Statement for the BEFLEX Project

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Milo Owen
5 years ago
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1 With the support of the European Union within the framework of the Socrates Grundtvig programme. Grundtvig 1-project No: CP AT- GRUNDTVIG-G1 Statement for the BEFLEX Project I. ADD LIFE! - ADDing quality to LIFE through inter-generational learning via universities The rationale for this project is based on research and analyses of trends which are very similar in all European countries, namely: Europe has an ageing population. Not only the economy and the labour market but also our European civil society cannot afford to lose the skills, competences and experiences of older citizens. Many older people have missed out on much of the development in new technologies not just the use of computers and the internet but also the way in which new technologies are embedded in everyday life. Young people have much to teach older people. Older people need an increased understanding of the social and economic changes resulting from the globalisation process. Transnational and intercultural learning processes are an important vehicle for linking public/academic discussion and personal experience/reflection. There is considerable evidence that the quality of life (general well-being, physical and mental health) is clearly linked to the level of participation in all aspects of social life. Learning is itself a form of participation and an important catalyst for other forms. Learning about ways in which they can contribute to civil society can provide a double motivation for both younger and older people, including a range of groups who are non-traditional participants in university courses (people without formal qualifications, drop-outs, women returners, migrants etc). Learning groups usually form a kind of fellowship as a consequence of common experiences. So learning in groups, which involves both older and younger people, can improve mutual understanding and responsibility between generations and provide new inter-generational social networks. Standard procedures, curricula and study methods are mainly focused on the needs of younger students and do not take into account the special needs of older target groups and the widely diverse new target groups for higher education. New and flexible individual pathways are needed. Universities are not geared to provide this kind of learning opportunity they need models of good practice tried and tested through pilot projects. Some experience of flexible individual pathways and of inter-generational learning exists in Europe, but this field of work is not well developed or shared across national boundaries. There is a need for trans-national sharing of experience and of good practice. ADD LIFE addresses all of these needs.

2 Project objectives The objectives are to: explore different models of inter-generational learning, collaborative learning between older and younger learners, and inter-generational collaboration on designing new modules; develop learning opportunities that will promote participation of individuals in European civil society as promoters and facilitators/mentors with others; design 12 modules of learning using these different models and different flexible approaches, and pilot 6 of these; evaluate the pilots systematically and report on the lessons learned from intergenerational teaching and learning, and from collaborative design; and evaluate systematically and report on the lessons learned about universities potential role in training promoters for different fields of voluntary and paid work, identifying the need for further development, including concrete recommendations; and disseminate and valorise the outputs and products of the project among the professional communities in European universities and beyond. 2 Main products of ADD LIFE 6 Taught Modules 1. Sustainability and Development (Graz) in German (DE); 2. Information Society - Digital Literacy (Brno) in Czech (CZ); 3. Employability and Mentoring/Coaching/Guidance/Advice (Graz) in German (DE); 4. Civil Society (Pécs) in Hungarian (HU); 5. Culture (Jyväskylä) in Finnish (FI); 6. Health Sciences (A Coruña) in Spanish (ES). Each module will adopt a different model of inter-generational teaching/learning setting and reflect on it. The content of the modules is not only academic but also functional, addressing specific learning interests and needs of the target groups, e.g. to learn how to become a promoter of the specific theme taught and a facilitator/mentor with others, and IT-skills: each taught module will include a section in which training for promoters in a specific European theme and for facilitators/mentors with others is provided. 6 Facilitated Open Modules The content and learning settings of the facilitated open modules are negotiated with the potential target groups in a collaborative process comprising different generations (younger and older participants working out a new module collaboratively) during the project. These open modules could be a specialised module following the taught module, they could be dedicated to a completely new theme, or they could focus on special soft skills (e.g. mentoring/coaching) or IT-skills. How to design, document, evaluate and accredit such negotiation processes will be developed at European level in the project partnership in a collaborative process. Experiences and good practice from these collaborative processes will be shared widely. They also guarantee an integrated intercultural perspective.

3 3 3 Developmental Reports 1. ADD LIFE! - Lessons learned 1: Inter-generational teaching and learning in university teaching Experiences and Recommendations ; 2. ADD LIFE! - Lessons learned 2: The universities potential role in training promoters for different fields of voluntary and paid work Experiences and Recommendations; 3. ADD LIFE! - Lessons learned 3: Facilitated collaborative design of intergenerational university courses Experiences and Recommendations These reports will be in English, translated into the languages of the partner countries involved and will address the professional communities. Project duration October 2006 September 2008 (2 years) Partners Full partners: Co-ordinator: University of Graz / Center for Continuing Education (AT) Brno University of Technology (CZ) Goldsmiths University of London (UK) Summer University of Jyväskylä (FI) University of Pécs (HU) University of A Coruña (ES) EUCEN European University Continuing Education Network (BE) Associate partners: Technology Centre Deutschlandsberg Ltd. in cooperation with Municipality Deutschlandsberg (AT) Association of Third Age Universities, Czech Republic (CZ) The Learning from Experience Trust (UK) University of Kiel (DE) Educators Center Association House of Civic Communities (HU) UDP - Provincial Association of Pensioners and Retired Persons from A Coruña (ES) EAEA - European Association for the Education of Adults (BE)

4 4 II. ADD LIFE and the Bologna Process ADD LIFE as European project promotes the European dimension in higher education European educational answers to the challenge of ageing populations need new, culture-sensitive European models of negotiating these answers and models of innovative settings for teaching and learning, also at university level, which must be embedded in ongoing European processes such as the Bologna Process. But they must also conform to university laws at national level. These new answers can only be the result of a structured exchange of ideas, experiences and expertise within the framework of an institutionalised partnership at European level. For the collaborative development of the taught modules and the developmental process (modes of negotiating) of the facilitated open modules, a trans-national partnership is necessary, thus also guaranteeing a European and intercultural dimension and implementation. The development (structure and format) of the modules is carried out through transnational collaboration and a sharing of previous experience, as well as the experience within the project activities. The development of the curricula for the modules is collaborative in two ways: the content and pedagogical approaches of the taught modules are negotiated on the one hand with academic peers at European level within the project consortium, and on the other hand, also with associate partners representing segments of the stakeholders at local and European level. Since university accreditation is a target, the modules also have to fulfil the quality standards for university teaching. Innovative is not only this negotiating, but also the inclusion of instruction for training promoters and facilitators/mentors with others in the specific field addressed. In the second project year a facilitated process of collaborative development of open modules will be initiated together with representatives of the target groups and of segments of other stakeholder groups at local level. More specifically, the ADD LIFE project works along the following action lines of the Bologna Process: Concept of Lifelong Learning ADD LIFE contributes to the concept of lifelong learning because it develops new provisions for adult learning at university level. Each partner developing a module will incorporate their developed modules into the institution s regular programme of study as well as seeking to integrate the modules developed by other partners. ADD LIFE is an innovative attempt to implement lifelong learning because it: 1. explores and evaluates a range of different models and new modes of intergenerational learning in a university context; 2. develops competence-based, learner-centred and collaborative design of learning in a university context; 3. enables the transformation of learning into action for active European citizenship, for volunteer or paid work or for self-employment in later life; 4. provides new models for the university accreditation of learner-designed modules; 5. targets organisational learning of universities; and 6. is based on and embedded in current scientific research in the field of gerontology and inter-generational relationships.

5 5 Flexible, individual learning pathways to accredited university education ADD LIFE tackles the future challenges to education and training systems and lifelong learning on the one hand by creating flexible pathways to higher education and extending the provision for new target groups to universities which traditionally have not been targeted at all, i.e. non-traditional students; and on the other hand by promoting and enabling organisational learning of universities in direct cooperation with the learner groups targeted and non-governmental and adult education institutions. Furthermore, EU-Projects such as ADD LIFE allow a unique mix of expertise of the partner institutions and their professionals working on the project, helping to share experiences and finding new solutions relevant also at European level. On the one hand, the partner institutions represent research, teaching, and management as well as different kinds of institutions, i.e. universities, non-profitassociations/adult education centres, European associations in cooperation with the associate partners (business/municipality, university, national platforms, non-profit associations); on the other hand, the professionals involved guarantee a unique interdisciplinary approach in the fields of: pedagogy, educational sciences, adult education; management and organisational development; ICT, especially for older learners; gerontology focusing on medicine, health sciences and telegerontology; gerontology focusing on sociology, social gerontology, Learning in Later Life; and social history. To this knowledge pool, the expertise brought into the project by the developers and teachers of the 6 taught modules and the expertise of the associate partners has to be added, as well as the feedback from the professional communities throughout the dissemination and valorisation events. The working processes planned and the experiences made will lead to a profound and fundamental body of knowledge for further development. Application of ECTS in Lifelong Learning The awarding of ECTS credits in ULLL is a relatively new and unexplored chapter in European education. ADD LIFE is trying to find and to test bridges between HE and ULLL. However, it must first be ascertained within the Project whether there is a legal basis for the awarding of ECTS credits for ULLL in the partner countries; and even more specifically, is there a legal basis which would allow universities to award independent ECTS credits for partial Bachelor programmes. It is planned to accredit each ADD LIFE module with 2-3 ECTS (1 ECTS = hours workload; each hour = 60 minutes). The current project will differentiate between: 1. the process of learning (workload); 2. learning outcomes which could be assessed; and 3. the awarding of credits. Within ADD LIFE we will implement 1. and 2. and 3. if possible. Contact Andrea Waxenegger, ADD LIFE Project Coordinator University of Graz, Center for Continuing Education Universitaetsplatz 3, 8010 Graz, Austria add-life@uni-graz.at tel: +43(0)316/ , fax: +43(0)316/

Quality in University Lifelong Learning (ULLL) and the Bologna process

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