Name of the project
GRUNDTVIG Learning Partnerships Project: "Development of good practice and innovative teaching methods of adult and citizenship education ADULT-CITIZEN”
Duration of the project
24 months
1.
08.2009 - 31.07.2011
Summary
This projects aims at so
lving the following problems of the adult education. First, there are many adult students that drop out from schools or live in distant regions or countries that they emigrate, thus, there is a need to develop innovative teaching methods that reach out target groups and to use various techniques of active learning in order to improve motivation of learners. Secondly, transfer of innovative teaching pedagogies and sharing of good practice is needed to develop the skills of adult educators. Therefore, the project aims at developing partnership between several countries that have similar problems. Thirdly, the purpose of projects is to solve specific problem of citizenship education, which involves development of teaching and learning skills that are needed for learners to become not only active members of labour market, but civil society as well. Our plan is to develop innovations using distant learning, active teaching and citizenship education as means to attract more learners, develop skills of educators and transfer of knowledge. Citizenship education would include learning of being active member of EU, thus it would contribute to the European integration and would add to the European dimension of the project.
This project focuses on the three main issues that are facing partners of the project which are:
- lack of knowledge on distant learning and development of citizenship education or active learning among adult educators;
- lack of knowledge of working with students from disadvantage groups and emigrants;
- lack of motivation among students/ adult learners;
- poor skills and knowledge of European cultures and values which created obstacles for cultural dialogue within Europe.
The project thus has fourfold objectives:
- to develop skills of adult educators in using distant learning courses, citizenship education and teaching of learning from disadvantage areas, groups from social exclusion and emigration;
- to develop the strategy that would motivate learners to involve in adult learning focusing on preparation for active membership in labour market and civil society;
- to organize exchange visits for transfer of knowledge and cultural activities;
- to organize a video conference and produce a DVD (in English and national languages of partner countries) for the dissemination of the project activities and ideas for a larger audience.
The approach of partnership and cooperation would focus on transfer of knowledge and innovation from partner to partner, dissemination of good practice and know-how by means of organizing exchange visits, cooperation with local communities. In addition, each partner would organize local campaigns to inform local communities and local governments about the project.
Impact and European Added Value
The project and its results will have an enormous impact and benefits for the participating organizations and their members both at the national and European levels. First, the development of innovative teaching techniques (advancing distant learning, integration of citizenship education into curricula) will develop the personal skills and qualification of adult educators in partner countries. Furthermore, dissemination of good practice will assist staff to develop their curriculum and attract more learners especially from disadvantaged groups (emigrants, people with special needs. Secondly, the development and transfer of knowledge of distant learning and active (learning) education and higher skills of adult educators will eventually lead to successful teaching and learning process because educators will be better qualified how to motivate students, how to involve them in learning process from distant regions and emigration, how to teach students to become active members of labour market and civil society both at the national and European level.
The project will have the added value for the European dimension not only that educators and learner will be introduced to foreign cultures and different environment that will eventually effect their attitudes for other countries and will perpetuate cultural dialogue between learners and educators. The project idea of integrating citizenship education into curricular will include elements of European citizenship and its cultural aspect of what is EU, Europe and European Citizenship, what are the advantages and disadvantages. This will ensure the implementation of the project’s objective to create the common platform for cooperation, communication and cultural dialogue between European countries and their citizens.
