and its library for adult education in Europe, this request was accepted with pleasure and honor. We see this “request” as another acknowledgement of the high quality of the Journal, and as an encouragement for future efforts. (http://www.as.edu.rs/)

The 3rd partner meeting of AE-PRO project

aepromalmeMalmö, May 2015. The 3rd AE-PRO partner meeting was held in Glokala Folkhögskolan Malmö, Sweden on 19th and 20th of May. The meeting was significant, because it was dedicated to realization of the first sessions on the AE-PRO on-line platform (http://www.ae-learning.eu/) and agreement about the future ones. During the meeting the first feedback from participants were analysed and discussed. Representatives of Adult Education Society (AES) presented the results of the Initial questionnaire, which was filled out by registered participants on the platform. In the continuation of the meeting evaluation on the different levels, responsibility of AES, has been recognized as one of the key activities for upcoming period. Representative of Learningpool company, that created the on-line platform participated in the meeting to allow project partner to introduce in details the platform and all functions of the platform tools for course creation and run. The meeting was finished with fruitful brainstorming about platforms` future development.

Activities of project for certification of trainers in adult education are continuing

Zasto_daBelgrade, March 2015. The files of selected group of trainers are received from SVEB after validation process. This was a reason for celebration, because all of received files are successfully passed validation process at the level of SVEB 2. This evidently present the expertise of the selected trainers who are participated in the project. Furthermore, the next phase of the project Development of training and certification system for the trainers in adult education can be opened. All trainers are agreed that details of the assessment of their files can be forwarded to the validators’ team, who will use this examples as the model for the validation processes which will be held inside of established system in Serbia. Moreover, in the continuation of the project on the meeting with partners were analysed possibilities of establishment of an association in adult education. The cooperation in all key activities for the establishment of the system, scheduled for the end of the year, were also discussed. At the moment the set of the additional quality standards for organizations accreditation and expanded set of trainers’ competencies for the trainers are developing.

Donation to the FEEA Programme

Donacija_FOOOBelgrade, December 2014. Beginning of new semester 2015 of Functional Elementary Education of Adult (FEEA) programme in schools in Belgrade was seriously jeopardized because schools were not provided with learning manuals for participants of the programme. In the beginning of December 2014 Ministry for Education, Science and Technological Development forwarded request of schools to AES asking for a support in manuals provision. School in Belgrade were contacted, there needs for manuals evaluated and decision was made to provide manuals for 600+ participants in 7 school involved in FEEA programme in Belgrade, on account of resources of other project activity. Manuals were printed and distributed on time and programme started in beginning of 2015 successfully.

Expert training for validation and accreditation of the new training and certification system

ObukaBgdBelgrade, December 2014. Adult Education Society with support of DVV International and SVEB organized training for experts who will validate trainers` files and accredit training programs and organizations which will realize training programs in adult education. The training was realized by experts from Swiss Federation for Adult Education in Hotel “Palace” on the 1st and 2nd of December 2014. The aim of this program consider establishing team for validation and accreditation of the new training and certification system in adult education in Serbia. Beside experts from Serbia this program attended by representatives of Institute for Adult Education from BiH and Centre for Vocational Education Montenegro. Considering that experts from SVEB for the first time realized this kind of training out of their country colleagues from region used opportunity to get know better the most developed European system of accreditation and certification of the trainers in adult education. On the training experts got concrete knowledge and skills, but also they have opportunity to explore and analyse key elements of the quality system in adult education in the context of the processes which partners from SEE network of DVV International initiated in the region.

Towards European Harmonization – Quality in Аdult Еducation and Staff Professionalization

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABudva, November 2014. Adult Education Society in partnership with Centre for Vocational Education and DVV International partners from SEE Network organized regional meeting on the topic “Towards European Harmonization – Quality in Аdult Еducation and Staff Professionalization, ” in Budva, Montenegro on November 21 – 22. The 23 participants from 7 countries, representatives from relevant institutions, private and public sector, were participated on the meeting. Adult Education Society cause working efficiency together with participants before the conference prepared information about activities and conditions of adult education in each county on the following 4 topics: Quality indicators for accreditation of adult education providers, Qualifications standards for trainers in adult education, Training of trainers in adult education, Prior learning assessment and certification of trainers in adult education. Based on these preliminary information participants of the gathering have defined in working groups defined, and then operationally developed ideas for networking, exchange of experiences and cooperation on these issues. After two days of very productive meeting was finished with the draft of four projects, as supporting cooperation activities in the field of quality and professionalism in adult education in the region.

The 2nd partner meeting of AE-PRO project

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERALeicester, November 2014. Representatives of the Adult Education Society participated on The 2nd partner meeting of AE-PRO project on November, 5th – 6th. The host of this meeting was NIACE. During the first day participants from each partner organization presented results of their work and discussed their experience with on-line management learning system as moodle. On this meeting expert from learningpool company explain how will look like and function our future AE-PRO learning platform. Following the meeting details about cours, participants’ recruitment, mobility issue, evaluation and quality assurance, promotional activities were discussed. The meeting finished with the updated timeline for the next steps and enthusiasm regarding shaping future on-line learning platform.

International ESRALE Summer Academy

IMG_20140918_191207Brno, September 2014. International ESRALE Summer Academy with subject „International Perspectives on Adult Education“ was held in Brno (Czech Republic) in period from 15th till 19th September, 2014. Summer Academy was placed on Masaryk University, and participants were PhD and MA students from Italy, Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, Romania, Lithuania, South Africa and Serbia. During this period participants had opportunity to participate at the lectures of professors from Germany, Italy, Hungary and Czech Republic. Lectures covered wide range of topics related to methodological issues. The Summer Academy was unique opportunity for PhD students from Serbia to exchange ideas with colleagues from different European countries and develop their thesis. At the end participants take part in Conference which was organized on Masaryk University. On this conference, participants had opportunity to gain insight into actual developments of European adult education. Summer Academy was evaluated by Serbian participants as very useful and they propose to provide lecture on same subjects, but only about few methods on much deeper level, for the next groups of students.

Support the FEEA in Serbia

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASerbia, July 2014. Adult Education Society in cooperation with Institute for Andragogy and Pedagogy on Faculty of Philosophy Belgrade and in coordination of Ministry for Education, Science and Technological Development during July realize additional training for teachers of newly introduced teaching subject in the Functional Elementary Education of Adults (FEEA). The final evaluation of the EU project “Second Chance”, implemented by dvv international in consortium with GOPA and EAEA, showed that there is a need for additional support of the teachers who implemented FEEA. Now when we have regulated system of Adult Education support of dvv international became significantly important. As the support to the teachers of FEEA was organized 8 trainings in the 7 cities in the Serbia for 155 teachers of newly introduced teaching subject: Basic Life Skills, Responsible Living in a Civil Society and Entrepreneurship. The program had a goal to improve the competence of teachers and increase the effectiveness of teaching in the mentioned subjects. Realisation of this trainings shown that teachers need this kind of support especially because of frequent staff changes in the area of adult education. Training also had impact of their motivation and desire to networking with aim to share information and ideas among themselves.

Professionalization and internationalization of andragogical programmes of university

kojaBelgrade, June 2014. Within the project „Professionalization of Adult Education“ and specific measure “Professionalization and internationalization of andragogical programmes of university“, on Friday and Saturday professor Peter Jarvis (University of Surrey) and professor Daniel Kober (University of Duisburg-Essen) have held lectures on the following topics „PIACC 2013 – Impacts on Adult Education, Labour Market and Societies“, “Project Management – Concepts, Aims and Methods” and “Human Learning – Implicit and Explicit“. On Saturday professors have visited colleagues from Novi Sad, where professor Jarvis held his first lecture sixty years ago.

The project „Professionalization of adult education in Serbia“ is entering its next phase

SVEBBelgrade, June 2014. In office of Adult education society a workshop has been conducted for file preparation for certification of acquired knowledge and experience for trainers of level two SVEB certificates. The workshop was attended by representatives of partner organizations, who will, after the certification of knowledge and skills in the field of trainers training, transfer them to the staff working in the field of adult education in Serbia. This activity was organized by Ph.D. Katarina Popovic and Maja Maksimovic, representatives of Adult Education Society, employed at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, and who have successfully passed the process of certification. This meeting with partners, project Professionalization of adult education in Serbia has entered in its next phase. The trainers which have attended the workshop will, during summer, prepare their files, which will be handed for further certification to the SVEB experts in Switzerland.

Improving quality in Adult Education with SVEB

svebgdBelgrade, March 2014. Adult Education Society in cooperation and support of dvv international and SVEB has organised seminar called “Improving quality in Adult Education with SVEB” in Belgrade on March 28th and 29th. This activity was organised so that gathered partners from public and business sector, as well as the colleagues from several regional countries. The aim of seminar was to introduced cooperation with SVEB so far, but also future steps of implementation of SVEB certification and accreditation in Serbia. Besides the Adult Education Society the program was conducted by representatives of SVEB, and they have addressed to all the present participants, as well as representatives of Embassy of Switzerland and State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. On the first day, participants had the chance to see and hear data about the SVEB organisation and quality management in adult education with the AdA modular system, and then the complete process of validation of trainer’s former experience has been explained, and also ways to collect and analyse necessary documentation for certification. On the second day of seminar the participants were introduced with the eduQua system of quality management, and after that they were asked to think about how much does the work of institutions in which they work, coincides with the criteria of this system of quality control. At the end of the seminar further steps have been arranged about the quality improvement in adult education with the help of SVEB. Lots of questions were still opened, which implies that dialogue, mutual understanding and support for the development and sustainability are the key elements for building a stable system of quality in adult education for the whole region.